Purdue takes part in Google Marketing Live, only university represented

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University was represented at Google Marketing Live on Tuesday alongside brands like McDonald's, The Lego Group and Chase as the debut university to speak at the annual conference.

Mitch Daniels, president of Purdue University, was featured in a video address alongside executives from Marriott International and Chase. Ethan Braden, executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for Purdue University and Purdue University Global, was featured in-person, discussing Purdue's industry-defining innovations within higher education.

According to a release from Purdue, Google Marketing Live is a "hybrid event hosted at the Google Bay View Campus in California’s Silicon Valley, bringing together innovative marketing leaders from top organizations to inspire readiness for tomorrow’s challenges. Past events have featured keynotes from industry-shakers like Grammy Award-winner Alicia Keys."

"We've had a burgeoning relationship and partnership with Google now for a bit of time," Braden told the Journal & Courier, "as we think about the continued transformation both with Purdue University and the portfolio of our offerings which include Purdue University Global. And they (Google) believe that we're really the tip of the spear right now (and are) able to lead the necessary transformation of higher education to address not only the residential... student demand that's there...but also the 60 million Americans – at a minimum – who are sitting there with some credit and no degree as working adults.

"And so again, that portfolio of higher education offerings and the innovation that we've brought particularly (at) Purdue, is the reason they've selected Purdue University to be featured as the first university at this event."

Google's industry director for education, John Farrar, also commented on Purdue's role in higher education leadership.

“Purdue University is a leader in education and has transformed its experience for residential students and working adults online,” Farrar said. "We’re excited for Mitch and Ethan to share Purdue’s thought leadership on how they’ve leaned into the power of storytelling, data, and digital to best serve their students.”

Daniels was featured in the "Think Transformation" video, joined by Tina Edmundson, the global brand and marketing officer for Marriott International, and Sonali Divilek, head of digital products and channels for Chase.

Daniels spoke on behalf of Purdue's decade-long tuition freeze in the video, commenting that it was Purdue's responsibility to do better than raising tuition prices.

"Higher ed has been pretty stuck in its ways for a long time," Daniels said in the video, "and it was not fully delivering on its promise. It was, in too many cases, overcharging its customers. We felt we had a responsibility. We had an opportunity to do better than that."

As stated in the Think Transformation summary, "Brands know data drives meaningful customer interactions..." Daniels elaborated on this by connecting data uses to providing high quality education at Purdue University.

"There is no decision we make here that doesn't start with an exploration of the data," Daniels said. "The changes that we have tried to bring to Purdue have all stemmed from a sense that our students deserve the highest possible quality education at the most affordable price we can provide to them."

Daniels echoed Braden's comments on the burgeoning relationship between Purdue and Google over the years.

"We're really thrilled at the growing relationship with Google," Daniels said. "The results are terrific. That's really what we're here for."

In-person at the event, Braden spoke alongside Google and other Fortune 100 leaders about marketing maturity in higher education.

"(In addition to marketing maturity,) the disruption, the positive disruption, marketing can create (will be discussed)," Braden said before the conference. "And then we're also gonna talk about Purdue's embrace and success specifically with YouTube over the last three years."

Mike Henry, the managing director of financial services at Google interviewed Braden live on stage, specifically regarding Purdue's YouTube presence.

"...when COVID-19 hit, we were not fully capable or prepared to market our university and our experience to families and students who now could not visit, but rather had to make up their minds from afar, online," Braden said. "COVID-19 accelerated our transformation with YouTube. Before the pandemic, our YouTube channel was a messy repository for everything. When good storytelling did occur, it was often hidden, hard to find, mislabeled, off-brand, and seen by too few.

"Today, 10 of our Top 25 most viewed You Tube videos ever were produced in just the last year."

Braden also reinforced his belief in the importance of Purdue being chosen as the debut university present at Google Marketing Live.

"I think it all starts with an amazing product," Braden said, "and that is Purdue University. And it stems, then, from having incredible leadership and support from our board and president Daniels to be able to go to the world with the marketing that we do that tells the world... what Purdue stands for and why they should care.

"It starts with the product, and we've got an incredible product."

Margaret Christopherson is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email her at mchristopherson@jconline.com and follow her on Twitter @MargaretJC2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue joins in Google Marketing Live, only university represented