Google Ads Brand Protection – A Real Life Case Study

Google Ads Brand Protection – A Real Life Case Study

It’s 7:35 Saturday evening, and I’m watching a program on the TV channel U & Yesterday. An advert catches my eye. I’m just about to buy a boat (it’s no gin palace), and the advert is for a range of washable rugs. My interest is peaked as where there is water, there is mud! I didn’t realise you could get washable rugs (ok, so I’m a little behind on these things).

Like many consumers, I’m partial to a second screening (Using my phone while watching TV). I searched for Ruggable. Yikes, surely not. Ruggable aren’t even bidding on their brand name. Surely, they haven’t made that mistake (1) . Below are the screenshots from my phone. Note that the John Lewis ad didn’t appear until I scrolled down the page, as the brand The Rugs had made great use of assets to show several sections of their site.

Why Brand Protection is so important

The above is a classic example of why brand protection is vital in Google Ads.

While I was in the second screening, my search showed me that several companies offer washable rugs (now I know), but I could not see any mention of the brand until I scrolled down on my phone. Recent statistics suggest nearly 60% of users buy online using their mobile device.

Therefore, it’s key that your ads show at the top of the page when people search for your brand. In this example, competitors are bidding on the Ruggable brand name and appearing at the top of search results, potentially stealing customers. I looked to see if the brand name was trademarked in the UK, but this doesn’t seem to be the case at this time.

Controlling Brand Messaging

Owning the top ad spot ensures that users see the brand’s intended message rather than competitors, negative press, third-party sellers, or, even worse, misleading information.

The business appears to have trademarked the phrase “Beautiful, Washable, Ruggable,” which would be ideal for ad copy and descriptions.

Maximise Conversions from TV Investment

Many TV viewers don’t just visit when they see the ad but also later when they search for the brand. A strong Google Ads presence ensures that those potential customers land on the right page. In this case, as I have only had one exposure to the brand, I’m likely to be fickle and even consider one of their competitors.

Improve Customer Experience

Users expect to find a brand quickly and easily after seeing a TV ad. They might get frustrated and abandon the search if they struggle to find the official website.

Optimise Cross-Channel Performance

Google Ads provide real-time insights into how TV ads drive online interest, allowing brands to tweak messaging or bidding strategies.

Even if a brand uses targeted advertising on TV, it must reinforce its presence online to protect its brand, control messaging, and convert interest into action. Google Ads and social ads on specific channels are ideal for this. Ultimately, this is an example of how the correct Google Ads strategy will support and protect your TV advertising investments. The same can be said for the impact of other forms of advertising on brand search.

(1.) (We don’t know the company and don’t work with any of its competitors, and we don’t have any ideas about the client budget, account setup, etc.)