Articoli

The year 2022 will be remembered as a historic one for English football. The beloved Lionesses won their first major tournament in a dramatic Euro Cup final against Germany at Wembley. After 56 years of hurt, Sunday, 31 July 2022, marked the day that football finally came home. As a lifelong Arsenal fan who grew up idolising Ian Wright, I remember feeling immense pride as I watched history being made.

The country came together to celebrate the beautiful game — but for me, as character designer and illustrator, I am fascinated by the stories behind the big moments. So for me, this was a chance to reflect on the sacrifices that players from minority groups have been forced to make in order to play the game that they love. For example, many female players have had to maintain full-time jobs whilst pursuing their football career, often a side effect of sometimes disproportionate funding for the women’s game. And it wasn’t that long ago that players from minority ethnic backgrounds were largely excluded from the sport.

Andrew Watson was a Scottish footballer widely believed to be the first black footballer to play in the Football League and the first player of colour to play in an English Cup match. Born in 1856 in what is now Guyana, Andrew was one of the most influential footballers of his time, captaining Scotland and leading his team to historic victories over England and Wales. Balancing his business entrepreneurship with his football career, he played for both Scotland and England, typically in the full-back position.

When I was asked to create a Doodle dedicated to Andrew’s achievements, it felt like a dream come true. After reading about his incredible life, I decided to not only illustrate his career, but also the trajectory of those who have followed in his path. Coming so soon after the euphoric celebrations of the Lionesses’ victory, it was important to me to capture that connection in the Doodle — to demonstrate that one person’s contribution can spark a positive and lasting chain reaction. This is why I settled on the idea of incorporating other generations into the Doodle, and hence the original sketches depict Andrew himself with a football, proudly watching on as other generations follow in his footsteps.

With the finished product, I wanted to capture the beauty of football: the pace, the excitement, the vibrancy and, most importantly, the fun. Each character has their own experience with the ball, in the same way that each football player has their own unique style and strength.

I feel very proud and humbled to have been chosen to create this Doodle, and sincerely hope that people feel it captures not only Andrew’s legacy, but the legacy of all who follow in his footsteps.

‘Creativity’, ‘diversity’ and ‘the economy’ are becoming increasingly associated with one another. The findings from two landmark studies, launching today at YouTube Festival, demonstrate that they are strongly symbiotic.

We have always known that creators are at the core of YouTube’s success and the latestYouTube Impact report by Oxford Economics on the state of the creator economy, highlights the wider, significant economic impact of YouTube’s creative ecosystem in the UK. A second piece of research, Mirrors and Windows, conducted with MTM, explores identity and media choice in the UK and the role and responsibility of brands in improving authentic representation.

This year I celebrated my 15th year at Google and there are some key themes that have progressed significantly during my time here. The main is the growth in sheer reach – new audiences continue to come to us with 96% of online adults in the UK visiting YouTube at least once a month. As a platform that attracts nearly the whole of the UK to our creative content, it should be no surprise that Oxford Economics found that YouTube’s creative ecosystem contributed over £1.4billion to the UK’s GDP, with 80% of creative entrepreneurs agreeing that YouTube provides an opportunity to create content and earn money that they wouldn’t get from traditional media.

I hear from creators every day about how our open platform has lowered the barrier to entry for creatives from every corner of the UK, and of every background and demographic. Munya Chawawa, who hosted YouTube Festival, is testament to how YouTube has the power to launch life-changing careers and ensure audiences can find content that reflects the diversity of the UK today. The research reinforced these anecdotes, with 79% of Mirrors & Windows respondents saying that they believe YouTube represents a wide range of voices, people and perspectives, a sentiment that was shared by those who identify as LGBTQ+ and those identifying as Asian, Black, Mixed or multiple, or other ethnic groups. Across the UK, from Scotland to Yorkshire to the South West, users also agree that YouTube has the content that people in the UK love.

While we’ve gained a better understanding of the tremendous benefits that YouTube’s creative ecosystem provides to our economy, society, brands and culture, the agencies and advertisers MTM spoke to indicated that they sometimes still have apprehensions about their ability to speak about the issue of diverse representation without misstepping and facing scrutiny. Saying that, as YouTube continues to introduce new ways to support diverse creatives, it is becoming a powerful vehicle for brands on the road to more inclusive campaigns.

When fashion and beauty destination ASOS, were planning to tell young people that their brand is for people of all sizes, races and celebrates self expression, YouTube was there to connect them with a unique opportunity to amplify this message. ASOS’ partnership with MOBO – a global brand dedicated to celebrating and championing Black culture and music – was a good example of how authentic and inclusive marketing equals reach and brand results, with ASOS’ pre-roll ads reaching almost three million people watching the Awards and associated music content on YouTube alone. The partnership, which also included ASOS sponsoring the Awards’ Best Newcomer category, not only demonstrated YouTube’s ability as a driver of cultural moments, but also its ability to bring brands closer to diverse audiences, deliver strong brand metrics, and support the creative development and distribution of representative content.

While we’ve known this for a while, the insights released today demonstrate that there’s an urgent need for cultural fluency – where brands show not just a familiarity with different cultures but an ability to communicate effectively in different contexts and be able to change and adapt as much as our platform and its audiences are.

I am so excited to continue to work with brands to help them thrive on this open and constantly evolving platform, where engaging with creative talent, ideas and audiences means direct investment in the UK economy, helping to maintain the UK’s position as a global leader in the creative industry.

People are gravitating toward content they relate to, whether they’re watching in their living rooms or scrolling short-form video on their phones. And they’re finding it all on YouTube, where creators are constantly pushing creative boundaries to stay relevant with today’s viewers, shaping and reflecting culture as it happens. We’re committed to helping them continue to do this. In fact, last month, we shared major updates in how we support creators — including that we’ve paid creators, artists and media companies over $50 billion over the past three years.

For advertisers, investing in YouTube means reaching people in the moments and places where they’ve sought out and really connect with what they’re watching. The unique dynamic between creators and viewers creates a halo effect, or what we call the YouTube Effect, for brands.

This week at Advertising Week New York, we’re announcing new ways you can tap into the YouTube Effect across streaming, shopping and audio.

New ways to drive awareness in key moments

Linear TV watching continues to decline. And now, even streaming platforms are struggling to hold onto loyal viewers. According to Nielsen, YouTube recently became the co-leader in streaming watchtime.[83b4e3]

People have always connected in front of the TV screen, but YouTube gives them the unique chance to bond over shared passions — like watching live-streamed concerts, fitness classes or even religious ceremonies together. They feel a similar connection to the ads they get, too. In a new study with Latitude, 59% of respondents agreed that ads on YouTube are more relevant than ads on linear TV or other streaming apps.[070c44]

To help you reach these engaged viewers, we’re launching a new offering called Moment Blast. Designed for brands looking to raise awareness during key moments — like major sporting events, movie releases or product launches — Moment Blast gives advertisers prime positioning on YouTube Select content on connected TVs (CTV) and other devices, plus a Branded Title Card and optional Masthead placement.

Help informed buyers shop what they love

As e-commerce continues to rise, so has the informed buyer. New research from theSocial Commerce and Video Study in partnership with TalkShoppe shows that having trusted information and confidence in purchases is more important to shoppers than ever. Respondents ranked YouTube number one against other video services and social media platforms in finding honest and detailed information.[3f84a0]In short, shoppers have more confidence in the products they find on YouTube.

Today, we’re making it easier for people to shop what they love on YouTube. Advertisers can already use product feeds on YouTube, which turns ads into a virtual storefront. We’ve recently expanded product feeds to Shorts and found that, on average, Video action campaigns with product feeds saw an over 70% increase in conversions on Shorts over those without product feeds.

We’re now expanding product feeds to Discovery ads to help you scale your social media creative and reach even more engaged viewers. Soon, product feeds will also include local offers, allowing brands to show real-time availability for products in their Google Merchant Center so people can find the most convenient place to buy. Creators will also be able to transform their content into virtual storefronts; this quarter, more creators will have the ability to tag products in their videos and Shorts.

You’ll see these features, some of your favorite creators and more at the second annual YouTube Shopping holiday event, “From YouTube to You,” kicking off on November 10. This year’s event will include livestreams, videos and Shorts featuring brands and retailers like Ulta Beauty and TULA Skincare.

Reach music lovers and podcast listeners

YouTube has long been a destination for music lovers to find official albums, music videos, live performances and more. And now, according to Edison, YouTube is the second most popular destination for listening to podcasts.[4f2b72]

To help you reach these audiences, Audio ads are now globally available to buy in Google Ads and Display & Video 360. Audio ads are designed to reach people on audio surfaces and in listening-first states.

Podcast targeting is also now available globally. With Podcast targeting, brands and agencies can specifically reach podcast listeners.

From the big screen to the mobile screen, CTV to Shorts, immersive video to audio-first formats, YouTube is the only platform that can help advertisers reach viewers wherever they are.