Online marketing from a garage
The biggest tech company in the world started in a garage as a project of two students. Google returned to its roots as part of its long-term initiative “Helping the Czech Republic Grow” when it launched the Digital Garage project. This platform, which was offered for free, was aimed at everyone who wanted to improve their online marketing skills and be more successful on the Internet. The campaign focused on SME, business owners and students to whom it showed that Google was not only a search engine but that it could also help them grow. The Havas PR team provided outstanding publicity for the project, thanks to which 10,000 people subscribed to the online platform in the first five months after the launch.
Digital Garage offers over a hundred lessons divided to 26 subjects. People can learn how to start their own e-shop, make a promotional video or get fans on Facebook, among other things. The instruction takes the form of short videos, followed by a quiz that tests the acquired knowledge. The courses are adjusted also to the needs of beginners in the IT and marketing fields.
The PR campaign focused on how Czech companies used the Internet for business, and presented ambassadors from among entrepreneurs who made a breakthrough thanks to the Internet. We explained that the lack of digital skills was a top barrier in the future development of the Czech Republic.
Later, offline courses developed in cooperation with Czech universities were added, so in the end, over 50,000 Czechs received training thanks to Google. A research conducted among entrepreneurs who took part in Digital Garage confirmed the positive impact of the project: 85% of them said their participation helped them in their business, and half of the participants said they received positive feedback on improved marketing from their customers.