Marketing Beyond with Alan B. Hart 17: Google it: Smarter marketing with AI: Insights from Sean Downey, president of Americas & Global Partners at Google
Sean Downey is the president of Americas & Global Partners at Google, overseeing the company’s expansive advertising business, including Google Search and YouTube. With a background rooted in the earliest days of digital marketing startups and leadership roles at DoubleClick and Google, Sean draws on leadership lessons learned from his father, particularly the importance of creating a workplace where everyone feels they are contributing to something greater than themselves. He emphasizes authenticity, empathy, and continuous learning as core leadership values.
As part of our Cannes Lions content series, Alan and Sean connect at the International Festival of Creativity to discuss AI’s impact on marketing. Sean explains how Google integrates AI and automation into its advertising platforms to help marketers achieve better results while protecting consumer privacy. He notes that marketers today have to be more efficient than ever and highlights how AI-powered tools help them work smarter and adapt to rapidly changing consumer behaviors. Sean also stresses the importance of first-party data, privacy-safe solutions, strong change management, and a growth mindset for teams navigating technological shifts.
In this episode, you'll learn:
The ways Google balances consumer privacy with marketing performance
Why change management and a growth mindset are essential as technology evolves
Strategies Google uses to empower brands and agencies to confidently adopt and leverage AI-powered tools
Key quotes:
“Brands can get caught in the trap of thinking they know exactly who their customer is. When in reality, they're looking for people that they didn't know existed, that are incremental to their business.” - Sean Downey, president of Americas & global partners at Google
“Everyone knows when they walk to the doors in my building that they contribute to something greater than that. And that powers innovation, that powers customer orientation, and most importantly, it empowers growth personally and professionally.” - Sean Downey, president of Americas & global partners at Google
Key highlights:
[00:30] Introduction
[01:15] Work-life balance
[02:45] Sean’s path to Google
[04:20] A North Carolina connection
[05:10] The scope of Google’s advertising business
[07:15] Balancing privacy with marketing effectiveness
[09:25] Three tips for brands
[10:45] How AI is influencing Google products
[14:00] Empowering product adoption for brands and agencies
[20:20] Sean's leadership principles
[23:50] An experience that defines you: Learning from the most challenging times
[26:45] Advice to your younger self: Be honest with yourself
[27:35] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Change management
[29:10] Subcultures and trends to follow: What makes people resonate
[31:10] Largest opportunity to marketers today: The pace of ideas
Resources mentioned:
Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
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