The GOMC, an AdWords (now Google Ads) challenge sponsored by Google, ran for 10 years and was discontinued in the Summer of 2017. In an effort to continue to offer students a similar hands-on, practical digital advertising competition, GOMC Academic Judge Panel members and other GOMC aficionados teamed together as the Global Online Marketing Academics (GOMA) in Fall 2017 and created the GOMAC.
The GOMC used an algorithm and written reports to rank teams while the GOMAC uses professor recommendations and written reports. The GOMC had technology and trips as part of the prize package; the GOMAC does not offer these prizes but does award certificates for select participants. Google funded the GOMC ad spend. GOMAC participants must find their own funding for ad spend. The GOMA community is in no way responsible for funds associated with running Google Ads or any other campaigns.
In 2018, Google created a new Online Marketing Challenge, the Google Ad Grants Online Marketing Challenge (OMC). While many of the professors on Google’s Global Academic Panel are also part of the GOMAC Organizing Committee, both Challenges are completely separate. Similar to the GOMC, the GOMAC is not the same as Google’s OMC and is not affiliated with it.