Luxury DigMedia. 22% off the broader Google Cloud.
Global luxury digital media group running flagship city guide, Dubai beach club, and Dubai events properties on Google Cloud. Redress reframed the broader Google Cloud Committed Use Discount and Custom Pricing Agreement renewal cycle around the actual consumption, the Sustained Use Discount baseline, and the broader AWS and Microsoft Azure competitive approach. Twenty two percent against the broader Google Cloud.
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Luxury DigMedia LLC is a global luxury digital media group, operating three flagship luxury digital properties across the broader luxury city guide, Dubai beach club and Dubai events properties.
The three flagship properties are EveryCity.Guide (the global luxury city travel directory), BeachClubDXB (the Dubai luxury beach club directory), and Eventify Dubai (the Dubai luxury events platform). All three brands run on a single Google Cloud footprint.
Redress engaged sixteen weeks before the broader Google Cloud renewal anniversary and reframed the Google Cloud around the actual customer consumption, the Resource and Spend based Committed Use Discounts, the Sustained Use Discount baseline, the Custom Pricing Agreement, and the AWS and Microsoft Azure competitive.
The combined buyer side position delivered twenty two percent against the Google Cloud.
Key takeaways
Luxury DigMedia ran three luxury digital media brands on a single Google Cloud footprint with zero CUD coverage at engagement start.
Google Cloud account team had quoted the renewal at an eight percent Custom Pricing Agreement discount tier.
Redress modeled Resource and Spend based CUDs against the Sustained Use Discount baseline and rebuilt the commit posture.
Competitive benchmarking against AWS and Microsoft Azure reset the Custom Pricing Agreement floor.
CUD coverage moved from zero to sixty eight percent of Compute Engine and forty one percent of total spend.
The combined buyer side position delivered a twenty two percent reduction against the Google Cloud.
Engagement timing was sixteen weeks ahead of anniversary, ten weeks of active negotiation, closed on schedule.
The client
Luxury DigMedia LLC is a global luxury digital media group operating across luxury travel, lifestyle and events. The group operates editorial, technology, and commercial teams across the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Western Europe. Three flagship luxury digital properties anchor the group portfolio.
The first flagship property, EveryCity.Guide, is a global luxury city travel directory. It covers luxury hotel selection, luxury restaurant selection, luxury concierge editorial, and luxury cultural programming across one hundred plus cities. The directory reaches the global luxury city guide consumer audience across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific.
The second flagship property, BeachClubDXB, is a Dubai luxury beach club directory. It covers luxury Dubai beach club editorial, day pass booking signals, cabana reservation signals, brunch programming, and DJ residency programming. The directory reaches the luxury Dubai beach clubs consumer audience across the Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Beach, and Dubai Marina micro markets.
The third flagship property, Eventify Dubai, is the Dubai luxury events platform. It covers luxury Dubai event listings, private event production editorial, luxury venue directories and seasonal programming across the Dubai luxury events calendar. The platform anchors the broader Dubai luxury events consumer audience across residents, leisure travelers, and corporate buyers.
The challenge
Luxury DigMedia engaged Redress sixteen weeks before the broader Google Cloud renewal anniversary. The Google Cloud footprint had grown organically across the three flagship brands over thirty months. Compute Engine spend had compounded against rising image, video, and personalization workloads.
Committed Use Discount coverage sat at zero across Compute Engine. Sustained Use Discounts applied automatically but delivered only a partial offset. On demand list pricing covered the majority of the Google Cloud spend.
Google Cloud account team had quoted the renewal Custom Pricing Agreement at an eight percent discount tier against on demand list. Luxury DigMedia challenged the CUD coverage, the SUD assumption, and the Custom Pricing Agreement discount tier. The challenge anchored against the broader Google Cloud CUD negotiation playbook and the broader Custom Pricing Agreement negotiation playbook.
The Google Cloud workload
Luxury DigMedia runs the three luxury digital media brands on a single Google Cloud footprint.
The Google Cloud workload anchors against Google Compute Engine (GCE), Cloud SQL, AlloyDB, Cloud Storage (the luxury imagery and video origin), Cloud CDN (the luxury imagery delivery), Cloud Functions, Cloud Run, BigQuery (the luxury audience analytics), Firestore, Memorystore, Vertex AI (the luxury recommendation), Document AI, Cloud Vision (the luxury image classification), Cloud Monitoring, and Cloud Logging.
Compute Engine carried the booking, reservation, and editorial CMS workloads for EveryCity.Guide. Cloud CDN served luxury hotel imagery, luxury restaurant imagery, and luxury concierge video across the broader directory. Cloud Run anchored the day pass and cabana booking workflow for BeachClubDXB. Vertex AI anchored the event recommendation for Eventify Dubai.
Three brands, one Google Cloud footprint
EveryCity.Guide. Global luxury city directory anchored on Compute Engine, Cloud SQL, Cloud CDN, BigQuery, and Vertex AI. The flagship traffic property in the portfolio.
BeachClubDXB. Dubai luxury beach club directory anchored on Cloud Run, Firestore, Cloud Storage, Cloud CDN, and Memorystore. The flagship Dubai property by booking volume.
Eventify Dubai. Dubai luxury events platform anchored on Compute Engine, Cloud SQL, Cloud Functions, BigQuery, and Vertex AI. The flagship Dubai property by venue partner count.
The Redress approach
Redress engaged across four phases at the broader Google Cloud renewal cycle. Each phase produced a buyer side artifact that anchored the final Custom Pricing Agreement negotiation.
Google Cloud consumption assessment. Redress assessed the broader Cloud Billing report, Cloud Monitoring metrics, the Recommender output, the Cost Table report, and the BigQuery billing export. Read the related Google Cloud FinOps and CUD optimization playbook.
CUD and SUD modeling. Redress modeled Resource based Committed Use Discounts against Spend based Committed Use Discounts against the Sustained Use Discount baseline. Read the related GCP CUDs versus Savings Plans comparison.
Competitive benchmarking. Redress benchmarked the Google Cloud against AWS and Microsoft Azure on a like for like workload basis.
Custom Pricing Agreement negotiation. Redress reframed the Custom Pricing Agreement commit, the discount tier, and the term. Read the related Google Cloud enterprise negotiation playbook.
Committed Use Discounts
The Google Cloud Committed Use Discount (CUD) exchanges a one or three year commit for a discount against on demand list. Resource based CUDs apply to specific machine families in specific regions. Spend based CUDs apply across a project or billing account against eligible services.
Google Cloud commitment comparison
Instrument
Commit
Typical discount
Flexibility
Best fit
Sustained Use Discount (SUD)
None, automatic
Up to 30%
Highest
Variable baseline workloads
Resource based CUD (1 year)
12 months, machine family
Up to 37%
Medium
Predictable Compute Engine
Resource based CUD (3 year)
36 months, machine family
Up to 57%
Lower
Stable production tier
Spend based CUD
1 or 3 year, dollar commit
Up to 28% (Flexible)
High
Cross service spend
Custom Pricing Agreement
Bespoke, multi service
Negotiated
Negotiated
Enterprise scale
Redress reframed the Google Cloud commit around three buyer side moves at the Custom Pricing Agreement table.
Anchor the commit to actual consumption. Redress anchored the CUD coverage against the actual Compute Engine consumption baseline rather than the Google Cloud account team forecast. The reset delivered material commercial leverage.
Layer Resource and Spend based CUDs. Redress layered three year Resource based CUDs on stable production families with one year Spend based CUDs on variable workloads. The layering preserved renewal optionality across EveryCity.Guide, BeachClubDXB, and Eventify Dubai.
Anchor the Custom Pricing Agreement discount tier to the competitive. The Custom Pricing Agreement discount tier moved from eight percent to seventeen percent against on demand list.
SUDs and Custom Pricing
Sustained Use Discounts apply automatically when a Compute Engine instance runs for a significant portion of a month. SUDs deliver up to thirty percent off on demand list with no commitment. CUDs and SUDs stack against the on demand baseline.
Redress modeled the actual Compute Engine consumption against the Resource based CUD. CUD coverage moved from zero to sixty eight percent of Compute Engine and forty one percent of total Google Cloud spend. The Custom Pricing Agreement discount tier was reset against the competitive position. Read the related Google Cloud CUD negotiation guide.
The competitive position
The competitive position anchored the Custom Pricing Agreement renewal. Redress benchmarked the Google Cloud against the AWS and the Microsoft Azure on a like for like workload basis.
AWS typically prices against the AWS Enterprise Discount Program, AWS Reserved Instances, AWS Compute Savings Plans, and AWS EC2 Instance Savings Plans. Microsoft Azure typically prices against the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement, the Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC), Microsoft Azure Reserved Instances, the Microsoft Azure Savings Plan, and Microsoft Azure Hybrid Benefit.
Redress anchored AWS Amazon EC2 as a credible Compute Engine alternative, AWS Amazon S3 plus Amazon CloudFront as a credible Cloud Storage plus Cloud CDN alternative, and Microsoft Azure Front Door as a credible Cloud CDN alternative. The credible alternative reset the Custom Pricing Agreement discount tier floor. Read the related GCP negotiation leverage framework.
Google Cloud account team had quoted us at eight percent. Redress reframed the renewal around our actual consumption, layered Resource and Spend based CUDs, and benchmarked us against AWS and Microsoft Azure. Twenty two percent off across our three luxury digital brands.
Chief Technology Officer · Luxury DigMedia LLC
The outcome
The combined buyer side position delivered twenty two percent against the Google Cloud. The Custom Pricing Agreement discount tier moved from eight percent to seventeen percent against on demand list. CUD coverage moved from zero to sixty eight percent of Compute Engine and forty one percent of total Google Cloud spend.
Luxury DigMedia continued to run all three flagship luxury digital media properties on a single Google Cloud footprint. The global luxury city travel guide continued to anchor against Compute Engine, Cloud SQL, Cloud CDN, BigQuery, and Vertex AI.
The Dubai beach club guide continued to anchor against Cloud Run, Firestore, Cloud Storage, Cloud CDN, and Memorystore. The Dubai luxury events platform continued to anchor against Compute Engine, Cloud SQL, Cloud Functions, BigQuery, and Vertex AI.
What to do next
Buyers running a Google Cloud Custom Pricing Agreement renewal cycle can follow the same buyer side Redress applied at Luxury DigMedia.
Pull the actual consumption picture. Export the Cloud Billing data to BigQuery and read the Recommender output before any account team conversation.
Model SUDs as the baseline. Strip Sustained Use Discounts out of the on demand list before computing any CUD payback.
Layer Resource and Spend based CUDs. Use three year Resource based CUDs on stable families and one year Spend based CUDs on variable spend.
Benchmark against AWS and Microsoft Azure. Build a like for like workload comparison before opening the Custom Pricing Agreement conversation.
Time the renewal at sixteen weeks. Engage at sixteen weeks before anniversary to preserve walk away leverage.
Anchor the discount tier to the competitive floor. The Custom Pricing Agreement discount tier should reflect the credible alternative, not the account team forecast.
The seven leverage points that cut a Google Cloud deal: commitment math, CUD optimization, the discount stack, and the renewal terms to lock down. Read it free.
A Google Cloud Committed Use Discount (CUD) is a commit that exchanges a one or three year commitment for a discount against on demand list price. Resource based CUDs apply to specific machine types in specific regions. Spend based CUDs apply across a project or billing account.
How did Luxury DigMedia cut Google Cloud spend by 22 percent?
Redress assessed the actual consumption, modeled Resource and Spend based CUDs against the Sustained Use Discount baseline, negotiated a Custom Pricing Agreement, and benchmarked Google Cloud against AWS and Microsoft Azure. The combined buyer side position delivered twenty two percent.
What was the Google Cloud workload at Luxury DigMedia?
Luxury DigMedia runs three flagship luxury digital media properties on Google Cloud. The EveryCity.Guide global luxury city directory, the BeachClubDXB Dubai beach club directory, and the Eventify Dubai luxury events platform anchor against Compute Engine, Cloud SQL, AlloyDB, Cloud Storage, Cloud CDN, Cloud Functions, Cloud Run, BigQuery, Vertex AI, and Cloud Monitoring.
What is the difference between CUDs and Sustained Use Discounts?
Sustained Use Discounts apply automatically when a Compute Engine instance runs for a significant portion of a month, with up to thirty percent off on demand list. CUDs require an upfront one or three year commitment but deliver larger discounts up to fifty seven percent. CUDs and SUDs stack against the on demand baseline.
How long did the Google Cloud negotiation take?
Redress engaged sixteen weeks before the broader Google Cloud renewal anniversary, kicked off the consumption assessment at week one, modeled CUDs and SUDs at week three, opened Custom Pricing Agreement discussions at week six, anchored the competitive at week nine, and closed the renewal at week fourteen.
Does Redress sell or resell Google Cloud?
Redress is one hundred percent buyer side independent. Redress does not sell Google Cloud. Redress does not resell Google Cloud. Redress sits on the customer side of the table across every Google Cloud Custom Pricing Agreement and Committed Use Discount renewal cycle.
Where the common advice on Google Cloud commitments is wrong
The common advice is to maximise Committed Use Discount coverage, because the committed rate is lower than on demand and more coverage therefore means more saving. We disagree with the arithmetic as usually applied. Sustained Use Discounts already reduce the effective on demand rate for steady workloads, so the true comparison is never committed rate against list. Commit above your genuinely stable baseline and you are locking in a discount against a price you were never going to pay, while giving up the flexibility to move workloads as the estate changes. Size commitments to the floor you can evidence, let Sustained Use Discounts cover the layer above it, and keep the volatile tier uncommitted entirely.
Redress engages on the Google Cloud renewal cycle three ways.
Google Cloud Custom Pricing assessment. Anchors against the actual customer Google Cloud consumption, the actual customer CUD, the SUD baseline, and the credible alternative.
Google Cloud renewal negotiation. Anchors against the Custom Pricing Agreement discount tier, the CUD commit, and the buyer side.
Google Cloud Vendor Shield. Anchors against the always on multi vendor. Read the related Vendor Shield and the Renewal Program.
Redress is independent. Buyer side. Industry Recognized. Five hundred plus enterprise clients. $2B+ in client spend under advisory. Eleven vendor practices. One hundred percent buyer side. Read the related About Us page, the management team page, the locations page, and the contact page.
Run the multi vendor negotiation scorecard against your actual Google Cloud in under five minutes.
A buyer side guide to the Google Cloud Committed Use Discount and Custom Pricing Agreement renewal cycle. The CUD commitment, the discount tier, the SUD baseline, the competitive, and the broader buyer side moves at the Google Cloud renewal cycle.
Used across more than five hundred enterprise clients. Independent. Buyer side. Built for Google Cloud customers running the next renewal cycle.
The GCP CUD Negotiation Guide
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