Google announced today significant expansions to its Demand Gen advertising platform, introducing new controls and features aimed at helping businesses better target and engage with potential customers across YouTube and other Google properties.
Starting in March, advertisers will gain access to expanded channel controls across all Demand Gen ad surfaces globally, allowing precise targeting of ad placements across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail.The update includes the ability to specifically target YouTube Shorts, addressing the growing importance of short-form video content.
The company is also adding Google Display inventory to Demand Gen, extending advertisers’ reach to over 90% of the global internet population across more than 3 million sites and apps.
New creative tools and product Integration
To help advertisers create more engaging content, Google is rolling out several creative enhancements. Beginning in late February, advertisers can run 9:16 vertical image ads on Shorts, and new tools for creating shorter versions of videos at scale will be available in the coming weeks.
For retailers with Google Merchant Center accounts, the platform will soon feature improved product feed integration, enabling customers to access detailed product information directly from ads. The update includes local offers functionality, showing real-time product availability at nearby stores.
Video Action Campaigns transition timeline
Google also announced key transition dates for upgrading Video Action Campaigns to Demand Gen:
– April 2025: Creation of new Video Action Campaigns will be disabled
– March 2025: Upgrade tool becomes available
– July 2025: Automatic upgrade process begins for remaining campaigns
Google says early adopters are already seeing results. Marks and Spencer, working with Incubeta, reported exceeding their forecasted ROAS by 186% and achieving a 66% lower CPA through Demand Gen campaigns. According to Nielsen analysis, Demand Gen delivers 58% higher ROAS compared to Video Action Campaigns.
