Unlocking the Power of Demand Gen on YouTube: What Advertisers Need to Know
One of the most talked-about topics to come out of Google’s ecosystem is the rise of Demand Gen—a new YouTube-focused ad format designed to drive performance at scale. If you’re serious about clicks, conversions, and measurable outcomes, Demand Gen could be a great campaign type to explore – but there are key factors to consider.
What is Demand Gen?
High level, Demand Gen is Google’s next-generation performance video campaign. It replaces the now-retired Video Action Campaign (VAC), and expands the reach and capabilities of performance advertising in an innovative new way.
Unlike VAC, Demand Gen leverages multiple YouTube formats—in-stream ads, in-feed videos, and YouTube Shorts—while also extending beyond YouTube to other Google-owned surfaces like Gmail, Discover, and Google Video Partners (GVP).
Where Demand Gen Shines
By tapping into these varied placements, advertisers can unlock impressive performance metrics. At Pixability, we’ve seen Demand Gen campaigns outperform traditional YouTube in-stream ads by as much as 10X in CTRs when executed correctly. That’s not a small lift—it’s a transformative leap in campaign efficiency and impact.
What makes Demand Gen powerful is its smart use of AI, which dynamically places ads where they are most likely to perform best. This means advertisers can drive results across channels and formats without manually optimizing each placement.
The Catch: Less Control Leads To More Questions
Despite its promise, many advertisers are still cautious of Demand Gen—and for good reason. One of the biggest concerns with Demand Gen is the limited control over ad placement.
Because AI is in the driver’s seat, advertisers have less visibility and influence over where their ads actually appear. Even within YouTube, it can be difficult to guarantee brand safety or content alignment using traditional tools like inclusion lists, which aren’t necessarily supported for Demand Gen.
Pixability’s Solution: Smarter Safeguards for Smarter Ads
That’s where Pixability comes in. We’ve developed proprietary exclusion lists that give advertisers back some control by proactively eliminating content categories or channels that don’t align with brand values and/or priorities.
Our exclusions tool acts as a game-changing safeguard, especially for advertisers particularly concerned about brand suitability. Overall, implementing exclusions is one of the only ways, and perhaps the most secure and scalable way to manage where your ads show up (at least for where Demand Gen stands right now). Keep an eye out for some exciting additional Demand Gen-related offerings Pixability will be releasing early this summer!
Is Demand Gen Right for You?
Demand Gen isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. But for advertisers focused on performance—especially those open to letting AI optimize reach across multiple surfaces—it can be an extremely powerful tool for growth.
At Pixability, we’re already helping brands maximize Demand Gen’s potential while minimizing its risks. Whether you’re new to the format or looking to improve existing campaigns, we can help you get the most out of this new frontier in video advertising.
Interested in seeing if Demand Gen is right for you? Reach out to Pixability to learn more today!