Demand Gen Campaigns: What Actually Works
Google's visually driven campaign type that runs across YouTube, Discover and Gmail to build demand rather than capture it.
Samir Haddad
What is at stake
Demand Gen reaches people before they search, which suits brands that need awareness as well as direct response.
The playbook
- Provide strong image and video assets
- Match creative to each placement
- Use customer lists for lookalikes
- Measure with incrementality in mind
- Refresh creative to avoid fatigue
Where it goes wrong
Avoid:
- Reusing search ad copy alone
- Judging success on last-click alone
- One creative for all placements
- Unmonitored audience expansion
The numbers behind it
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Placement | runs across YouTube, Discover and Gmail |
| Creative | uses images and video assets |
| Audiences | supports lookalike and customer list targeting |
| Replacement | Demand Gen replaced Discovery campaigns |
Getting outside help
When to hand it over: Bring in help when campaigns must build demand as well as capture it.
Where this comes from
- Google Ads Help — About Demand Gen campaigns
- Google Ads Help — About Smart Bidding
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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Where to go next
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