Buyers are most concerned that YouTube’s new default to multiple formats for campaigns optimized for views will end up placing ads where they aren’t as effective.

For example, a makeup brand might want to use in-feed placements for a how-to video on creating a smoky eye, something that would catch a viewer and fit within a brand’s content strategy, said a second media buyer who requested anonymity. A more persuasion-focused ad with a message might make more sense in-stream. The current default would place ads indiscriminately, though buyers can still opt out.

“We wouldn’t want to run on it because it expands the potential inventory pull to in-feed and Shorts which are fundamentally different than in-stream,” said a third buyer who requested anonymity. This buyer doesn’t currently buy campaigns optimized for brand consideration but said this change would discourage them from doing so in the future.

Shorts would auto-crop a client’s ad, which for a movie studio client would be a problem, the buyer added.

Of note, the multi-format default is only new for campaigns designed to drive video views, not performance-oriented campaigns, such as video-action campaigns that can drive viewers to websites, where multi-format has been a norm for longer.

Sacrificing control for performance

Other buyers weren’t sure a default of Video View campaigns would have major performance impacts.

“I generally have less concern from a performance perspective about Google mixing different video placements together,” said Chris Rigas, vp of media at digital agency Markacy. “Whereas with Pmax, the incrementality of a conversion after a shopping ad tends to be much higher than that of a conversion after an open web ad. I don’t think that holds true as much for an in-stream YouTube placement versus an in-feed YouTube placement.”

YouTube opening up more new inventory sources to buyers is welcomed, said David Mirsky, group director at Crispin Porter and Bogusky, and products like Video View campaigns satisfy the demands of some buyers.

“That’s the game we as media buyers play in the digital space,” Mirsky said. “We can either go full performance and open inventory to allow for less expensive impressions, but we sacrifice control in the process. If you want control and selection, you need to be ready to be more hands-on.”