Google Rolls Up More Formats Into YouTube Ad Buys

Earlier this month, Google made changes to the types of inventory that get included in certain YouTube ad buys by default, the latest example of platform algorithms choosing where ads ultimately run.

Google introduced brand consideration tool, Video View campaigns, which places ads across in-stream, in-feed and Shorts placements. The company introduced the format in beta in June. By October, the tool was availability widely. It became the default brand consideration campaign in Demand & Video 360 and Google Ads. Previously, the default for these consideration campaigns was only in-stream videos, which are ads that play on a horizontal video player.

In-feed placements appear in YouTube search results, YouTube Watch Next and the YouTube app home feed. Shorts are YouTube’s vertical video TikTok replica. Google uses machine learning technology to reformat horizontal ads for Shorts.

The change rankled some buyers who see this as another move by Google to give buyers less control over ad buying. As the tech giant embraces artificial intelligence in its media buying products, algorithms are starting to get more of a say in where ads run, a decision previously made by media executives.

This is also playing out in the growing popularity of Google’s AI-powered tool Performance Max, which buyers have complained does not ultimately place ads where they would want and lacks transparency.

“It’s Performance Max for awareness and consideration advertisers,” said one media buyer of the new default, who requested anonymity to protect industry relations. “The changes that they make continue to be combining things and less transparent. It just seems that they’re on that path.”

Buyers, however, still can opt-out of Video View Campaigns with one click and run campaigns that are either exclusively in-stream or in-feed, said Austin Wignall, managing director of product management for YouTube Brand Advertising. Buyers using the tool can see how impressions and spending break down by ad format in their campaign reports, he added.

“We recently introduced YouTube Video View Campaigns in both Display & Video 360 and Google Ads to provide advertisers with a simple way to get the most views across ad formats, while improving performance,” Wignall told Adweek. “On average, VVC campaigns get up to 40% more views and 30% lower cost per view than in-stream skippable CPV campaigns.” 

Jack of all trades, master of none?

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.”