You can’t miss it—Demand Gen campaigns are the biggest new thing for media and Google Ads specialists. Announced by Google in early summer, they are now available to all advertisers. Powered by AI, this new format allows businesses to serve visually engaging ads across Google’s most compelling placements to spark interest and boost brand awareness.
Designed to replace Google Discovery, Demand Gen campaigns will quickly become essential in your media strategies. What are the key innovations, and how can you use Demand Gen to improve your performance? We break it down with Sébastien Ferrand, campaign manager at Hamak.
A broader reach
Demand Gen campaigns stand out for their ability to expand across a wide range of Google and YouTube properties. This level of exposure allows businesses to reach a much larger and still qualified audience, increasing lead generation.
These campaigns are designed to reach users before they even think about your brand, product, or service. Whether they’re browsing Discover, watching YouTube, or checking Gmail, Demand Gen ensures your business stays visible and connected to its target audience—maximizing brand awareness.
Diverse ad formats and tailored experiences
Demand Gen campaigns offer a wide variety of ad formats tailored to each Google and YouTube environment: short-form video on YouTube Shorts, carousels on Discover, or static image ads in Gmail.
This variety allows advertisers to build highly personalized experiences. By combining image and video ads in a single campaign, businesses can create more compelling and relevant experiences that grab attention and leave a lasting impression. The ability to preview creatives across placements and run A/B tests also helps optimize performance by ensuring the right message reaches the right person at the right time.
Dynamic bidding strategies
Demand Gen performance relies on advanced bidding strategies powered by machine learning. With tactics like “maximize conversions” or “maximize clicks,” advertisers can be sure they’re bidding the optimal amount for each result, ensuring top performance.
Tracking and measurement
To better measure ad performance, Demand Gen campaigns include advanced tracking and reporting features.
New metrics available to advertisers include:
Reach: the number of unique users reached (not to be confused with impressions)
Ad lift metrics:
- Brand lift: measurable increase in brand perception
- Search lift: increase in generic query searches
- Conversion lift: actual conversions or other actions taken after seeing your ad
- Similar segments (finally back!)
Demand Gen takes advantage of similar audience segments to target users who behave like your existing customers. This improves conversion rates by focusing on users more likely to take action, enhancing both performance and return on investment.
How to fully leverage the power of Demand Gen campaigns
After testing Demand Gen campaigns, here are some best practices to get the most out of them:
Monitor lead quality closely. Like with Discovery or Facebook Lead Ads, a high volume doesn’t always mean high quality.
Start testing now to benefit from lower ad costs. With fewer advertisers competing on these placements, CPMs are currently lower.
For e-commerce, make sure to link your product feed. This turns your visuals into a virtual storefront and improves user experience.
Align content with the buyer’s journey. Guide your audience through a logical path that builds trust and improves conversion rates.
Provide a wide range of creatives. The more ad formats and visuals you offer, the more Google can test and optimize based on real performance data.
Final thoughts
Demand Gen campaigns represent a major evolution in Google’s visual advertising ecosystem. By combining the unmatched reach of Google’s visual properties with the power of AI, Demand Gen helps brands boost visibility, increase conversions, and strengthen brand image over time.
If you’re looking to expand your reach and drive demand across the full funnel, Demand Gen is a powerful lever to add to your strategy.
