Google Marketing Live, the flagship event hosted by Google in the US on May 23rd, showcased the latest updates and advancements in advertising and measurement. As a Google Marketing Platform partner, the XPON team has compiled the most significant highlights that Australian brands will be able to leverage to supercharge their marketing.
The event emphasised the growing importance of artificial intelligence (AI) in advertising and measurement, offering new capabilities to address core brand priorities. Australian marketers can look forward to leveraging AI to connect with customers, create high-performing creative, and confidently measure performance tied to business goals. Additionally, Google unveiled new campaign types and advancements in privacy-first measurement solutions.
AI takes Centre Stage
Throughout the event, a prevailing theme emerged—artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept but an integral part of advertising and measurement. Google emphasised the transformative role AI will play in enabling marketers to achieve their goals effectively. To highlight this, Google shared their AI Essentials checklist, underscoring the significance of AI in driving future marketing strategies.
Expanding AI Capabilities in Advertising
Australian marketers can anticipate a wealth of new AI capabilities integrated into Google’s advertising and measurement products. These capabilities will address three critical global brand priorities: finding new ways to connect with customers in meaningful ways, engaging customers with high-performing creative, and confidently measuring performance tied to business goals.
- Conversational AI in Campaign Creation:
Google Ads will soon introduce Conversational AI, allowing advertisers to create campaigns using cutting-edge AI-driven chat features within the Google Ads interface. This innovative approach combines the convenience of AI assistance with the ability for advertisers to fine-tune and customise assets generated by AI, ensuring a personalised touch. - Generative AI for Performance Max Campaigns:
By providing information about their business, products, and goals, marketers can leverage Google’s generative AI to create image assets tailor-made for Performance Max campaigns. This feature ensures that the creative assets align with various ad formats across different ad channels, enhancing campaign performance.
- AI-Powered Assets Based on User Intent:
Instead of building assets pre-auction, Google AI will soon generate assets based on the user intent of an individual query on the fly.
New Campaign Types:
Google also announced the introduction of two new campaign types, aimed at optimising specific objectives for advertisers:
- Video View Campaigns:
Designed to maximise views, Video View Campaigns have demonstrated an average of 40% more views compared to in-stream skippable CPV campaigns, according to Google. This campaign type allows advertisers to effectively capture the attention of their target audience through compelling video content. - Demand Gen Campaigns:
Utilising AI, Demand Gen Campaigns are tailored to engage and drive action with consumers. These campaigns span multiple platforms, including YouTube Shorts, YouTube in-stream, YouTube in-feed, Discover, and Gmail placements.
Advancements in Privacy-First Measurement:
Google’s commitment to privacy-first measurement solutions was evident in the updates shared at Google Marketing Live. The following enhancements will enable brands to gain valuable insights while safeguarding user privacy:
- Simpler Access and Implementation of Enhanced Conversions:
Brands will soon have account-level Google Ads controls for Enhanced conversions, simplifying implementation and usage. Additionally, the Search Ads 360 platform will integrate enhanced conversions, empowering marketers with more accurate conversion measurement and enabling more powerful bidding strategies. - Flexible Value-Based Measurement:
Businesses can now adjust the value assigned to each channel that contributes to conversion after the fact. This feature is especially beneficial for companies with offline conversion channels or channels that have complex value attribution. Marketers can fine-tune their measurement approach to reflect the true impact of each channel on conversions. - Fractional Credits Imported into Google Ads:
By utilising Google’s AI, data-driven attribution provides fractional credits to each touchpoint across channels that contribute to conversions. This comprehensive approach allows marketers to adjust bidding strategies and optimise performance based on the true value of each ad and channel.
Conclusion
Google Marketing Live showcased the cutting-edge advancements that will shape the marketing landscape for Australian brands in the upcoming year. With a focus on AI integration, Google is enabling marketers to connect with customers, create impactful creative assets, and measure performance effectively. The new campaign types and privacy-first measurement enhancements further empower brands to achieve their marketing goals. By embracing these innovations, Australian marketers can stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape and drive exceptional results for their businesses.