Google Demand Gen Campaigns represent one of the newest evolutions in the Google Ads landscape, designed to bridge the gap between awareness and action. These campaigns focus on visually engaging, scroll-stopping creatives across high-impact placements like YouTube, Gmail, and the Google Discover feed. They’re ideal for advertisers looking to influence consideration and drive conversions using strong visual storytelling.
What Are Demand Gen Campaigns?
Demand Gen (short for Demand Generation) Campaigns are a campaign type in Google Ads built to generate interest and intent. Unlike Performance Max or Search campaigns that target users based on active intent (keywords, product searches), Demand Gen reaches users earlier in the buying journey by leveraging audience signals, creative assets, and rich media formats.
Think of Demand Gen as the evolution of Discovery Ads, with additional placements and advanced machine learning to drive performance across YouTube Shorts, YouTube In-Stream, Discover, and Gmail—all from one campaign.
When to Use Demand Gen Campaigns
- Launching a new product or service: Perfect for building initial interest.
- Retargeting engaged users: Bring back visitors who showed intent on other platforms or in your funnel.
- Scaling high-performing creatives: Repurpose successful video or image assets from Meta or TikTok.
- Driving mid-funnel conversions: Combine awareness and performance in one format.
Key Features of Demand Gen Campaigns
- Multi-format support: Video, carousel, image, and product feed formats in one campaign.
- Audience-first targeting: Use lookalike segments, custom segments, and first-party data.
- AI-powered creatives: Google automatically optimizes the best-performing asset combinations.
- Conversion-focused: Built for measurable outcomes like purchases, sign-ups, or leads.
- Smart bidding: Supports Maximize Conversions and Target CPA strategies.
Demand Gen vs Discovery Campaigns
| Feature | Discovery | Demand Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Placements | Gmail, Discover, YouTube Home | Gmail, Discover, YouTube Shorts & In-Stream |
| Video Ads | Not supported | Yes (YouTube formats) |
| Ad Formats | Image, Carousel | Image, Carousel, Video, Feed |
| Audience Targeting | Limited Custom Segments | Advanced + Lookalike Support |
| Bidding | Maximize Conversions / CPA | Same, with deeper learning signals |
Pros and Cons of Demand Gen Campaigns
Pros
- Highly visual and engaging ad experience
- Reaches users across premium Google properties
- Great for repurposing social media creatives
- Drives conversions with mid-funnel impact
Cons
- Requires strong creative assets (images, videos)
- Less control than Search or Shopping campaigns
- Still relatively new—limited documentation and insights
Creative Best Practices
- Use short, branded videos (6–15 seconds) for YouTube Shorts
- Showcase lifestyle imagery with clear CTAs
- Use carousels to highlight multiple USPs or product features
- Test both square and vertical formats for best placement fit
Performance Tips
- Leverage Customer Match and lookalike segments based on CRM data
- Use Maximize Conversions if you have enough daily conversion volume
- Monitor placement performance and segment results by format
- Pair with RSAs or Performance Max for full-funnel coverage
Getting Started with Demand Gen
- Navigate to Google Ads > Campaigns > New Campaign
- Select a conversion-focused goal (e.g., Sales, Leads)
- Choose “Demand Gen” as your campaign type
- Add at least one ad group and assign audiences
- Upload your creatives (images, carousels, video)
- Set your bidding strategy and conversion tracking
- Review performance and iterate weekly
Conclusion
Demand Gen Campaigns are a smart solution for advertisers aiming to turn brand interest into measurable action. With advanced audience capabilities, rich creative formats, and placements across Google’s most visual platforms, this campaign type is ideal for modern marketers who want to blend storytelling with performance.
Stay tuned as this format evolves, and consider combining Demand Gen with your search and shopping strategy to cover all stages of the funnel.
