When to use Google's Demand Gen campaigns

Google offers advertisers several campaign types to meet various marketing objectives. When Google recommends using Demand Gen campaigns, comparing them to Search and Performance Max? It's important to note that Demand Gen campaigns run exclusively on Google inventory, in placements without revenue share to publishers or creators.

Campaign Types and Their Uses

Search Campaigns

Use to: Maximize performance across Google Search.

Performance Max

Use to: Maximize performance across all of Google's channels and surfaces.

Demand Gen

Use to: Generate demand and deliver business results on Google's most visual, entertaining surfaces.

Google recommends Demand Gen campaigns when advertisers aim to create awareness and engagement through visually rich content on specific Google platforms.

Bidding Options

Search Campaigns

• Target IS
• Clicks
• Conversions
• Conversion value

Performance Max

• Conversions
• Conversion value

Demand Gen

• Clicks
• Conversions
• Conversion value

Google suggests using Demand Gen when advertisers want flexibility in bidding strategies focused on visual platforms, allowing optimization for clicks, conversions, or conversion value.

Audience Targeting

Search Campaigns

Search audiences enable advertisers to combine their 1P data with Google signals to achieve a variety of marketing objectives.

Performance Max

Steer AI with NCA goals, value rules and audience signals. (No hard targeting)

Demand Gen

Enable audience customization with the ability to target unique audience segments (like lookalike segments).

Google recommends Demand Gen for advertisers who need more precise audience targeting capabilities, especially for reaching lookalike audiences on visual platforms.

Channels

Search Campaigns

Reach customers on Search + Search Partners (AFS).

Performance Max

Drive performance across all Google channels and inventory.
(Search, YouTube including Shorts, Discover, Gmail, Display)

Demand Gen

Create campaigns specifically for Google and YouTube's most visual, entertaining ad surfaces.
(YouTube Shorts, YouTube in-feed, Discover, Gmail)

Google advises using Demand Gen when advertisers want to focus exclusively on visually engaging platforms without diluting efforts across all Google properties.

Creative Assets

Search Campaigns

• Image (landscape 1.91:1, logo 1:1, 4:1, portrait 4:5, square 1:1)
• Text (headline, long headline, description, final URL or URL path, business name, CTA, sitelink descriptions)

Performance Max

• Image (landscape 1.91:1, logo 1:1, 4:1, portrait 4:5, square 1:1)
• Text (headline, long headline, description, final URL or URL path, business name, CTA)
• Video (horizontal, square, vertical)

Demand Gen

• Image (landscape 1.91:1, logo 1:1, portrait 4:5, square 1:1)
• Text (headline, description, final URL, business name, CTA)
• Video (landscape, portrait, square, vertical)
• Carousel ad (headline, description, final URL, business name, CTA, logo 1:1, 2–10 image cards:
  • Landscape 1.91:1, portrait 4:5, square 1:1
• Product feeds

Google recommends Demand Gen when advertisers have a rich set of visual assets, especially videos and carousel ads, to showcase products or services in an engaging manner.

Measurement and Reporting

Search Campaigns

Reporting to keyword/ad level with insights and recommendations to improve your performance.

Performance Max

• Insights for asset groups (launched) and individual assets (2H 2023)
• Product level reporting for GMC

Demand Gen

• Insights and reporting metrics for all individual assets/formats
• Brand Lift under allowlist, Search Lift and Conversion Lift measurement
• Creative A/B experiments
• Product-level reporting for GMC feeds

Google suggests using Demand Gen when advertisers require detailed insights on creative performance and want to conduct advanced measurements like Brand Lift studies or creative A/B testing.

Other Product Differentiators

Search Campaigns

• Product listing ads
• Advanced goals: NCA

Performance Max

• MO/Goal focused buying flow
• Advanced goals: NCA, NCA HVO, re-engagement
• Retail feed formats on all surfaces (Search, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, Display)

Demand Gen

• Social-like buying flow
• Product feed formats on all visual surfaces (YouTube, Gmail, Discover) with option to upload cover image/video

Google recommends Demand Gen for advertisers looking for a social media-like advertising experience within Google's ecosystem, especially those wanting to leverage product feeds across visual platforms.

In conclusion, Google advises using Demand Gen campaigns when advertisers prioritize visual storytelling, precise audience targeting, and engagement on Google's most visually appealing platforms. This campaign type is particularly suitable for brands with strong visual assets, those looking to create awareness and demand, and advertisers who want detailed performance insights for their creative content. Remember, Demand Gen campaigns operate exclusively on Google-owned inventory, ensuring advertisers maintain control over where their ads appear without revenue sharing to external publishers or creators.