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      Fragmentation is the Challenge, Demand Gen is the Solution

      This article explores the challenges of channel fragmentation, and how brands can harness the power of Demand Gen to provide a cohesive ad experience.

      As consumer journeys become more fragmented across channels, devices, and formats, it’s harder for brands to provide a cohesive ad experience, which guides customers from discovery to conversion. That’s where Google’s Demand Gen campaigns come in. Demand Gen helps you to tap into Google’s most immersive visual surfaces, including: YouTube (inc Shorts, In-Feed, and In-Stream), Discover, Gmail, and the Google Display Network (GDN), with each touch-point driving engagement and performance. 


      So why is this important now? If we take a more expansive view of search beyond traditional web search, Google search engine's share of the overall queries is dropping. Social Media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have long had their own share, however the more recent, significant, and direct challenger search space is AI apps like OpenAI's ChatGPT and of course Google's own Gemini. So with the dominance of traditional search engine ad touchpoints on the user journey slipping, it's increasingly important for Advertisers to use other means of engaging users. This is what Demand Gen enables, in reaching the right audience, in the right place, with the right creative, at the right time.


      Demand Gen has been available in Google Ads for nearly 2 years, but has recently replaced YouTube Video Action campaigns in Display & Video 360 (DV360) (April 2025). The introduction of Demand Gen to DV360 brings new opportunities for advertisers and therefore this article will be anchored towards managing Demand Gen campaigns via DV360, rather than Google Ads.

      Here’s why you should use it:

      1: Control + Reach? Yes, Please.

      With Demand Gen,  you’re not limited to a sub-set of Google’s O&O inventory. You’re able to cast a wider net across all of Demand Gen’s inventory, but can also select specific ad placements, like YouTube Shorts, In-Stream, Discover, or Gmail depending on your strategy. Inventory source reporting and controls help you stay aligned with brand suitability, performance goals, and creative consistency. Google’s AI also allows brands to create Lookalike audiences and control the reach, ensuring your Demand Gen campaign is targeting the correct audience.

      2: Bidding That Fits Your Funnel

      Demand Gen is the bridge between awareness and conversions, giving you flexible bidding options to achieve your goals. Use Maximise Clicks to get more eyes on your brand, or go further down the funnel with tCPA or tROAS to drive quality actions and increase ROI. However you define success, Demand Gen has the options to help you achieve this.

      3: Reporting That Actually Helps you Optimise

      No second-guessing what’s working within DV360. For detailed YouTube analysis: Use the YouTube Conversions report when you need data on dimensions only available there. Or alternatively, use the Standard report and dimensions “Inventory Source” and “Ad format”-level reporting, to analyse performance, test, learn, and refine your campaigns strategy.

      Top Tips to Hit the Ground Running:

      • Mix your assets: Combine video and image creatives for broader reach and better performance.
      • Think vertical and horizontal: Cater creative orientation to how your audience actually consumes content.
      • Plan to ramp-up: Let the platform's algorithm learn, by  running initial tests for 4–6 weeks and watch your performance grow.
      • Utilise Google’s AI-powered features; ‘Lookalike audiences’ and ‘optimized targeting’ to improve relevance & results.
      • Leverage Floodlight via DV360: When using Floodlight via DV360 you’re applying a unified, deduplicated Floodlight methodology across your advertiser for optimization and reporting. You’re able to feed this data back into your bidding strategy to maximise results and drive valuable conversions.

      Final Thoughts; 

      Now that Demand Gen is fully integrated into DV360, it’s easier than ever for advertisers to manage all of their campaigns together in one place. From tracking deduplicated conversions via Floodlight integration, to managing frequency caps, the introduction of Demand Gen to DV360 makes campaign execution feel seamless.

      Demand Gen gives you the tools to drive growth by bridging the gap between awareness and conversions. With flexible formats, smart bidding, powerful targeting, and all the insights you need to optimize, Demand Gen is a must-have for performance marketers ready to scale.

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      This article was authored by  Remi Daley - McAloone - Programmatic Consultant at Incubeta.