Paid Media News & Opinion #130

Google introduces video ads to Search, Shopping, and Image results

Source

> What’s happening

Google is expanding the reach of video ads by bringing them to Search, Image, and Shopping results in the U.S. and Canada. These placements are part of Performance Max campaigns and are aimed at capturing users in the early stages of the buying journey.

Advertisers can now feature video assets that appear not just on YouTube or Discover, but directly within:

• Google Search

• Google Image Search

• Google Shopping

• Google Discover Feed

These new video formats are designed to surface in more "browsy" environments, where users are exploring rather than searching with high intent. The goal is to enhance product discovery and engage users earlier with more interactive content.

> Why we care

This change expands how advertisers can use video to influence the purchase journey. Search results have, up until now, been dominated by text ads and static images. Now, video is entering the mix, making the results page a more visual and immersive shopping platform.

These video ads aim to inspire shoppers before they've made up their minds, offering a chance to capture attention early. Video ads provide advertisers a better opportunity to convey value, emotion, and differentiation more effectively than static formats.

The update further expands the reach of Performance Max. With video now integrated across more placements, advertisers can extend their creative assets further without needing separate campaign setups.

Google is transforming its search and shopping experience into a dynamic, video-enabled product discovery engine, and Performance Max is the key. Advertisers in the U.S. and Canada should start optimizing their video content now to stay ahead as this format gains traction.

LinkedIn adds Paramount to CTV offering, unveils Reserved Ads

Source

> What’s happening

LinkedIn has expanded its Connected TV ad offering, with it now generally available in the UK, US, and Canada. As part of this update, there is now wider access to Paramount inventory, improved targeting, support for third-party creative platforms like Innovid and Sprinklr, and enhanced reporting tools to help advertisers track reach and performance more effectively.

LinkedIn has also introduced Reserved Ads, which is a follow-on to their recently announced First Impression Ads. First Impression Ads are specifically for video content to secure the first placement, while “Reserved Ads” is the equivalent but for Thought Leader, Single Image or Document Ads.

> Why we care

With video continuing to drive high levels of engagement, LinkedIn are investing heavily in providing good new placements and options for users and advertisers alike.

The addition of premium CTV placements is a bold move, and the ability to secure prominent placements for other ads via First Impression and Reserved ads could be hugely appealing to B2B brands with big budgets looking to execute a strong brand awareness campaign.

TikTok shares its new brand-building solutions

Source

> What’s happening

TikTok is enhancing its advertising tools by offering brands new ways to drive and measure success – they have shared 4 key updates:

1. Market Scope – a new analytics platform that provides first-party audience insights across the funnel

2. Brand Consideration Ads – a new campaign objective built for high-intent, mid-funnel users which builds dynamic audiences based on in-app behaviour

3. Enhancements to TopView – the premium ad placement shown on app open: they are guaranteeing 100% of the available audience will see the ad but while keeping within the agreed cost. A new gift-box style interactive add-on will also be available.

4. TikTok Shop integration – brand ads can now link directly to product pages, helping facilitate an easier discovery-to-purchase journey.

TikTok are looking to release further updates around brand-building this year.

> Why we care

TikTok is a fantastic platform for discovery, with data backing this up. Advertisers are becoming more and more aware that brands need a place on TikTok and these features are a welcome addition to the suite of solutions it provides.

A particular highlight is Brand Consideration ads, as TikTok say consideration-stage audiences convert 14-16x moer than awareness-stage audiences, so this could be an exciting evolution to the full-funnel strategy. Audiences are based on a mass of data, including 1st party organic & paid signals, which could be a ‘goldmine’ if utilised well.

We’re excited to see what else TikTok brings to the table in future updates.

What else we've been talking about:

• LinkedIn’s new playbook taps creators as the future of B2B marketing

• Testing AI Max in Google Ads: When to try it and when to wait

• Microsoft hires Navah Hopkins as its new Ads Liaison

• Meta shares ad tips based on 1 million+ ad creatives

• The MRC reaffirms YouTube’s brand safety accreditation