Google is expanding Demand Gen ads with direct messaging, real-time travel data, and improved AI video creation tools. For advertisers, this means more ways to reach and activate potential customers.
Direct contact via messaging apps
Google is testing a feature that lets viewers start a conversation with a brand directly from a YouTube ad, via a messaging app. This DM link appears in-stream and takes users straight into a chat with the business. For companies, this shortens the path from ad to conversation. Instead of multiple steps, potential customers can ask questions or express interest immediately, which can boost engagement and speed up the sales process.
Travel insights and personalized hotel ads
For the travel industry, Google is introducing an overview of local activities, events, and current offers within Demand Gen ads. This information updates automatically based on Google data, giving travelers immediately relevant reasons to book. Google is also rolling out personalized hotel ads, showing accommodations that better match the preferences and search behavior of specific audiences, a potential performance boost for hotel chains and booking platforms.
AI video tools available more broadly
Google is opening up its multimodal video creation studio in Asset Studio to more advertisers. The tool lets businesses generate video ads from text prompts, images, and brand guidelines. Advertisers upload their brand assets and visuals, and the system generates both horizontal and vertical video formats in one workflow. This week, Google also added Omni AI creation tools to Asset Studio, giving advertisers access to more advanced AI capabilities for ad creative.
What this means for advertisers
These updates give advertisers more options to drive interaction and personalize content. The DM functionality could be especially valuable for businesses that rely on direct customer communication. The travel features open up opportunities for tour operators, hotels, and booking platforms. Asset Studio is available to all advertisers with a Google Ads account; the DM feature is still in testing.