Anticipating Google's AI-driven Asset Generation: A Game-Changer for Marketers
Google's new Performance Max feature, now in beta for US customers, enables agencies and brands to efficiently generate and evaluate assets for ads
Google is introducing generative AI features in its Performance Max ad product in the United States. The company shared details of the beta launch with Our Website. During a virtual roundtable event, Google executives discussed the early test results and what marketers can expect from the asset generation features. These features were originally announced at Google's Marketing Live event in May, with the aim of assisting advertisers in simplifying the process of creating, testing, and scaling assets for cross-channel campaigns. Amanda Silvernale, global product lead at Google, acknowledged that this process has been a major challenge for advertisers in the past.
Introduced in 2021, Performance Max is an AI-powered tool by Google Ads that revolutionizes advertising across various platforms such as search, YouTube, display, Gmail, and Maps. Google has continuously enhanced the AI technology and introduced new features to assist advertisers in utilizing the tool effectively and evaluating its performance.
According to Brendon Kraham, the vice president of search and commerce for Google Ads, marketers consistently rely on Performance Max to stay ahead of consumer trends, connect with customers at the right moments, and adapt to the dynamic ad market. Especially during this crucial time, customers are utilizing Performance Max to optimize their return on investment (ROI).
Part of the generative AI workflow in Google’s Performance Max product
Courtesy of Google
The launch of this new feature aims to assist advertisers in navigating the increasingly fragmented media landscape during the crucial holiday marketing period. According to Google data, during the 2022 holiday season, more than half (54%) of shoppers utilized five or more channels for shopping within a two-day period. This highlights the necessity for advertisers to efficiently and expeditiously generate assets for various channels.
With the recent introduction of this feature, advertisers conducting campaigns during the holiday season and beyond can effortlessly generate all the necessary assets for their campaign by simply providing the URL of a preferred landing page. This eliminates the need to create multiple text and image assets individually. Additionally, advertisers have the ability to view and edit assets that are populated by AI technology, including both stock and AI-generated images. It is worth noting that Google guarantees the creation of unique images, even when provided with the exact same prompt.
Early beta testers have reported that the tools have been instrumental in saving time and resources. This allows them to quickly explore creative ideas and concepts before implementing them in their campaigns.
"Our creative team has experienced a significant shift with these assets. This groundbreaking approach not only saves us time, but also empowers us to create visually appealing content that deeply resonates with our audience. The use of generated assets enables us to experiment, adapt, and tell captivating stories that foster meaningful connections in our lives," stated Jason John, CMO of 1-800-Flowers.com.
Concerns about AI
In light of the recent concerns surrounding the potentially damaging content generated by generative AI and its inclination to fabricate false information, Google has introduced a new application of this technology. To ensure adherence to Google's AI principles and practices, all generated assets will be carefully developed, and any images produced using this technology will be clearly marked and watermarked accordingly. Google reassures the public that precautionary measures are in place to prevent engagement with inappropriate or sensitive requests, although specific details regarding these safety measures cannot be disclosed due to company policy.
"Our models are constantly improving in terms of quality and safety," stated Pallavi Naresh, Google's Performance Max group product manager. "Every asset that we generate undergoes our standard ads review processes and is subject to all of our policies and enforcement measures."
Aside from concerns related to generative AI, recent reports have focused on the inventory quality, transparency, and performance of campaigns in the ad system regarding Performance Max. When asked about these reports, Google executives emphasized that Performance Max necessitates a fresh approach, as it is optimized to achieve advertiser goals and outcomes in a different manner than previous manual campaign constructions.
"[Performance Max] is based on the customer's key performance indicator (KPI), striving to meet and exceed it. We also provide insights from auction data to gain a deeper understanding of your specific performance. Our main priority is to achieve the customer's core objective by delivering exceptional results."
