Demand Gen Ads | Campaigns That Create Demand

Demand Gen is Google’s campaign type for creating demand. Across YouTube, Shorts, Discover and Gmail inventory it reaches people with visual and video ads before they start searching for you. It replaced Discovery campaigns.

How it differs from Search

A Search campaign captures existing demand: the user is already looking and you appear in front of them. Demand Gen tries to produce the demand itself — you are trying to interest someone who is not looking for you.

That difference changes expectations too. Expecting immediate conversions from Demand Gen the way you would from Search is wrong; its success usually shows up as a later rise in brand searches and direct traffic.

When it makes sense

If your product has low search volume — meaning people do not know such a solution exists — a Search campaign hits its ceiling quickly. Demand Gen is how you get past that ceiling.

It also works well for products that can be explained visually: if a user understands it on sight, it performs better than something requiring explanation. Conversely, if demand is already high and your Search campaign is hitting its budget cap, putting budget there first is more profitable.

Creative is the campaign

In this campaign type creative is not a detail, it is the campaign itself. A Demand Gen campaign launched with weak images and video produces nothing, however good the targeting is.

You need several creative variations and material in both vertical and horizontal formats. Creative fatigue also arrives quickly: performance drops when the same image runs too long, so regular refreshing is required. I handle that production as separate work on the ad creative package side.

Measurement and expectations

Judging a Demand Gen campaign on last-click conversions makes it look unfairly unsuccessful, because its effect is usually indirect. View-through conversions and changes in brand search are better indicators.

That said, I am not recommending unlimited patience: if no indirect effect can be measured after a defined period, budget should shift back to Search.

How do we start? First I look at your product’s search volume and work out whether creating demand is genuinely necessary. If it is, I send the creative requirements and measurement plan in writing. You can reach me from the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Demand Gen and Performance Max?

PMax also covers search inventory and works toward conversions; Demand Gen focuses on visual inventory and aims to create demand. They do not do the same job and one does not replace the other.

Is video mandatory?

Not mandatory, images work too. But reaching YouTube and Shorts inventory requires video, and that inventory is the campaign’s strongest side.

Can it be tested on a small budget?

It can, but keep expectations low. Demand creation is inherently longer-term; campaigns shut down too quickly teach you nothing.