YouTube will focus on Google Preferred, its most popular, most safe and most premium content offering during its NewFront presentation this week.
In March, many major advertisers pulled ad dollars from YouTube after some found their ads running next to offensive content. That was mainly outside Google Preferred, Google VP of agency and media solutions Tara Walpert Levy said. Many of those advertisers have returned. Google Preferred has always sold out and demand is increasing as viewing shifts from TV to streaming, she said.
This upfront, YouTube will be adding the six-second spots it introduced to YouTube mobile last year to Google Preferred. “We saw thousands of advertisers adopt these six-second ads,” Walpert Levy said. “These short ads are incredibly long on impact.”
Related: Playing It Safe at the NewFronts
Because YouTube viewers are so engaged in short bursts, nine of 10 six-second ads drove an average lift of 40% in ad recall, she said. “What we found was six seconds really was enough time to tell a story.”
People are watching longer videos on Google Preferred — views of videos 10 minutes or longer are up 25% — making it even more TV-like for advertisers.
There is now documentation as to the effectiveness of the Google Preferred campaign, Walpert Levy said. Nine of 10 campaigns drive a significant lift in brand awareness, with an average lift of 20%. More than 75% of those campaigns lifted purchase intent as well.
YouTube will also be pitching its reach among young viewers. By adding YouTube to a campaign now using just television, reach among millennials increases by 25% — without an increase in cost, she said.
