YouTube launches new ad formats to enable better video storytelling

YouTube is introducing more ad extensions to enhance video ads with additional information that will hopefully encourage consumers to take action. Currently, brands are able to add location and form extensions to TrueView in-stream ads.The new ad extensions will encourage viewers to complete lower-funnel actions such as finding the next movie showtime, downloading an app or booking a trip.According to Vishal Sharma, vice president, product management YouTube Ads in a blog post, this is in a bid to help marketers become more effective full-funnel storytellers using YouTube's creative canvas and Google's machine learning and measurement solutions.Among the list of brands that have started using extensions for videos ads to bring more relevance to their mobile ads and drive impact on important metrics include Vodafone, 20th Century Fox and Maybelline.Meanwhile, it also introduced two new metrics - lifted users and cost-per-lifted user to help marketers easily optimise their campaign's effectiveness and cost-efficiency. Lifted users are the number of people influenced by the brand's ad while cost-per-lifted user makes it easier for brands to optimise their campaign's effectiveness and cost efficiency.Additionally, YouTube is also evolving its Brand Lift solution, a free tool for measuring the effectiveness of video ads, and partnering with big data provider IRi Worldwide to make it simpler for advertisers to measure and act upon upper and lower-funnel metrics.Based on brands' feedback, they will be able to set up Brand Lift studies directly in Google Ads or Display and Video 360, and view reporting alongside other ad metrics.YouTube has also started sending Brand Lift surveys continuously throughout the duration of the campaign to better understand how the brand's video ads are influencing viewer perceptions in real time.Sharma added that the company is "ramping up" on its investments in Google Measurement Partners to ensure its advertisers can measure YouTube media with measurement solutions that meet rigorous, verified standards.(Photo courtesy: 123RF)