YouTube welcomed more than 600 brands, agencies, advertisers and marketers to the 2024 Brandcast at Sydney’s Hordern Pavillion for an evening of insights, innovations, new research and product updates.
The platform proudly waved its flag as the top video service for adult viewers in Australia and New Zealand watch, and 97% reach of Australian adults online, according to Kantar research and Ipsos iris data, respectively.
Mel Silva, managing director of Google Australia, declared to the audience: “YouTube delivers.”
“When you put YouTube at the heart of your media plan and really start to dig deeper into what it can do, you can do incredible things for your brand.
“You can put the focus back on storytelling, long or short. You can put your message in front of millions of people, who are positively engaged more often than they are on any other platform. And you can drive higher return on investment.”
Mel Silva
Dr Deborah Ko, research manager, consumer and market insights at Google, provided an in-depth look into audience habits and the “Flow State”. She told attendees: “YouTube is the top platform where people feel their time is well-spent. People spend more time in a flow state when they’re watching YouTube because they can build understanding in whatever way works for them.
“They can explore quickly, or take a deep-dive. They can choose what they watch, when they watch, and how they watch – across a range of content and video types that is unrivalled on any other platform.
“On YouTube you can reach your audiences while they’re in these deeply engaged states, at numerous points across a range of unique and intersecting journeys. You can connect with people at different times and contexts, while they’re watching on their own, or when they’re watching with family and friends around the big screen – and you can do it at scale.”
Dr Deborah Ko
Brandcast also saw new product updates were announced that aim help brands tap into highly engaged audiences and achieve campaign objectives. Among them, video reach campaign non-skips which combine 6-second bumper ads with 15-second non-skip ads, powered by A and optimised for delivery on Connected TV.
Coming soon in October is Demand Gen, which aims to convert demand into action and drive leads, with immersive, relevant and visual creatives, will be accessible via Display & Video 360. YouTube is also offering Creator Takeovers, where an advertiser can take over a creator’s channel and roadblock all advertising.
Rounding out YouTube’s announcements was Partnership Ads powered by BrandConnect, which allows advertisers to use authentic creator videos, repurposing existing branded content as advertising.
Caroline Oates
“Whatever outcome you care about, YouTube can help you achieve it,” Caroline Oates, head of YouTube and Programmatic Media at Google Australia.
“Google AI has been at the core of our ads solutions for years. As we make advances, our ability to help brands drive ROI keeps getting better,” she added.
On measurement, it was shared that Meridian, YouTube’s own open-sourced marketing mix model (MMM), was launching and would help empower the industry to build best-in-class MMMs and help drive better business outcomes.
This follows the recent announcement that Google was partnering with Ipsos and IAB to launch YouTube – including CTV – within the Ipsos iris digital currency, helping advertisers get a more holistic view of digital video consumption in Australia.
Victoria Berthinussen
Nick and Carrie
Michelle Khare
Victoria Berthinussen, head of Creative Partnerships at Google Australia, said that YouTube helped brands tell their stories across a variety of formats, from creator collaborations to sequential bumper ads.
This creative freedom, coupled with Google AI, allowed brands to achieve relevance and scale in their campaigns. According to a recent Ekimetrics report, creative was found to contribute 60 percent of overall YouTube impact, and brands could expect to lift ROI by 2.2 times by improving creative quality.
Creators including Michelle Khare (4.7 million subscribers), and Nick and Carrie (9 million subscribers) took to the stage to share their respective approaches to engaging audiences on YouTube.
Khare said that YouTube’s flexibility allowed her to invest in long-form content and tell compelling stories, while engaging directly with her audience. Nick and Carrie pointed to the global reach of YouTube and its diverse content playing a big part in their channel’s growth. Australia now has more than 400 channels with over a million subscribers.
Cosmetic brand MECCA also shared how it used Video Reach Campaigns to engage users and drive consideration for Shiseido products – which saw a 3.6 percent lift in users choosing Shiseido after viewing Shorts ads.
eBay Australia discussed the launch of its new brand platform last year and as part of their full-funnel media approach, and how the buy and sell platform used Video View Campaigns to drive efficiency and consideration for the brand. eBay saw a 129 percent increase in views at 58 percent less cost–per-view.
Chris Brown and Laura Nice
SYNTHONY
SYNTHONY
Meanwhile McDonald’s adapted to a challenging economic environment by shifting to a data-driven marketing strategy that prioritised YouTube. The strategic use of YouTube’s diverse ad formats, detailed data insights, and engaging content that resonated with a wide audience, helped increase brand awareness and sales.
McDonald’s chief customer officer and SVP Chris Brown and OMD’s Laura Nice took to the stage for a conversation about the relationship between the brand and agency over the decades and how they have used YouTube to engage with consumers.
Entertainment at Brandcast was provided by NZ musical event production company SYNTHONY, who perform global dance tracks with support from a full 60-piece orchestra, DJs and vocalists. The evening also featured a special performance by G Flip.
G Flip
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Top image: Mel Silva