Google has launched Brand Recommendations and a new Brand Optiscore aimed at awareness-focused campaigns, primarily YouTube CPM/CPV campaigns. Brand Recommendations offer actionable suggestions such as raising tCPM bids, expanding audiences, and adding bumper ads. These can be applied manually or via an optional Auto Apply feature. The Brand Optiscore is a new metric that measures how well campaigns align with Google’s brand best practices.
Availability and Features
- Brand Recommendations appear in the Recommendations tab for CPM and CPV targeting campaigns.
- Each recommendation can be applied individually.
- Auto Apply can be enabled for all or selected recommendations.
- Brand Optiscore complements the standard optimization score by quantifying compliance with Google’s brand guidelines.
Examples of Brand Recommendations
- Raise your tCPM bids
- Expand your audiences
- Add bumper ads to eligible campaigns
Considerations and Opinions
These tools could provide valuable insights to improve brand campaigns and are worth monitoring regularly as part of account management. However, caution is advised with Auto Apply, as automatic changes might lead to unintended consequences. Manual application of recommendations is preferred to maintain control. There is concern that Brand Optiscore might be used as a sales target by Google Account Executives, which could pressure managers to enable Auto Apply despite reservations.
