Late last month, Google confirmed that ‘Discovery’ ads, its new digital marketing ad type prioritizing high-impact visuals, had finished rolling out to all global customers. The company describes these ads as a ‘new way to help people discover and engage with your brands as they scroll through their favorite content.’

Discovery ads are large, image-heavy ad types that will be shown to relevant audiences in three places: on YouTube in the Home and Watch Next feeds; in the Discover feed in Google’s search app; and in Gmail’s Social and Promotions tabs. They are available in two formats: Discovery carousel ads featuring several images, and Discovery ads featuring a single image. In both cases, Google says that “aspirational imagery and copy is crucial.”

Brands that already run social media and video campaigns now have an opportunity to leverage existing creative across new channels.

“We’re very pleased with our performance on Discovery ads,” said Deckers’ VP Omnichannel Marketing, Richard Russell, in a Google release. “They’ve helped us build on our omnichannel strategy – we’re driving action with our ideal customer across even more of the purchase journey.”

In every way, Discovery ads appear to be positioned as a direct competitor to Facebook advertising. In March, Facebook reported 2.99 billion monthly active users across its family of apps; in Google’s Discovery ads release, it advertised potential reach of up to 2.9 billion consumers.

Discovery ads aren’t right for every business, but if your existing strategy includes eye-catching creative and aspirational storytelling, they could be an opportunity to reach new customers.

As a Google Premier Partner digital marketing agency, a designation awarded to thoroughly vetted agencies with a track record of success, GrowthEngine Media is equipped to help you learn about and experiment with new forms of digital advertising. Contact us today to learn more about our service offerings.

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