Naranja X
Demand Gen campaign driven by Google's AI, mixed video and image formats across YouTube/Discover/Gmail surfaces, tested against paid social campaigns to capture top-of-funnel demand
Naranja X (Argentine fintech, Grupo Financiero Galicia) got 3x more clicks and a 61% lower cost per action with Google Demand Gen compared to its paid social campaigns, a case highlighted by Google at the format's global launch in October 2023.
Key points
- Test of Demand Gen against paid social campaigns on a traffic objective.
- Google Ads Demand Gen, smart bidding and cross-surface allocation across YouTube, Discover, Gmail.
- 3 times more clicks and a cost per action 61% lower than paid social.
- Evidence B, mixed-signals status.
Objective
Increase traffic to the site by capturing demand on Google's visual surfaces, at a lower cost per action than paid social campaigns.
The deployment
Naranja X, the Argentine fintech of Grupo Financiero Galicia, tested Demand Gen, Google's format designed for demand objectives on YouTube, Discover, and Gmail. The principle: you provide videos and images, and the algorithm places and optimizes the creatives across these visual surfaces toward the profiles most likely to act. Naranja X compared Demand Gen with its paid social campaigns on a traffic objective. The format delivered 3 times more clicks, at a cost per action 61 percent lower than paid social. Google highlighted this case at the global launch of Demand Gen in October 2023, alongside other advertisers such as Samsung Germany.
Results Proof B
Quantified case published by Google at the launch of Demand Gen (platform source, interested bias), picked up by name by established trade press (MediaPost) the same day. Two concordant sources but no confirmation in financial results, and the benchmark is an internal comparison versus paid social.
How it works
Documented architectureThe stack in detail
- plateforme Google Ads Demand Gen Google's AI campaign format for demand objectives: you provide videos and images, the algorithm places and optimizes across the visual surfaces.
- outil Smart bidding et allocation cross-surface ML bidding and automatic distribution of the creatives across YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Display toward the profiles most likely to act.
- plateforme Surfaces YouTube / Discover / Gmail / Display Delivery inventory for the Demand Gen campaigns.
How it runs, concretely
For ops teams-
1Define the action to optimize Data / media team
Choose the objective (traffic, on-site action) and set up the corresponding tracking before comparing with paid social.
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2Provide a video + image mix Creative team
Demand Gen lives on visual surfaces. Mixing video and image formats gives the algorithm material to test and place.
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3Build the audiences Media team
Segments and lookalikes on the Google side. This is the point to frame in the EU for consent compliance.
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4Benchmark against paid social Media team
Measure CTR and CPA in parallel with existing social to objectify the gain, rather than judging Demand Gen alone.
The defined conversion action (qualified click, visit, on-site action). If the signal is too loose (raw click), the reported CPA drops but so does the real value of the traffic.
How your customers perceive this type of use
Sourced studiesLe pricing algorithmique est le terrain le plus inflammable : 68% des consommateurs disent se sentir leses quand les marques utilisent le pricing dynamique et 80% jugent plus dignes de confiance les marques aux prix constants (Gartner, 2024). L'equite percue varie selon le secteur : le pricing dynamique n'est juge juste que par 33% a 40% des repondants selon qu'il s'agit de concerts ou de cinemas (YouGov, 17 marches). Le prix personnalise par les donnees individuelles est le plus rejete : 47% des Americains s'y opposent fermement (Consumer Reports, 2024).
Acceptance conditions
- La constance des prix comme signal de confiance : 80% jugent plus fiables les marques aux prix stables (Gartner 2024)
- Le secteur conditionne l'equite percue : le pricing dynamique est mieux tolere pour les cinemas (40% le jugent juste) que pour les concerts (33%) (YouGov 2024)
Red lines
- Le pricing dynamique percu comme abus : 68% se sentent leses (Gartner 2024)
- Le prix individualise a partir des donnees personnelles : 47% d'opposition ferme (Consumer Reports 2024)
- Les frais caches et hausses imprevues, vecus par 79% des consommateurs sur un an et associes a la perte de confiance (Gartner 2024)
Sources: Gartner 2024 · YouGov 2024 · Consumer Reports 2024
How to replicate
Inference, not sourcedData prerequisites
- Reliable on-site action tracking
- Consent Mode v2 in the EU for the audiences
- First-party audience signals for the lookalikes
Org prerequisites
- A video and image asset bank
- An existing paid social benchmark to compare against
Possible stack
- Google Ads Demand Gen + GA4, in parallel with paid social campaigns for comparison
The plan, step by step
- Step 1Define the action to optimize (qualified traffic, on-site action) and set up the corresponding tracking, including Consent Mode v2 in the EU.Deliverable: Measurement plan and validated tags.
- Step 2Prepare the video and image asset mix, adapted from existing social campaigns and to Demand Gen specs.Deliverable: Compliant asset bank loaded into the asset groups.
- Step 3Build the audiences (segments, lookalikes) and launch the campaign in parallel with paid social, at a comparable budget.Deliverable: Demand Gen campaign live with a test budget.
- Step 4Let the learning phase pass, then compare CTR and CPA against the paid social benchmark.Deliverable: Comparative readout Demand Gen vs paid social and a scale decision.
First step: Duplicate a top-of-funnel social campaign as Demand Gen with the same objective and the same adapted creatives, then compare CTR and CPA.
The same pattern, proven in other industries
adidas
AI-driven audience prospecting and bidding (ARO) across the full funnel
Allwyn
AI-driven omnichannel programmatic buying with retail data activation
Nivea
genAI testing and optimization of creative elements + automated localization at scale
Sources
- S1 Demand more from social with AI-powered ads - Google Ads blog Interested party archive pending
- S2 Google Rolls Out 'Demand Gen' Campaign Type - MediaPost (Laurie Sullivan) Established press archive pending
An error, newer info, a source?
This page lives on its accuracy. If a figure has moved, if the deployment has changed, or if you have a higher-quality source, tell us. Every sourced correction is verified before publication.