Breaking through to your target audience is never easy. That’s why First Position ensures your brand is the first in-stream ad seen by audiences when they are watching YouTube, at the times most relevant and impactful for the business.
Previously, First Position was only available to run on YouTube Select inventory, bookable through Google Ads and Display & Video 360 at a fixed rate CPM. We are now expanding the ability to target First Position across all YouTube content at a dynamic rate through Display & Video 360. This expanded availability allows advertisers to reach their target audiences when they’re most engaged, no matter what kind of content they’re watching. And for any market with First Position, this feature is available now.
First Position is a great option for brands looking to show up front-and-center during those critical moments—whether it’s a product launch, trailer release, or cultural event. For example, to take advantage of the travel surge during the holiday season, Booking.com amplified its highly-ranked Adblitz ad by using First Position to deepen brand association and be top-of-mind for consumers. As a result, Booking.com saw especially strong performance, with a 21% relative lift in ad recall—more than 6% above their benchmark.
Similarly, IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, wanted to maximize awareness with luxury travelers. They combined two YouTube Sponsorships, Content Takeovers and First Position, to guarantee their brand was the first in-stream ad watch for their target audience watching NFL & F1 content. The YouTube campaign delivered unique reach over linear TV and drove lifts in IHG brands for ad recall and brand awareness that achieved 2x the YouTube benchmark.
Want to implement First Position into your next campaign? Check out the Help Center articles for Instant Reserve in Display & Video 360 and Reservations in Google Ads to learn more.
Posted by Lori Buchanan, Global Product Lead, YouTube Select & Sponsorships
