Just Ad'ed July 14 - July 20

This week: Google upgraded AI Mode with Gemini 2.5 Pro and added AI-powered local business calling, YouTube launched a mini Shopping carousel inside Gmail's Promotions tab, TikTok saw stronger ROAS than other platforms according to new research, LinkedIn released a comprehensive study on B2B video advertising, and Meta made changes to how brand assets are handled in Performance Max campaigns.

GOOGLE BRINGS GEMINI 2.5 PRO AND AGENTIC SEARCH TO AI MODE

📈  What Happened?

Google upgraded AI Mode with the Gemini 2.5 Pro model and introduced AI-powered local business calling – a new agentic search feature that can call businesses on users' behalf. These features are currently rolling out to US subscribers of Google AI Pro and AI Ultra.

🔍  SO WHAT?

For advertisers, this shift toward agentic experiences creates both challenges and opportunities in local search. Businesses will need to ensure their pricing, availability, and service information is accurate and consistent across platforms, as Google's AI will now directly relay this information to potential customers without them visiting your website or calling themselves.

YOUTUBE TRANSFORMS GMAIL INTO A SHOPPING DESTINATION

📈 What Happened? 

Google is testing a new Gmail ad format that turns the Promotions tab into a mini shopping experience with rich product carousels. The ad showcases featured products upfront and expands to show multiple items with images, prices, ratings, and promotional labels – similar to a Shopping carousel embedded inside Gmail.

🔍 SO WHAT?

This update blends Google's Demand Gen advertising with product-forward, Shopping-style layouts, creating a new opportunity for ecommerce marketers to drive conversions in a traditionally non-transactional space. Brands can now showcase multiple products in a format that encourages browsing behavior right in users' inboxes.

SNAPCHAT ADS DELIVER STRONGER RETURNS THAN COMPETITORS

📈 What Happened?

Despite having a smaller share of ad spend, Snapchat ads delivered stronger returns – with ROAS increasing by 7.5% while most other platforms saw declines, according to new research from Snap and analytics firm Triple Whale. The study analyzed $3 billion in ad spend across 20,000 advertisers.

🔍  SO WHAT?

For brands targeting younger, visually-driven audiences (especially in fashion and ecommerce), Snapchat is proving to be a high-impact, underutilized channel ahead of the holiday season. With fashion brands seeing the highest performance and the lowest cost per acquisition of all platforms measured, advertisers should consider allocating budget to Snapchat as part of their Q4 strategy.

LINKEDIN REVEALS THE SCIENCE BEHIND EFFECTIVE B2B VIDEO ADS

📈 What Happened?

LinkedIn's Creative Labs released a comprehensive study analyzing more than 13,000 video ads to uncover what drives engagement and business impact. The research found cinematic brand videos drove +129% engagement, while short "real talk" videos saw +103% higher dwell time, and B2B memes delivered +111% more engagement.

🔍 SO WHAT? 

This data-driven research provides B2B marketers with actionable insights for video creative that actually performs. The findings reveal that high-performing B2B video ads aren't about production polish – they're about emotional truth, cultural fluency, and intentional storytelling. Advertisers should focus on authentic, expert-driven content that reflects their audience's world rather than corporate, overproduced messaging.

GOOGLE ADS LAUNCHES SMART BIDDING EXPLORATION FOR TARGET ROAS

📈 What Happened?

Google Ads fully launched Smart Bidding Exploration for campaigns using Target ROAS (tROAS), giving advertisers a new lever to unlock more conversions without changing campaign structure or increasing spend. The feature provides Google's AI with more flexibility to test higher-traffic potential while still optimizing toward existing ROAS targets.

🔍 SO WHAT? 

Smart Bidding Exploration offers a low-effort way to improve performance without structural changes or budget increases – making it especially valuable in competitive markets. Advertisers looking to scale performance, particularly in mature or constrained campaigns, should test this feature in Q3 as part of their AI-driven optimization strategy.

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