Google Launches “Partner Match” for YouTube Ads

▼ Summary
– Google is launching Partner Match, a tool that lets advertisers use third-party data to build custom audiences for YouTube campaigns.
– The tool works by matching a partner’s hashed user data to signed-in YouTube accounts for targeting in Video Reach, Video Views, and YouTube-specific Demand Gen campaigns.
– Partner Match will be available globally but will not launch in the UK, Switzerland, or the European Economic Area.
– To use it, advertisers must authorize a data partner, accept the terms, and apply the generated audience lists during campaign setup.
– This tool provides new precision targeting for advertisers seeking reliable intent data and could be a highly scalable audience-targeting solution for YouTube.
Google is introducing a new targeting capability called Partner Match for YouTube advertising, providing brands with a method to leverage external audience data for more precise video campaigns. This tool enables advertisers to utilize hashed customer information from approved third-party sources to build custom audience segments specifically for YouTube.
The functionality operates by allowing these data partners to upload anonymized user details, such as email addresses or postal codes. Google then matches this information to signed-in YouTube accounts. Advertisers can subsequently target these matched audience groups across several campaign types, including Video Reach, Video Views, and the YouTube component of Demand Gen campaigns. It is important to note that the tool does not support ad sequencing or YouTube Select guaranteed deals at launch.
Availability for Partner Match is broad, with a global rollout planned that excludes the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the European Economic Area. Advertisers based in those restricted regions, however, can still employ the tool to target users located in eligible countries and markets elsewhere in the world.
To begin using Partner Match, advertisers must complete a few specific steps. First, they need to authorize their chosen data partner within the platform. Next, they must accept the dedicated Partner Match terms of service. Finally, they can apply the generated audience lists during the setup phase of their YouTube campaigns.
This development arrives at a crucial moment for performance marketers seeking reliable intent data as traditional audience signals become less distinct. Partner Match offers the potential for more accurate reach and improved alignment between a partner’s first-party customer signals and YouTube’s delivery system. It provides a new lever to enhance performance in key campaign formats. Given its near-global scalability, this tool represents one of the most significant new audience-targeting options YouTube has released in recent years.
(Source: Search Engine Land)
