Global Video Partner × YouTube Buying Behavior Shift
Global Video Partner × YouTube Buying Behavior Shift
Global Video Partner × YouTube Buying Behavior Shift
Year
2025
Year
2025
Year
2025
Type
Positioning · Stakeholder Strategy · Platform Partnerships
Type
Positioning · Stakeholder Strategy · Platform Partnerships
Type
Positioning · Stakeholder Strategy · Platform Partnerships
Timeframe
4 weeks
Timeframe
4 weeks
Timeframe
4 weeks
Overview
Overview
Overview
A global video intelligence company operating deeply within the YouTube ecosystem was facing a familiar challenge: planners and buyers preferred to transact directly within the platform (DV360/Google Ads), optimizing for low CPMs rather than meaningful impact.
While efficient, this approach often placed ads next to irrelevant or misaligned content. The company’s core value — using video recognition technology to analyze what is actually happening inside YouTube videos and identify the moments most relevant to a brand — was being overlooked in favor of rinse-and-repeat platform targeting.
The problem wasn’t capability. It was buying behavior.
A global video intelligence company operating deeply within the YouTube ecosystem was facing a familiar challenge: planners and buyers preferred to transact directly within the platform (DV360/Google Ads), optimizing for low CPMs rather than meaningful impact.
While efficient, this approach often placed ads next to irrelevant or misaligned content. The company’s core value — using video recognition technology to analyze what is actually happening inside YouTube videos and identify the moments most relevant to a brand — was being overlooked in favor of rinse-and-repeat platform targeting.
The problem wasn’t capability. It was buying behavior.
A global video intelligence company operating deeply within the YouTube ecosystem was facing a familiar challenge: planners and buyers preferred to transact directly within the platform (DV360/Google Ads), optimizing for low CPMs rather than meaningful impact.
While efficient, this approach often placed ads next to irrelevant or misaligned content. The company’s core value — using video recognition technology to analyze what is actually happening inside YouTube videos and identify the moments most relevant to a brand — was being overlooked in favor of rinse-and-repeat platform targeting.
The problem wasn’t capability. It was buying behavior.
/01
/01
/01
Challenge
Challenge
Challenge
Programmatic managers and platform teams were incentivized to prioritize:
Speed and efficiency
Cheap reach
Familiar YouTube targeting tactics
This led to ads running against broad content buckets, even when only specific segments within long-form videos were truly relevant to the advertiser.
At the same time, agencies and brands were hesitant to move budget away from direct YouTube buys due to concerns around:
Agency deal commitments
Client joint business plans (JBPs) with Google
Any solution had to improve outcomes without disrupting existing commercial agreements.
Programmatic managers and platform teams were incentivized to prioritize:
Speed and efficiency
Cheap reach
Familiar YouTube targeting tactics
This led to ads running against broad content buckets, even when only specific segments within long-form videos were truly relevant to the advertiser.
At the same time, agencies and brands were hesitant to move budget away from direct YouTube buys due to concerns around:
Agency deal commitments
Client joint business plans (JBPs) with Google
Any solution had to improve outcomes without disrupting existing commercial agreements.
Programmatic managers and platform teams were incentivized to prioritize:
Speed and efficiency
Cheap reach
Familiar YouTube targeting tactics
This led to ads running against broad content buckets, even when only specific segments within long-form videos were truly relevant to the advertiser.
At the same time, agencies and brands were hesitant to move budget away from direct YouTube buys due to concerns around:
Agency deal commitments
Client joint business plans (JBPs) with Google
Any solution had to improve outcomes without disrupting existing commercial agreements.
/02
/02
/02
Approach
Approach
Approach
We began with a deep competitive analysis, which revealed that most YouTube solutions optimized where ads ran — not when they ran. That insight shaped the strategy.
1. Stakeholder Mapping
Developed distinct value propositions for planners, programmatic teams, agency leadership, and brands — aligning relevance, efficiency, deal integrity, and brand safety.
2. Platform-Safe Positioning
Led with the company’s status as a global YouTube partner, clearly communicating that reallocating budget:
Did not reduce Google deal commitments
Did not jeopardize client JBPs
This removed the primary barrier to consideration.
We began with a deep competitive analysis, which revealed that most YouTube solutions optimized where ads ran — not when they ran. That insight shaped the strategy.
1. Stakeholder Mapping
Developed distinct value propositions for planners, programmatic teams, agency leadership, and brands — aligning relevance, efficiency, deal integrity, and brand safety.
2. Platform-Safe Positioning
Led with the company’s status as a global YouTube partner, clearly communicating that reallocating budget:
Did not reduce Google deal commitments
Did not jeopardize client JBPs
This removed the primary barrier to consideration.
We began with a deep competitive analysis, which revealed that most YouTube solutions optimized where ads ran — not when they ran. That insight shaped the strategy.
1. Stakeholder Mapping
Developed distinct value propositions for planners, programmatic teams, agency leadership, and brands — aligning relevance, efficiency, deal integrity, and brand safety.
2. Platform-Safe Positioning
Led with the company’s status as a global YouTube partner, clearly communicating that reallocating budget:
Did not reduce Google deal commitments
Did not jeopardize client JBPs
This removed the primary barrier to consideration.
/03
/03
/03
Results
Results
Results
Sales doubled following the repositioning and behavioral shift
New sales hires added to support continued growth
Increased adoption across planners, programmatic teams, and agency leadershi
Sales doubled following the repositioning and behavioral shift
New sales hires added to support continued growth
Increased adoption across planners, programmatic teams, and agency leadershi
Sales doubled following the repositioning and behavioral shift
New sales hires added to support continued growth
Increased adoption across planners, programmatic teams, and agency leadershi
Increase in sales revenue
2x growth
2x growth
Buying behavior shifted
+100%
+100%
/04
/04
/04
This engagement wasn’t about competing with YouTube — it was about unlocking more value within it.
By aligning with platform economics, addressing stakeholder incentives, and introducing moment-level relevance at scale, we changed how YouTube inventory was bought — without breaking existing commitments.
This engagement wasn’t about competing with YouTube — it was about unlocking more value within it.
By aligning with platform economics, addressing stakeholder incentives, and introducing moment-level relevance at scale, we changed how YouTube inventory was bought — without breaking existing commitments.
This engagement wasn’t about competing with YouTube — it was about unlocking more value within it.
By aligning with platform economics, addressing stakeholder incentives, and introducing moment-level relevance at scale, we changed how YouTube inventory was bought — without breaking existing commitments.
Advisory · Go-to-Market Strategy · Retail Media Positioning
Akru × In-Store Media Strategy
As brands continue to spend digitally while sales happen in-store, Akru needed a clear role within the media ecosystem. I advised the team on positioning, agency alignment, and how to frame proximity-to-purchase as a defensible media strategy.