Our Take on the Top 10 Announcements from Google Marketing Live 2025

We just wrapped up Google Marketing Live 2025, and wow—Google’s going all-in on AI. While some of these updates feel like game-changers, others? Let’s just say we’re cautiously optimistic. Here’s our quick take on the top 10 most interesting updates—and what they really mean for marketers like us.

1. “Power Pack” Campaign Suite: AI All the Things

Google’s bundling Performance Max, AI Max for Search, and Demand Gen into a new “Power Pack.” The idea is more automation, less micromanaging.

💬 Our take: It’s promising… but we’ll see if “less control” really translates to “better results.” We’re definitely testing it—but we won’t be throwing all our campaigns into the AI blender just yet.

2. Ads in AI Overviews & AI Mode: Your Ads, Now in Chatbot Land

Google’s adding ads to AI Overviews and the new AI Mode in Search. Basically, when people chat with Google’s AI, your ads could show up as “helpful suggestions.”

💬 Our take: Cool concept, but... is it useful? We’ll need to see how intent and conversion rates hold up in this new AI-first world.

3. Imagen & Veo: AI Makes Your Creative for You

Imagen generates images. Veo makes videos. Both are designed to crank out creative assets fast, straight from Google Ads.

💬 Our take: Speed is great, but quality matters. We'll experiment—but we’re still relying on our creative partners for the secret sauce.

4. Marketing Advisor in Chrome: Your New AI Co-Pilot?

A built-in marketing assistant in Chrome? Yep, Google’s adding a tool that gives real-time campaign tips while you browse.

💬 Our take: Love the idea of a helpful AI sidekick, but... will it actually understand your brand, or just throw generic tips at you? TBD.

5. Data Manager & Easier Incrementality Testing: Finally, Some Love for Data Nerds

Google’s launching a Data Manager to centralize your first-party data, plus lowering the threshold for incrementality testing from $100K to $5K.

💬 Our take: Big win for smaller advertisers! We’re excited—this could unlock smarter measurement strategies without needing massive budgets.

6. Channel-Level Reporting in PMax: The Transparency We’ve Been Begging For

Finally! PMax is getting channel-level reporting—so you’ll know where your ads are running and what’s driving results.

💬 Our take: Thank you, Google. It’s about time we got this visibility. This should make optimizing PMax way less of a guessing game.

7. Smart Bidding Exploration: Let the Machines Cook (Carefully)

Google’s expanding Smart Bidding Exploration, which uses AI to predict conversion likelihoods beyond traditional ROAS targets.

💬 Our take: Could be great for finding hidden wins. But we’re still watching closely—because giving up too much control can backfire.

8. YouTube Ads: Shoppable Masthead + Checkout from Ads

YouTube’s getting more shoppable—ads in the Masthead will now let people buy directly, and checkout flows are getting faster.

💬 Our take: Love this for product-heavy brands. We’ll definitely test it—but will people actually check out straight from an ad? We’ll see.

9. AI Agents in Google Ads & Analytics: Your New (Virtual) Team Member

Google’s introducing AI agents that recommend optimizations, generate reports, and even implement changes for you.

💬 Our take: Handy, but do we trust AI to fully manage our accounts? Not yet. It’s a helpful tool, but we’re keeping a human in the loop.

10. AI Mode Shopping: Chat to Buy

Google’s leaning into conversational shopping with AI Mode—think product recommendations in a chat-like interface.

💬 Our take: Feels like a glimpse of the future, but will shoppers actually use it? We’re intrigued, but reserving judgment.

Final Thoughts

AI’s everywhere—and Google’s betting big. Some of these updates look promising, others... we’ll wait and see. As always, we’re testing, learning, and keeping a healthy dose of skepticism alongside our excitement.

Want to chat about how these changes could impact your campaigns? Let’s connect—we’d love to strategize with you.