YouTube is reportedly testing a new option which would enable advertisers to reserve ad space up to 120 days in advance, which could be particularly beneficial for organizations looking to tie into major events.
I say 'organizations' as opposed to brands here because a key focus of the offering will be political ad buyers - according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, YouTube began providing the tool to political advertisers, along with selected partner brands, back in early September.
The new option will require no minimum spend, and will help in upcoming planning for the 2020 US Presidential Election and the Tokyo Olympics. By being able to lock in ad space in advance, advertisers will be able to take a similar approach to traditional TV ad buying, mapping out longer term strategies in order to secure prime placement, and likely improve their response.
According to the report from WSJ, advertisers won't have to pay for their ads until they actually run on the platform. WSJ also notes that Google plans to let buyers reserve ad slots via the tool “for the entirety of 2020” starting November 15th.
It's an interesting addition - more focused on higher-end advertisers, and as noted, political campaigns. But it could also provide increased planning capacity for a wide range of brands, linking into major events and happenings.
In addition to this, Google is also rolling out a feature which will utilize machine learning to help advertisers manage ad frequency if/when third-party cookies are missing.