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Google Is Pitching Buyers On Gemini And YouTube Creators At The NewFronts

Recorded: March 23, 2026, 7 p.m.

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Google Is Pitching Buyers On Gemini And YouTube Creators At The NewFronts | AdExchanger

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Home Platforms Google Is Pitching Buyers On Gemini And YouTube Creators At The NewFronts

Newfronts 2026
Google Is Pitching Buyers On Gemini And YouTube Creators At The NewFronts By Victoria McNally

Monday, March 23rd, 2026 – 11:00 am
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Google is getting to talk about its two favorite things during IAB’s NewFronts this week: AI and creators.
On Monday, in advance of its first of two presentations, it announced multiple new features coming to YouTube and DV360 for CTV and video advertisers.
First up, YouTube is expanding its Creator Partnerships Hub (formerly BrandConnect and FameBit before that) to include a new Gemini-powered AI search function. This will allow advertisers to more easily find creators that already produce content relevant to their brands using natural language prompts related to tone, subject matter and aesthetic.

The tool is designed to save time, said Melissa Hsieh Nikolic, YouTube’s director of product management, during a press preview last week. But doing manual searches isn’t only time-consuming, she said. Without automation, brands may miss smaller, quality creators that would make good partners.
Using agentic AI to develop contextually relevant lists of video influencers has already become a cottage industry, including among members of YouTube’s Measurement Program. Pixability, Channel Factory and VuePlanner, for example, all offer something along those lines.
However, YouTube’s own internal tools will enable more direct integrations so advertisers can directly bulk-message relevant creators and put paid media toward user-generated videos as part of the creator partnership boost.
It’ll be interesting to see what the vendors that rely on YouTube’s API will do to keep their own products competitive in response.
Agentic assistants
Moving over to DV360, advertisers will now also get more access to YouTube creators, according to Bill Reardon, general manager of enterprise platform for Google Ads.
In addition to the creator partnership boost, advertisers can buy YouTube pause ads and creator takeovers by acquiring all of the inventory on the select channels that make up the top 1% of creators.
Meanwhile, more Gemini-assisted AI agents are coming, too, of course.
The new Ads Advisor tool can edit, optimize and report on campaigns built in the Google Marketing Platform and even offer analysis on why certain creative assets were rejected within DV360 alongside recommend fixes.
Google also plans to use its Gemini technology – together with new updates to its confidential matching identity model, now called “Confidential Publisher Match” – to better manage household frequency and cut down on ad repetition across DV360 inventory, Reardon said.
Overfrequency is a long-standing problem, especially across video and streaming.
“We think that delivers a better user experience,” Reardon said, and “a better experience for the advertiser as well.”

Tagged in:

agentic AI

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Bill Reardon

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Gemini AI

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Google DV360

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Melissa Hsieh Nikolic

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Newfronts 2026

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overfrequency

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YouTube creator monetization

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© 2026 Access Intelligence, LLC - All Rights Reserved

Google is strategically positioning itself at IAB’s NewFronts 2026, emphasizing a dual focus on artificial intelligence and creator partnerships. The company’s announcements centered around expanding its capabilities within YouTube and its CTV (Connected TV) platform, DV360. A key element of this strategy is the integration of Gemini AI, aiming to streamline the process for advertisers seeking to connect with relevant content creators.

Melissa Hsieh Nikolic, YouTube’s director of product management, highlighted the efficiency gains offered by the new Gemini-powered search function within the Creator Partnerships Hub. This tool allows advertisers to utilize natural language prompts – specifying criteria like tone, subject matter, and aesthetic – to identify creators who align with their brand’s needs. This approach, mirroring the growth of agentic AI solutions already employed by firms like Pixability, Channel Factory, and VuePlanner, seeks to broaden the reach of brands beyond traditional manual searches and potentially reduce reliance on third-party vendor tools. Bill Reardon, general manager of enterprise platform for Google Ads, further expanded this approach, announcing that advertisers can access YouTube’s top 1% of creators through a specialized inventory purchase, supported by Gemini-assisted AI agents.

The newly introduced Ads Advisor tool within DV360 exemplifies Google’s continued utilization of Gemini technology. Functioning as an intelligent assistant, it’s designed to automate aspects of campaign editing, optimization, and reporting – even providing insights into why creative assets have been rejected by DV360. Furthermore, Google plans to leverage its Confidential Publisher Match identity model – now rebranded as “Confidential Publisher Match” – coupled with Gemini, to optimize household frequency and minimize ad repetition across DV360 inventory. The company recognizes the persistent challenge of overfrequency, particularly within the video and streaming landscape and believes the strategy delivers a better user experience as well as improved advertiser results.

These initiatives represent Google’s attempt to integrate AI across its advertising platforms, aiming to improve efficiency and targeting. The strategic focus on creator monetization alongside these technological advancements demonstrates Google's understanding of the evolving landscape of digital content and advertising revenue. The competition will likely be fierce as other vendors respond to these new developments, particularly concerning integration with YouTube’s established API.