In a bid to bolster digital advertising capabilities in Southeast Asia (SEA), Google has launched a suite of AI-powered marketing tools aimed at enhancing how brands connect with consumers across search and video platforms.
Unveiled during Google’s Think SEA event in Jakarta, the tools are designed to support marketers with personalization, performance optimization, and automation across Google Search and YouTube. This move comes as part of Google’s broader strategy to help regional marketers navigate shifting consumer behavior and rising digital consumption.
Key Features Unveiled
One of the highlights is Visual Brand Profiles in Search — an update that provides consumers with richer and more engaging search results. When users search for a brand, the AI-curated profile showcases images, videos, product listings, and store locations, helping users quickly understand what a brand offers.
Another AI-driven addition is brand search uplift measurement, which enables advertisers to measure the incremental impact of YouTube ad campaigns on brand search behavior. This feature gives marketers valuable insight into how video content influences users' search intent, offering a more complete view of campaign effectiveness.
On YouTube, Demand Gen has been introduced for optimized creative delivery. The tool uses AI to analyze campaign assets — including video, images, and headlines — and automatically identifies the best-performing combinations to maximize conversions. It aims to reduce manual guesswork while enhancing the creative efficiency of video ad campaigns.
Catering to a Digital-First SEA Market
Southeast Asia has become one of the most digitally engaged markets globally, with over 70% of consumers researching online before making purchases. According to Google’s internal insights shared at the event, consumers in SEA rely heavily on platforms like YouTube and Search to guide their buying decisions.
“Today’s consumers expect relevant and helpful experiences from brands — delivered instantly,” a Google spokesperson said during the event. “By integrating AI more deeply into our ad products, we aim to help marketers across SEA better serve their audiences.”
The rollout targets key SEA markets including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam — regions that have seen explosive growth in digital commerce and online content consumption in recent years.
AI Driving the Future of Marketing
Google’s push toward AI-based marketing aligns with broader industry trends. As generative and predictive AI models become central to digital marketing strategies, tech platforms are racing to embed intelligent automation into their ad offerings.
While the new tools promise efficiency and scale, Google emphasized that AI will augment, not replace, creative strategy. The company encouraged marketers to focus on strong brand storytelling while leveraging AI to automate the tactical execution.
What This Means for Brands
For marketers in SEA, the new features offer the potential to streamline workflows, gain better campaign visibility, and elevate consumer engagement. Brands with limited resources or fragmented digital strategies may find these tools particularly valuable in closing performance gaps.
With Google’s deepening commitment to AI and local market needs, SEA-based advertisers can expect faster access to tools previously available in more mature markets — helping them stay competitive in an increasingly AI-driven ad ecosystem.