Google is ushering in a new era for marketers and businesses, unveiling a suite of cutting-edge, AI-powered tools designed to revolutionize advertising on Search and YouTube.
The announcement came yesterday, July 9, at the Google Marketing Live Southeast Asia (GML SEA) in Singapore, highlighting the company’s commitment to equipping brands for an increasingly complex digital landscape.
From transforming creative production to reimagining search ads, the search engine is turning AI into action, bringing smarter tools directly into the hands of marketers.
“For years, we’ve been at the forefront of AI-driven advertising. As consumer journeys become more complex — and resources more limited—we’re equipping marketers with our most advanced models yet: more intelligent, more agentic, and more personalized. That means faster creative, wider reach, sharper insights, and better results,” said Sapna Chadha, Vice President, Google Southeast Asia and South Asia Frontier. “At today’s Google Marketing Live, we introduced new AI tools that span the entire marketing journey — from creative to performance, brand discovery, and agentic capabilities.
Google and YouTube: Trusted channels driving business growth in SEA
Consumers are increasingly turning to Search and YouTube for information, discovery, and inspiration. With over 5 trillion searches annually, AI is propelling Search beyond mere information to true intelligence, allowing users to engage with queries in innovative ways.
Modern search extends beyond typed keywords, incorporating voice, images, and video. Google’s AI-driven tools like Google Lens, Circle to Search, AI Overviews, and AI Mode are opening new avenues for rapid information exploration.
This shift is already yielding significant results: Google Lens has seen a 65% year-over-year global growth, 1 with over 100 billion visual searches 2 recorded in 2025 so far — a notable one in five demonstrating commercial intent. Circle to Search is also experiencing rapid adoption, with younger users initiating over 10% of their searches with the feature.
Globally, Google now facilitates over 1 billion shopping journeys daily, 3 with Gen Z emerging as the most active demographic on Search, driving more daily queries than any other age group. 4 This trend presents fresh opportunities for advertisers to connect with consumers across today’s fragmented journey, from initial discovery to final decision-making.
YouTube continues to dominate the Southeast Asian market, not just in viewership but also in delivering tangible business impact. It stands as the #1 video platform in the region, 5 reaching more daily users than any other.
YouTube’s extensive reach spans generations, with more Gen Zs in Southeast Asia watching YouTube than any other video platform. 6 What truly sets YouTube apart, however, is trust. Independent research by Kantar and MTM indicates that in key Southeast Asian markets like Indonesia, 7 Thailand, 8 and the Philippines, 9 users trust the views and opinions of YouTube creators more than those on other platforms.
Vidhya Srinivasan, VP and general manager, ads and commerce at Google, announces new products and innovations for marketers from the Google Marketing Live 2025 stage.
The platform’s efficacy in driving business results is consistently proven.
Across markets such as Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, YouTube consistently delivers more than double the ROI of linear TV — specifically, 4.1X in Indonesia, 2.3X in Thailand, and 2.9X in Vietnam. It also outperforms other social platforms like TikTok and Meta, achieving 1.5X the ROI in Indonesia, 1.6X in Thailand, and 1.2X in Vietnam. 10
This compelling data underscores that “combining trusted creators, wide reach, and high relevance pays off — making YouTube an unmatched platform for brand discovery and growth in Southeast Asia.”
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1 Google Internal Data, Global, April 2024 – April 2025.
2 Google Internal Data, Global, Jan. 2025 – May 2025.
3 Source: Google internal data, 2025.
4 Source: Google internal data, May 2025.
5 Source: Google/Kantar, APAC Breakthrough Behaviours, April 2025, online survey, n = 6004 consumers 18+, SEA (ID, VN, TH, PH).
6 Source: Google/Ipsos, Global Consumer Journeys, Dec 2024,online survey, n=2,555 Gen Z online consumers aged 18 – 27 (ID, PH, SG, TH)
7 Source: Google/MTM, Creators, ID 2025, People who claim to use the following services at least once a month: n=1,010 YouTube; n=1,010
Instagram; n=965; TikTok n=904.
8 Source: Google/MTM, Creators and TH 2025, People who claim to use the following services at least once a month: n=1,000 YouTube; n=1,000
Instagram; n=878; TikTok n=928
9 Source: Google/Kantar, Future of Video, n=922 YouTube viewers, n=2006 weekly video viewers 18-64 (PH), fielded from (3/13/25-4/7/25). Competitive set includes 10 market competitors: Linear TV, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Viu, HBO, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, iWantTFC.
10 Source: Commissioned Analytic Edge MMM Meta Analysis 2021-2024. Base: A list of studies selected and compiled by Analytic Edge consisting of all available MMM Studies completed from 2021-2024 in CPG Category, total studies n = 24 in Indonesia, n = 22 in Thailand, n = 20 in Vietnam. Results are based on MMM’s spread across the following categories in Indonesia: Adult Care, Feminine Care, Beauty, Skincare, Biscuits, Chocolate, Food, Beverage and involving 16 unique CPG brands; in Thailand: Personal Care, Beauty, Skincare, Food & Beverage Beverage and involving 12 unique brands; and in Vietnam: Personal Care, Haircare, Beauty, Food, Beverages, Biscuits, Chocolates and involving 10 unique CPG brands. Social platforms are TikTok and Meta.
