Google is Adapting its Workflows to Take Advantage of AI

Google Is Adapting Its Workflows to Take Advantage of AI

Google piloted a series of AI-led content creation workflows across different regions and marketing teams. Working with Jellyfish and using Pencil Pro, Google ran five pilots which aimed to streamline asset production, reduce reliance on external agencies, and enable real-time content adaptation at scale.

Across five distinct pilot programs, the new AI-led workflows led to significant cost reductions, faster turnaround times, and the ability to generate personalised content at unprecedented volumes. 

‍Ads Marketing (EMEA) Pilot results: Better asset quality at 80% lower cost, with virtually unlimited volume

The Challenge 

Google’s Ads Marketing team wanted to rethink the entire content supply chain, using automation and AI to drive efficiency and effectiveness. The goal was to reduce manual and repetitive tasks, speed up asset production, and lower reliance on traditional agency models, all while enabling a more personalised and scalable creative approach. Pencil Pro was identified as the ideal tool to bring this vision to life, offering content analytics, pre-approved template libraries, and copy and image generation.

‍

The Creative 

The pilot focused on two key areas: image generation and asset assembly. By using Pencil, the team were able to create and deploy high-quality assets in seconds rather than weeks, significantly reducing creative production costs. AI-generated visuals were integrated into pre-existing templates, making it possible to produce a vast number of personalised assets at speed. Pencil also made it easy for Google to use Imagen to generate photo-realistic visuals - from synthetic products, to human elements, to fully synthetic humans. Using Imagen opens up a new opportunity to personal ads at scale without the additional creative overhead.

‍

The Results

• 80% cost reduction: asset costs dropped from over $100 per static asset and $1000 per video to under $5 on Pencil for both.
• Faster time to market: assets were produced in seconds, allowing near-instant deployment and frequent refreshes.
• More efficient workflows: a 25% reduction in time spent on asset creation, freeing teams to focus on strategic work.
• $2M+ estimated savings: budget freed up for higher-value creative projects in Ads Marketing from 2025 onward.

‍

P&E Chrome (EMEA) Pilot results: Creative origination and scalability at a fraction of the cost

‍

The Challenge 

The Chrome marketing team in EMEA needed a more efficient way to scale creative content across multiple markets and formats. Traditionally, producing localised digital assets requires significant time and cost, limiting agility and slowing campaign execution. The team wanted to explore whether AI could streamline creative production without compromising on quality.

‍

The Creative 

Using Pencil Pro, the team reimagined their content creation workflow, cutting ideation and production time from two months to just two weeks. Using Pencil for template generation allowed the team to rapidly adapt assets across different formats and languages, and thereby eleminiate bottlenecks. The process also opened new opportunities for collaboration between Google and agency partners, improving efficiency while maintaining creative integrity.

‍

The Results

• 20-40% cost reduction: the average cost per asset dropped to $180.
• Faster iteration: assets could be created and deployed in hours rather than weeks.
• Increased personalisation: AI-driven insights and image generation enabled highly tailored content.
• Better resource allocation: freed-up budget was reinvested into broader-scale initiatives.

‍

DSM Performance Marketing (APAC) Pilot results: Assets produced at 90% lower cost, with virtually unlimited volume

‍

The Challenge 

The DSM APAC team needed a way to quickly produce ad-hoc creative assets outside of planned campaigns. The traditional agency model was too slow and costly, making it difficult to react to timely opportunities like feature drops, accolades, and cultural moments. The team wanted to explore whether Pencil could help them take a more efficient and scalable approach.

‍

The Creative 

The team learned that the key to generating high volumes of creative variations with minimal manual intervention is to establish locked templates upfront. This proved to be the best way to quickly adapt assets for different languages, aspect ratios, and target audiences, ensuring relevance across diverse markets. The workflow also encouraged closer collaboration between Google and agency partners, reducing friction in the creative process.

‍

The Results

• 90% cost reduction: cost per asset dropped from $180 to just $10.
• Rapid content generation: templates allowed for near-instant asset creation.
• More agility: teams could respond to cultural moments in real time.
• Improved efficiency: a 25% reduction in time spent on creative production.

‍

YouTube Shorts (APAC) Pilot results: Hyper-local assets at 60% lower cost, with virtually unlimited volume

‍

The Challenge 

The YouTube Shorts team needed a scalable way to create hyper-local content without relying on traditional agencies, which require long lead times and high costs. Past campaigns had shown that localised content improved conversion, but the process of sourcing user-generated content, securing approvals, and developing creative assets took up to 12 weeks.

‍

The Creative

Using Pencil meant the team could tailor content specifically for the Indian market without the usual delays. Using AI to generate images allowed for the rapid creation of locally relevant visuals, cutting out multiple steps from the traditional workflow. By reducing the time needed to develop and deploy assets, the team could quickly test and optimise creative variations at scale.

‍

The Results

• 60% cost reduction: the average cost per asset dropped from $748 to $262.
• Significantly faster production: asset creation time was reduced from 12 weeks to just 2 weeks.
• Real-time asset refresh: content could be updated and deployed instantly.
• Greater efficiency: the ability to produce high volumes of hyper-local content enabled continuous optimization and improved performance.

‍

GBO / LCS (EMEA) Pilot results: Assets produced at 50% lower cost, with increased localization capabilities

‍

The Challenge 

LCS Turkey supports content production for export customers, such as Karaca, a homeware brand expanding into the German and UK markets. Their existing workflows involved third-party agencies and in-house teams, leading to long lead times, high costs, and inconsistent branding. The team needed a more agile, cost-effective solution for producing local content at scale.

‍

The Creative 

Using Pencil, the team developed a structured workflow to generate locally relevant content quickly and efficiently. Creating templates with AI allowed for rapid customisation and easy adaptation across different cultural contexts, without letting anything slip in terms of brand consistency. 

‍

The Results

• 50% cost reduction: the cost per asset dropped to approximately $480, at least half the cost of traditional methods.
• Faster turnaround: asset production cycles were reduced from weeks to just days.
• Improved localization: AI-generated copy and templates enabled rapid adaptation for different markets.
• Greater agility: scalable asset production allowed for quicker optimisation and campaign execution.

‍