How Google Ads Demand Gen Campaigns Boost Sales by 52% with Full-Funnel AI Strategies?
The digital marketing landscape has undergone seismic shifts in 2025, with consumer journeys becoming increasingly non-linear across multiple touchpoints. Google's 2024 Ads Recap reveals that 52% of sales generated by Demand Gen campaigns are truly incremental—a staggering figure that underscores the importance of full-funnel strategies. Unlike traditional lower-funnel tactics that target ready-to-buy audiences, Demand Gen campaigns in Google Ads harness AI to engage users across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail, creating demand where none previously existed. This aligns with broader industry trends where 1 in 4 visual searches on Google Lens now carry commercial intent, demonstrating how discovery-phase interactions fuel downstream conversions. The automotive industry exemplifies this shift, with companies like Carwow achieving 7% higher attributed conversions by integrating Enhanced Conversions for Leads (ECL) to track cross-device behaviors. As third-party cookies phase out, these AI-powered solutions in Google Ads leverage first-party data to reconstruct fragmented customer journeys, proving that upper-funnel engagement isn't just about brand awareness—it's a measurable driver of revenue growth.
I. Case Study: Carwow's Success with Enhanced Conversions
Carwow's transformation from a single-product platform to a comprehensive car marketplace created measurement complexities that traditional last-click attribution couldn't solve. Their customer journeys frequently involved cross-device research, YouTube video views without clicks, and lengthy consideration periods—all scenarios where click-based tracking fails. The company's implementation of Enhanced Conversions for Leads (ECL) within Google Ads addressed these gaps by utilizing first-party data to reconstruct complete user journeys.
Through a meticulous three-phase testing methodology, Carwow validated ECL's superiority over traditional Offline Conversion Import (OCI). Phase one demonstrated that adding email addresses to click IDs increased measurable conversions. Phase two revealed ECL could reconstruct 90% of conversions even without click data - crucial for upper-funnel interactions. The final phase, applying all best practices, delivered a 7% increase in attributed conversions overall, with Demand Gen campaigns seeing a remarkable 24% lift. These insights allowed Carwow to reallocate budget toward mid-funnel YouTube and Demand Gen activities that previously appeared less effective under click-based models.
II. The Role of AI and Advanced Measurement in Full-Funnel Strategies
Economy Car Rentals Group faced a different but equally pressing measurement challenge: unpredictable cancellation rates exceeding 30% in some markets. Their in-house statistical model struggled with long-term bookings and niche destinations like the Faroe Islands. By partnering with Delve to build an AI model on Google Cloud's infrastructure, they achieved groundbreaking prediction accuracy analyzing 10+ variables including rental duration, customer age, and insurance selections.
The results were transformative—99% accuracy for short-term bookings and 20% improvement overall. More importantly, the AI enabled real-time bidding adjustments through Google Ads' value-based bidding, avoiding likely cancellations while pursuing secure conversions. This optimization freed €1 million quarterly for reinvestment, allowing 10-15% more aggressive bidding on high-value prospects. The case demonstrates how AI-powered measurement in Google Ads doesn't just improve accuracy but actively enhances marketing efficiency when integrated with campaign execution.
III. Full-Funnel Insights from Sub-Saharan Africa's App Market
The app ecosystem in Sub-Saharan Africa offers an intriguing examination of full-funnel effectiveness. Despite a 7% decline in direct acquisition spending, in-app purchase revenue grew 24% in 2024 - clear evidence of budget shifting toward upper-funnel activities. Nigeria led this transformation with 38% growth in non-organic installs, driven by fintech leader FairMoney's sophisticated approach combining SKAN reporting, Android performance audits, and tROAS bidding.
The regional data reveals three critical insights for app marketers: First, finance and shopping apps benefit tremendously from cross-category targeting, as demonstrated by Nigeria's 4.5X fintech search growth. Second, Demand Gen campaigns effectively nurture users through educational content before prompting installs. Third, the 52% incremental sales advantage of full-funnel approaches proves that early-stage engagement drives downstream performance even when direct attribution appears impossible.
IV. Key Takeaways for Marketers Implementing Full-Funnel Strategies
Successful full-funnel strategies require harmonizing three key elements: creative excellence, advanced measurement, and AI integration. Kantar's Dom Boyd identifies a troubling "confidence gap" where 78% of marketers doubt their measurement capabilities despite increased budgets. Closing this gap starts with creative that tells cohesive stories across funnel stages—from inspirational YouTube narratives to conversion-focused Search Ads. Topkee addresses this by offering end-to-end Google Ads Solutions, including AI-powered creative production that combines product insights and market trends to generate high-quality text and visuals. Their services ensure ads align with funnel objectives, whether through YouTube video storytelling or precision-targeted Search Ads.
Measurement must evolve beyond last-click to incorporate Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM), attribution, and incrementality testing. Topkee enhances measurement accuracy through tools like TTO CDP, which enables multi-account management, automated conversion tracking, and granular attribution analysis. Their remarketing strategies leverage TTO data to segment audiences and deliver personalized ads, boosting conversion rates significantly compared to generic campaigns. Additionally, their periodic Google Ads reports—covering performance, ROI, and conversion metrics—provide actionable insights for budget optimization and bid adjustments.
AI integration further streamlines cross-funnel execution. Topkee utilizes AI for keyword research in Google Ads, dynamically expanding keyword lists and pairing them with smart bidding strategies to improve ad relevance. Google's 2024 innovations, such as Demand Gen feeds and AI-generated assets, complement Topkee's approach, enabling advertisers to achieve "Excellent" Ad Strength and higher conversion rates. By unifying creative, measurement, and AI, Topkee's full-funnel solutions bridge the confidence gap and drive measurable ROI.
Conclusion
The evidence is overwhelming—businesses embracing full-funnel strategies with Google Ads Demand Gen campaigns achieve 52% higher incremental sales while future-proofing against signal loss. From Carwow's 7% conversion lift to Economy Car Rentals' €1 million quarterly savings, these approaches deliver measurable impact across industries. As AI continues to revolutionize both measurement and creative optimization in Google Advertising, the brands that will thrive are those establishing comprehensive measurement frameworks, delivering cohesive cross-funnel narratives, and harnessing automation while preserving human-centric creativity. The future of marketing isn't just about driving conversions—it's about creating demand, nurturing relationships, and guiding customers through every step of their journey.