Google upgrades DV360 with Gemini-powered media planning and Kroger shopper data for SKU-level attribution

Google announced at its NewFronts presentation that Gemini will move beyond its existing DV360 role in audience discovery and campaign optimization to become the core operating layer of the demand-side platform, allowing marketers to upload a media plan and have it automatically translated into a full campaign setup. The company also unveiled Confidential Publisher Match, a new identity model linking advertisers' first-party data with signals from streamers like Roku in a privacy-safe environment, and a partnership with Kroger that integrates the grocer's shopper data into YouTube and Google's partner inventory with SKU-level sales reporting. YouTube is central to Google's NewFronts pitch this year, with pause ads and creator takeovers now available to buy programmatically through DV360, as Google tightens the connection between its buy-side tools and owned inventory.