Introducing the Inclusive Media Initiative: Solving One of the Most Important Challenges on YouTube

Advertisers often live within a separate universe where they reach through the buying doors of Google Ads or DV360 to run the perfect ad alongside the most contextually relevant YouTube video. Or they may target viewers with Google’s robust 1st party data to capture impressions from the ideal customer profile. All of this to achieve their very specific set of KPIs around brand lift, or maybe store visits or conversions, or even revenue. 

But what happens when a brand wants more? 

When a brand requires their media spend to drive racial equity, and support diverse voices in media? Or to celebrate uniqueness and individuality? Or to embody their corporate values for diversity, equity and inclusion through their media buys? 

In today’s world, an AI-driven analysis of metadata in the tiles and tags is not enough to decide which communities a creator represents. In today’s world, the individual, and how they self-identify, matters. Looking forward, this is how brands will ensure every impression matters.

Introducing Pixability’s Inclusive Media Initiative

Today, Pixability launches the Inclusive Media Initiative, one of the most important product launches in our company’s history. This initiative allows creators to self-identify in the communities that they represent, giving advertisers the ability to directly support the right channels with their ad dollars. 

As a technology company, we have become the leader in building complex AI-driven models based on a myriad of signals from YouTube videos. And while AI-driven technology is critical to moving the advertising industry forward, we firmly believe that it’s the creators alone that should have a voice in which communities they represent. 

Why? Each creator brings their whole self to their channel–they should own telling advertisers who they are, how they identify, and they should be recognized for their contributions in the creator economy. And if the creator identifies as part of a diverse community, they should be rewarded with working media flowing to their channels. 

Many creators do not have a large enough following and may not be big enough to be getting sponsorship dollars yet, and yet they work full time as a creator to support their family. Brands want to support these diverse creators but until now, they didn’t have a clear path to do support them in a meaningful way. With the Inclusive Media Initiative, now they can.

This initiative is about empowering YouTube creators. The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) does an amazing job shepherding creators, helping them with tools, data and tips to monetize their content so they can one day quit their day job and embrace the title of creator on their taxes. But this path isn’t always easy, and brands and agencies are looking to use their ad dollars for good by driving investment into diverse creator communities. 

Bri Hall, a well-known beauty content creator on YouTube who joined the Inclusive Media Initiative, said it best:

“When it comes to brands supporting specific communities, there isn’t always a clear path. Some third parties label creators without asking them about their own identities. The Inclusive Media initiative allows creators to tell people and brands who they are and with what communities they identify with.”

Our mission for the Inclusive Media Initiative is to help brands make every impression matter and increase equity to diverse communities across YouTube. I am proud to work at Pixability, a company that is woman founded and is committed to driving an inclusive culture internally and externally through our products and services. 

There are a fortunate few who bring their whole self to work everyday and get paid to follow their passions. I love my role here and I am proud to be working on the Inclusive Media Initiative.  

Want to learn more about how Pixability’s Inclusive Media Initiative can help you drive intentional media investments that support corporate values and DEI investment goals? Reach out to us today to learn more! 

Theresa Go, VP of Platform partnerships at Pixability. Self identifies as she/ her, as a mom to bi-racial kids, a loving partner, a California girl, former professional photographer, latin dancer, free diver and scuba diver.