In an era where marketing moves at the speed of the scroll, Smartly is aiming to take the guesswork out of upper-funnel brand campaigns. The AI-powered adtech leader today announced a major update to Brand Pulse, the industry’s only real-time, cross-channel brand measurement and optimization solution—and it now includes YouTube.
The move addresses one of digital advertising’s most frustrating blind spots: inability to track and act on campaign effectiveness while it’s live. Traditionally, brands have relied on delayed reporting, platform-by-platform metrics, and fragmented audience data that offers little strategic clarity. Brand Pulse flips that model, giving marketers real-time visibility and control across the biggest platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest—and now, YouTube.
Real-Time Optimization for the Upper Funnel
“Brand investment is essential, but without real-time insight, marketers are forced to operate in the dark, reacting after the moment has passed,” said Laura Desmond, CEO of Smartly. “Brand Pulse brings precision to the upper funnel—delivering immediate, cross-channel visibility into reach, frequency, and attention.”
Key features of Brand Pulse include:
- Deduplicated Reach Insights: Marketers can now see the true size of their audience and cost per unique user, across all major platforms, with real-time data.
- Cross-Channel Frequency Control: Real-time monitoring helps avoid overexposure and ad fatigue, ensuring optimal spend and improved viewer receptivity.
- Attentive Audience Optimization: Move beyond impressions to what actually matters—time spent, engagement, and attention quality. Campaigns can automatically optimize toward audiences that actively engage, not just scroll past.
Samsung’s Proof Point: Precision in Action
Early adopters like Samsung are already seeing measurable results. “With Brand Pulse, we could make in-flight adjustments based on real-time data,” said Sander van Strien, Social Advertising Lead at Samsung. “We reallocated budgets, refined our media mix, and eliminated frequency wastage entirely. This year, we hit our target perfectly—something we hadn’t been able to achieve before.”
The platform’s ability to surface and act on granular audience behavior data is enabling brands to turn brand spend into a strategic performance lever, rather than a hopeful long game.
Closing the Measurement Gap Across Channels
Brand Pulse’s latest evolution isn’t just about adding YouTube—it’s about enabling a truly unified view of brand performance across all major social and video platforms. For media and brand teams alike, this means faster decisions, smarter spending, and greater accountability for upper-funnel budgets.
Whether it’s evaluating cost per unique viewer or optimizing against real-time attention signals, Brand Pulse gives marketing teams the agility of performance marketing in what has traditionally been the hardest segment to measure.
And as upper-funnel investments face increasing pressure to prove ROI, tools like Brand Pulse are no longer nice-to-have—they’re non-negotiable for modern marketers.
