Microsoft Advertising introduces Performance Max brand lists

Microsoft Ads is rolling out a new feature called “brand lists” for Performance Max (PMax) campaigns. It promises more control over your brand image and ad visibility.

Brand lists allow advertisers to exclude their ads from appearing alongside specific brands, potentially improving ad relevance and return on ad spend (ROAS).

How it works.

• Advertisers can create up to 20 brand lists.
• They can add brands from a predefined list or request specific brands to be added.
• Brand exclusion can be applied to prevent ads from serving on branded search queries.

Why we care. This PMax feature offers advertisers more control over the sites and searches they see their ads against. It allows advertisers to avoid association with competitors or brands that don’t align with their values.

Key features.

• Covers misspellings automatically.
• Includes an editorial review process for brand requests.
• Takes 4-6 weeks for brand requests to be reviewed.

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Between the lines. This move signals Microsoft’s efforts to compete with Google Ads by offering more granular control over ad placements.

What they’re saying. Microsoft touts the benefits as helping advertisers “mitigate risks” and “display ads with relevant content.”

The big picture. As digital advertising becomes more complex and automated, platforms are introducing more tools for brand safety and ad targeting precision.