In this episode, we break down what it actually means to define a high-performing ad creative strategy, and why doing so is essential to unlocking sustainable growth on Meta. We walk through Cody’s 10-point creative framework for shaping the ad strategy at Jones Road Beauty, diving into why creative should be treated as targeting, how to escape Meta’s “local maxima,” and how to feed the algorithm more diverse, strategically aligned inputs. Cody shares his take on creative strategy as prompt engineering for right-brain marketers, reframing how brands should think about influencing Meta’s outcomes.

We also explore the maturity curve of attribution and measurement – why early-stage brands often rely on last-click metrics, and how that approach needs to evolve over time. Finally, we touch on the complexity of deciding which dimensions – audience, ad format, channel, offer, or optimization strategy – are worth prioritizing as you scale.

If you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6

00:00 Introduction

02:52 Navigating Economic Pressures and AI in Marketing

05:46 Creative Strategy and Team Structure

09:03 Defining Creative Strategy and Volume

11:46 Creative Diversity and Audience Targeting

15:05 Local Maxima and Creative Inputs

17:47 Post-Purchase Monetization Strategies

21:03 The Role of Media Strategy in Creative Success

27:10 Aligning Creative and Media Strategies

29:56 Influencer Partnerships and Targeting

32:46 New Attribution Models and Performance Measurement

39:26 The Evolution of Attribution Models

42:10 Defining Creative Diversity

44:30 Incrementality vs Attribution in Marketing

47:51 Measuring Marketing Success

53:51 Cohesive Funnels in Marketing

01:07:21 Creative Exploration vs Exploitation

Operators Exclusive Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/shared_invite/zt-2tdfu426r-TepSHJP~evAyDfR29U2qUw

Motion.

⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trends

Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.prescientai.com/operators

Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc

Aftersell.

https://www.aftersell.com/operators

Northbeam.

https://www.northbeam.io/

Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9

Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS

Christopher Ahlberg, CEO, Recorded Future