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Paid media is getting harder, not easier — creative is the edge
Executive overview
Privacy changes have stripped targeting data from platforms like Facebook and Google, making paid ROI harder to generate. The short-term appearance of "easier" paid media is a cost-cutting illusion, not a structural shift.
The real competitive edge in paid media is creative strategy — the one thing AI cannot replace.
Why paid media is actually getting harder
- iOS privacy changes gutted Facebook's targeting data and Google will follow
- Lower ad spend right now makes ROI look easier — it's temporary, not structural
- AI automation handles campaign optimisations, but it optimises for platform revenue, not your ROI
- Google's own ad managers consistently underperform agency-managed accounts due to misaligned incentives
- Platforms are compensated to increase your spend, not maximise your returns
Where creative becomes the differentiator
- As automation handles optimisation, attention must shift to what machines can't replace: creative strategy
- AI can generate creative assets but cannot produce the strategic thinking behind high-impact campaigns
- Premium creative — Super Bowl ads, World Cup spots — requires human teams focused on doing something genuinely unique
- Agencies that evolve their creative capabilities will capture the value that automation commoditises elsewhere
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