Avoiding an AI Ad Automation Clusterf*ck
Making content that works in each channel gets harder every year.
VW famously needed 5000 assets to launch their ID3 in 2019 vs 500 for a Golf launch ten years earlier.
Global teams I’m working with are seeing a 10% rise year on year in the number of assets needed by channels & placements.
So if you’re running an in-house studio, AI ad automation sounds great, but before you blow your budget (and patience), stop and ask these three brutally honest questions.
Are you playing the volume game or the complexity game?
Volume? You need banners. Lots. Now. No frills.
Tools: Creatopy, Bannerflow, AdCreative.ai
Complexity? Your ads talk back, dance, and do cartwheels (personalized, interactive).
Tools: Celtra, Smartly.io, Storyteq
Does this thing need to plug into everything else you own?
Yes, we're enterprise as hell. API-first solutions only.
Tool: Adobe Firefly (API-driven)
Nope, just keep it simple. User-friendly, stand-alone apps work.
Tools: Creatopy, Bannerflow
How paranoid are you about brand governance?
Very. We’re control freaks. Tight workflows, iron-clad approvals.
Tools: Celtra, Smartly.io, Adobe Firefly
Not much. We're fast, scrappy, agile. Flexible and easy templates.
Tools: Creatopy, AdCreative.ai
Basically all the software vendors & tools will claim to be a magic bullet, but the truth is going to be based on your needs - and these three questions are a good starting point.
There’s lots more detail in the deep research report we’ve compiled – join the conversation over on LinkedIn if you’d like to see it. We’d love to hear your experience too!
