Due to algorithm changes like Meta's "Andromeda," the ad creative itself dictates targeting. To effectively spend $100K on Meta, a company needs a constant stream of 400-500 new creatives per month to avoid plateauing and being outcompeted.

The post-Andromeda update algorithm favors ad sets with high creative volume and variety. Aim for around 20 creatives (images, carousels, videos) to enable personalized delivery and combat ad fatigue.

The supplement brand IM8 increased its paid marketing spend from $17M to $33M per quarter. Counterintuitively, its customer acquisition cost (CAC) dropped from $305 to $301, and then to $239. This efficiency at scale is attributed to a massive and constant refresh of diverse creative assets, which continually provides new winning signals for Meta's algorithm.

Agencies are optimized for efficiency, stifling the creative experimentation needed for platforms like Meta. Top-performing brands employ an in-house strategist whose sole job is generating a high volume of diverse, "wacky" ad concepts—a function that can't be effectively outsourced.

While it's tempting to double down on a successful creative format, this leads to rising acquisition costs. The algorithm requires diversity. Constantly creating net-new, varied, and even "weird" ideas across different ages, genders, and settings is essential for sustained performance.

Changing creative agencies frequently resets brand momentum and knowledge. Consistent, long-term relationships build trust, deep business understanding, and a creative shorthand. This allows conversations to shift from foundational debates to building on shared knowledge, leading to more effective and efficient work over time.

Creative is no longer just a department; it's a core operational supply chain. This requires managing multiple, parallel production tracks—from internal designers, customer UGC, and paid creators to AI-generated assets—that all feed into the media buying engine for continuous testing.

IM8 spends over $300k daily on Meta by focusing on a massive creative pipeline (testing 500-800 creators weekly) rather than complex ad-buying tactics. They view modern ad platforms as handling the targeting, making creative diversity the primary lever for growth and efficiency.

With Meta's Andromeda algorithm automating audience targeting, the primary reason for poor ad performance is no longer incorrect targeting settings. Wasted money is now almost exclusively a result of insufficient or non-diverse creative, making creative strategy the most critical component of a successful campaign.