What will your paid media teams look like in a future when AI has transformed both the ad industry and our lives as a whole? Molly Rajanathan and Kirsty Martin asked Meta’s UK Agency Advisory Group of agencies to imagine - so we can all prepare.
This is their combined vision…
We are standing at the threshold of a new era in paid media, faced with unprecedented new opportunities. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming not just our industry but the way human beings create, learn and consume - and it's imperative that agencies adapt and evolve. As Paid Social media leaders we have come together to envision a future where our teams have already adapted to this new landscape.
Strategic partners and client trust
In a world where AI is now central to campaign optimisation, clients are gaining competitive advantage through their creative, their signal strength and their approach to experimentation. Our roles have evolved from mere activation for clients to strategic partnerships with them.
Agencies provide deeper insights and expertise on complex technical projects such as the integration and optimisation of server-to-server signal integrations, partnerships with creators and long-term brand building or headroom analysis for our performance activity.
Creative reporting and optimisation
Creative reporting and optimisation are now even more critical components of our work - it’s a major shift. Meta advises that “creative is the new targeting” and that excelling in this field is what will set clients apart in their performance in the age of AI.
We have developed new approaches to creative diversification in an AI-driven world that allow us to connect brands to more incremental opportunities, optimise creative assets for maximum impact, and leverage AI-powered tools such as Meta's Advantage+ Creative to drive further performance gains and extend our creative efforts.
As AI becomes more pervasive, we also address the issue of homogeny in AI-generated content in conversation with our partners. We work in collaboration to strike a balance between the capabilities of AI and the unique value of human creativity. Our teams recognise the limitations of AI and identify opportunities where human intuition and creativity can add value.
Practical training and collaboration
To succeed in this new era, paid media teams prioritise even stronger collaboration with key partners across the industry. We engage our platform partners to provide hands-on, advanced learning experiences, equipping our staff with the skills to excel in an AI-driven environment.
We foster closer collaboration not only between our teams, but also with our creative agency partners, measurement teams, and strategy departments. By working together, we unlock new opportunities for growth and innovation. Our teams are empowered to experiment and innovate, driving growth and success for our clients.
Specialisation and expertise
As AI becomes increasingly prevalent, we recognise the need for specialisation within our teams. Our teams are focused on developing expertise in areas such as statistical analysis, data modelling, and creative optimisation together with our L&D teams and platform partners. Our teams are constantly evolving to think critically, making informed decisions about when and how to leverage AI to drive results.
Agility and adaptability
One of our industry’s greatest strengths is its agility. We continue to embrace this spirit, adapting quickly to changes in the market and capitalising on emerging trends. Meta's recent improvements to its Consumer insights tools has been a game-changer in allowing paid social and planning teams to capitalise on cultural trends more quickly. Our teams are empowered to experiment and innovate, driving growth and success for our clients.
Education and confidence
The close collaboration with partners such as Meta and other leaders in the AI space create opportunities for agencies to also educate our clients about the benefits and limitations of AI, increasing their confidence in our ability to drive results. Our teams are trained to communicate effectively, ensuring that our clients understand the role of AI in their marketing strategies.
To conclude…
Our vision for the future of paid media teams in the age of AI is already a reality today.
Paid Social sits at the forefront of this new era, and our teams thrive in this environment. We continue to drive success for our clients, leveraging the power of AI to achieve outstanding results.
As we look to the future, we recognise there will be new challenges and opportunities arising from the continued development of AI. We are committed to staying ahead of the curve, investing in ongoing training and education for our teams, and fostering even closer collaboration with our partners and clients.
Together, we will navigate the ever-changing landscape of paid media, always focused on delivering exceptional results for our clients.
Meta’s UK Agency Advisory Group is a group of director-level agency leaders set up in 2021. The 2024 board consisted of 39 members across both network and independent agencies spread across the UK.
This Open Letter to the industry was authored by Molly Rajanathan, Agency Partner, and Kirsty Martin, Agency Solutions Manager, at Meta with specific inputs from 11 member agencies.