3 Myths to Let Go of Before Testing Your Holiday Ad Creative

With eight short weeks between day one of Q4 and Black Friday, marketers have zero time for ads that don’t perform. To hit their numbers this holiday season, they have to know for sure if their ads are driving conversions. And they have to know it now.

The good news is that a new way of thinking about how to build and test ad creative is emerging: modularity. This new approach leans into the scientific method rather than artistic subjectivity. It requires a shift in mindset and process that innovative marketers are embracing. And they’re reaping the rewards.

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The idea of Holiday Ad Creative is to create assets by category, then build ads using every possible combination of those assets. This allows marketers to isolate each variable in testing. Headlines, for example, can be broken down into product features, reviews, and emotional benefits. Images can be categorized into product-only, product in setting, and product-in-use by a model. Every design element, from backgrounds to calls to action, can be categorized in this way and then combined to create an exponential number of ads. This multivariate approach is a true numbers game. And it allows marketers to understand not only which ads worked best, but also which elements of those ads drove the greatest conversions for each audience — learnings they can use to test even smarter in the next round.

This new approach highlights the inherent flaws in traditional approaches to ad creation. Here are three myths — all busted wide open with modularity — you can throw out the window when testing your holiday ad creative this year.

Myth #1: A holiday-themed photo shoot is a must.

Many retailers spend loads of time, money, and effort producing a festive photo shoot. But modular thinking tells us that layering evergreen product photography with seasonal design elements makes for better testing. Isolating the variables helps us pinpoint the ads and individual elements that convert.

Myth #2: Discounts are the only way to convert.

There’s no doubt that special offers are a great way to drive a purchase. But they’re not necessarily the best way. Modularity lets you test discounts against other messages — testimonials, reviews, product benefits — to see what wins. Sure, discounts will win out with certain audiences. But the power of a well-written five-star product review might surprise you.

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Myth #3: If an ad fails, you have to scrap it.

Traditionally, an ad that doesn’t perform sends marketers back to the drawing board to come up with wholly net-new ideas. But in reality, just one piece of that ad might have been the element dragging down performance. Modular design allows you to know exactly which elements convert and which do not. Finding a winning ad becomes a matter of finding the best-performing combination of creative elements.

Bring on Black Friday.

Modular ad creation inherently decreases the risk of testing — the greater the number of tested units, the more likely you are to find winners. It also arms marketers with micro-level insights about which parts of a particular ad worked. With this approach on your side this holiday shopping season, don’t be afraid to toy around.

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[To share your insights with us, please write to sghosh@martechseries.com]