Summary of "You’re Not Ready for the Next Phase of Facebook Ads (After Andromeda)"

Summary: “You’re Not Ready for the Next Phase of Facebook Ads (After Andromeda)”

This video outlines the fundamental shifts in Facebook Ads following Meta’s Andromeda AI-centric update. The presenter emphasizes that most advertisers are unprepared for these changes and offers actionable strategies aligned with current successful practices observed in top brands.

Key Business-Specific Insights

1. More Ads and Iterations, Not Less

Contrary to popular advice post-Andromeda to reduce ad volume and focus only on new concepts, data from major brands shows the opposite:

Athletic Greens: ~5,000 active ads currently vs. ~600 a year ago; 720 new ads launched in last 14 days.
Nike: ~19,000 active ads now vs. ~1,700 a year ago; nearly 3,000 new ads in last 14 days.
Talentless (smaller ~$10-20M brand): ~947 active ads vs. ~70 a year ago; 100 new ads in last 14 days.

Recommendation: Double down on multiple, big iterations of proven concepts rather than limiting to fewer ads or only new ideas.

Rationale: Large brands prioritize profit and would reduce ads if fewer ads worked better, but trends show increased ad volume post-Andromeda.

2. Creative is the New Targeting

Traditional audience targeting is less effective; the creative itself acts as the main targeting mechanism.

Brands must:

Develop multiple distinct ad concepts to appeal to different audience segments.
Use iterations within concepts (e.g., different models, headlines, product images) rather than superficial tweaks.
Example: Talentless uses staple concepts (e.g., model with bold text) with many iterations plus UGC videos to reach varied audiences.

Actionable Framework:

Identify core successful concepts.
Create meaningful iterations (changing models, products, headlines).
Introduce new concepts to expand audience reach.

3. Spend Equals Performance (Don’t Kill Ads Too Early)

High-spend ads that may not have the lowest CPA can be supportive and essential to the campaign ecosystem.

Example case:

One ad spent $14,000 at $45 CPA (average CPA $43).
Pausing this ad caused campaign performance to tank for several days.

These ads often serve as introduction ads (first impressions), helping Facebook’s algorithm allocate budget efficiently.

Recommendation:

Keep high-spending ads running if they meet target CPA/ROAS.
Use secondary metrics like click-through rate (CTR), CPC, and engagement to identify if any ads are overspending without converting.
Avoid pausing supportive ads prematurely.

4. Creative Flywheel Process

Implement a disciplined creative production cycle to maintain a steady pipeline of ads.

Recommended Flywheel:

One-week cycle:
- Every Monday, create 1 “home run” ad (inspired by competitor or platform trends).
- Create 5 iterations based on best-performing ads in your account (using incremental attribution and cost per incremental purchase).
Launch ads, wait 7-14 days to analyze performance.
Repeat cycle continuously.

This process balances innovation with iteration and sustains long-term ad performance.

5. Flexible Ads for Managing Iterations

Andromeda favors unique concepts rather than many similar ads, causing delivery issues for minor variations.

Flexible Ads allow grouping very similar ads (e.g., same model/product but different headlines or minor tweaks) into one ad unit.

Facebook treats these grouped ads as a single unit, optimizing spend collectively rather than competing internally.
Trade-off: You lose granular visibility into which minor iteration performs best, but gain overall better delivery and CPA.
This approach fits Andromeda’s AI-driven delivery logic and is currently in alpha testing.

Frameworks and Processes Highlighted

Creative Flywheel: Weekly cycle of 1 home run + 5 iterations, with 7-14 day evaluation windows.
Performance Evaluation: Use incremental attribution and secondary metrics (CTR, CPC, engagement) alongside CPA/ROAS.
Ad Portfolio Strategy: Maintain a large, diverse set of ads with meaningful iterations, balancing new concepts and proven winners.
Flexible Ads Usage: Group similar ads to improve delivery under AI-driven ad serving.

Key Metrics & KPIs

Active ads count:
- Nike ~19,000
- Athletic Greens ~5,000
- Talentless ~947
New ads launched in last 14 days:
- Nike ~3,000
- Athletic Greens ~720
- Talentless ~100
Cost per acquisition (CPA) examples: $30-$45 range in case studies.
Spend distribution: single ad accounting for 50%+ of campaign spend.
Click-through rate benchmarks:
- Account average ~1.56%
- Top ads ~2%+

Actionable Recommendations

Increase ad volume with meaningful, large-scale iterations rather than limiting ad sets.
Treat creative as a primary targeting tool—diversify concepts to reach new audiences.
Avoid prematurely pausing high-spend ads; monitor secondary metrics to avoid overspending.
Implement a structured creative flywheel with regular cycles of home runs and iterations.
Use flexible ads to group similar iterations and improve delivery under Andromeda.

Presenters / Source

The video is presented by a Facebook Ads expert (name not explicitly stated in subtitles) who references real-world data from brands like Athletic Greens, Nike, and Talentless. The presenter also promotes their service at moonlighters.com for professional ad account management.

This summary captures the strategic, operational, and tactical shifts necessary for advertisers to succeed with Facebook Ads in the post-Andromeda AI era.