How we’re redefining performance creative as the engine of growth with Meta

Once upon a time, performance marketing was all about targeting. But in today’s landscape, where privacy updates and automation have rewritten the rules. The real lever for performance is creative. 

That’s the message behind this month’s episode of Brave Talk, where our lead creative strategist Isabel Villadolid sat down with Alix Sutherland, Agency Partner at Meta, and Danielle Fine, design lead at Brave Bison AdStudio, to unpack why creative is the new targeting, and what that means for brands that want to stay ahead. 

The wake-up call: why creative now drives performance 

“Creative is the biggest driver of performance today,” says Alix. “More than 50% of auction outcomes on Meta come down to creative.” 

The reason? Platforms like Meta are doing most of the targeting work for you. With tools like Advantage+ and broad targeting, algorithms find the right people automatically, meaning your ad’s creative becomes the deciding factor in whether someone stops scrolling, engages, or converts. 

“With privacy changes and platform shifts, hyper-targeting is gone,” Isabel explains in the episode. “Now, the algorithm only cares about one thing — keeping people glued to the feed. That means every ad must earn its place.” 

When your creative resonates, the system rewards you — cheaper CPMs, higher engagement, and better results. 

What great creative looks like on Meta 

What does “fit for purpose” actually mean in today’s world of performance media? 

For Alix, it’s about being native to the platform. “Creative that performs is built for where it lives,” she says. “It needs to grab attention fast, communicate clearly, and be designed with the audience and placement in mind.” 

That means ditching the one-size-fits-all approach. “If you’re shooting a TV ad, make sure you’ve got someone shooting for social at the same time,” she adds. “Don’t retrofit later. Think about Reels-first, design in 9:16, and make sure your creative lives where people spend their time — because 60% of time spent on Meta is now video.” 

It’s not about more ads, it’s about smarter variety 

“Diversification gets oversimplified,” says Dannie. “People think it just means ‘more ads, more edits,’ but it’s really about variation with intention.” 

Meta’s data shows that advertisers running 20+ creatives per campaign see stronger results, but not because of volume alone. As Alix explains, “It’s about giving the algorithm enough creative signals to learn faster. Variety feeds performance.” 

In practice, smart diversification means, testing different hooks, visuals, and messages, designing for different audience personas and preferences, and mixing social-first elements (like captions or pop-ups) with brand identity. 

“It’s not duplication — it’s adaptation,” says Isabel. “It’s about keeping the soul of your idea but flexing the story to fit where it lives.” 

When brands don’t diversify, creative fatigue sets in fast. As audiences see the same asset again and again, conversion rates plummet. “Creative variety isn’t just nice to have — it’s the antidote to burnout,” says Alix. 

The design lens: building at scale without losing soul 

As campaigns demand more assets, design teams are feeling the pressure to deliver speed and quality. Dannie says the key is building a system, not just assets. 

“At Meta we talk about balancing volume, velocity, and variety,” Alix explains. “If you build smart frameworks upfront — say, one video concept with three different hooks — you can unlock multiple assets without reinventing the wheel.” 

Empowering designers through process means creativity doesn’t get lost in the rush. “It’s not about slowing down to be perfect,” says Dannie. “It’s about focusing energy where it counts.” 

That’s also where Brave Bison’s AudienceGPT tool comes in. By combining audience data and creative insight, teams can test how different personas might respond before an ad goes live. “Pre-flight testing with AudienceGPT helps us design with intention,” says Dannie. “It lets us validate creative against real audience signals early.” 

Data without killing creativity 

A recurring fear among marketers is that data will stifle originality. But as Isabel notes, “Data isn’t the enemy of creativity — it’s the brief that keeps evolving.” 

For Alix and Dannie, the future isn’t data versus design, but data with design. “When creative and data teams work together from the start, it doesn’t limit you — it gives you confidence to take braver risks,” says Dannie. 

The feedback loop between performance data and creative execution is what fuels better work. “Data feeds creativity, and creativity feeds data,” says Isabel. “Testing fast and learning fast gives you more freedom to play and that’s what drives long-term success.” 

Brand and performance are no longer separate worlds 

One of the biggest mindset shifts discussed in the episode is the end of the “brand vs. performance” divide. 

Many brands still separate storytelling from selling, but that’s a mistake, Alix argues. “Performance and brand aren’t two different types of creative — they’re two sides of the same experience.” 

For Dannie, the design challenge is to build for both horizons — short-term action and long-term memory. “Every piece should deliver something immediate and something lasting,” she says. “Design for the now and the next.” 

Creative agility and human curiosity 

If creative is now the strategy, what comes next? 

According to both guests, the next era of performance will be defined by creative agility: the ability to pivot quickly, iterate rapidly, and keep the human story alive amid automation and AI. 

“AI will make us faster,” says Isabel. “But curiosity, adaptability, and authenticity will keep us relevant.” 

As Alix puts it, “The brands that win aren’t the ones that predict what’s next — they’re the ones ready to evolve with it.” 

The takeaway 

Creative isn’t just part of your media plan anymore. It is the media plan. From smart diversification to audience-led design to AI-enabled testing, the future of performance belongs to teams that treat creativity as strategy, not decoration. 

Listen to the full episode of Brave Talk here or if you prefer to watch, catch up here.

Download our whitepaper Creative is the New Targeting for more insights into the future of performance creative.