This remains true to a degree. There has, however, been a change in control, with more and more settings being removed from the campaign managers in platforms to increasingly AI-driven technology.
Creatives can be refined and performance forecasted, campaigns can be reviewed and targeting improved based on historical performance. At Charlie Oscar, we’ve seen a shift, with AI introducing a new level of efficiency for ad campaigns. Precision is out, prediction is in.
With platforms like Pattern89, Adzooma, WordStream, and Revealbot, businesses can refine creative choices, improve targeting, and make quicker adjustments based on data.
Here’s a look at how each of these platforms can help.
At Charlie Oscar, we believe creative is ultimately the lever to whether campaigns succeed. Feeding the machines with the right content at the correct cadence is what drives growth first and foremost for your business.
Pattern89 is all about data-backed creative decisions. Instead of guessing which visuals, colours, or calls-to-action will perform best, this platform examines thousands of past ad data points to find high-performing elements for specific audiences.
The platform’s main output is a set of creative recommendations. After analysing ad variations, it shows which designs, images, colours, and copy styles are likely to succeed based on trends.
For example, if previous data indicates that a particular image type leads to higher engagement in a specific audience segment, Pattern89 flags this for future use. According to Pattern89’s website, users can expect up to a 21% improvement in return on ad spend (ROAS) by following these creative recommendations.
Another valuable aspect of Pattern89 is its “creative scoring” tool. This feature scores ad elements based on their likelihood of engaging a target audience. Instead of spending time and budget on extensive A/B testing, brands can start with the highest-rated creative elements. Pattern89 gives businesses the chance to adjust their creative choices with confidence, minimising waste on ineffective designs.
As an ad buyer, this is an area that traditionally takes up the majority of our time. The goal for maximising paid media ROI here is the intelligent combination and use of AI tools to make better and faster decisions. I’m a big believer in rather than swinging harder, sharpen the axe.
Two solutions we’ve looked into, Adzooma and WordStream, offer solutions to streamline campaign tasks and improve targeting, but each platform has a distinct approach, especially when it comes to managing Google’s Smart Bidding.
Adzooma is designed to simplify campaign oversight across Google, Facebook, and Microsoft Ads. The platform provides a dashboard that shows overall performance and highlights areas for improvement. Adzooma’s AI features regularly analyses keyword performance and bid settings then recommends changes to boost ad efficiency.
The real value is in Adzooma’s cross-platform management.
The platform can identify underperforming keywords and suggest adjustments for multiple ad channels, saving businesses time on manual reviews. Automated alerts also flag issues that might need attention, so campaigns remain optimised without constant supervision.
According to Adzooma’s data, users save around 30% on management time by centralising their campaigns in one place. However, the trade-off is that Adzooma’s recommendations might be general and may not dive deeply into platform-specific details.
WordStream, on the other hand, offers more in-depth support specifically for Google Ads.
Known for its “20-Minute Work Week” tool, WordStream analyses campaigns and provides a quick list of tweaks to improve performance, this includes bid adjustments and keyword recommendations, often aligned with Google’s Smart Bidding goals. WordStream also suggests ad changes that can improve quality scores, which in turn reduces cost per click (CPC) and increases visibility.
This tool is best for businesses focused primarily on Google Ads, as it provides precise recommendations tailored to Google’s algorithms. WordStream claims that users can see conversion rates improve by up to 44% by regularly implementing its “20-Minute Work Week” suggestions.
The downside is that WordStream’s effectiveness on other platforms may not be as strong, so brands running equally heavy Facebook or Microsoft campaigns might prefer Adzooma’s cross-platform insights.
Now, it’s key to remember that you simply can not always optimise your way out of every situation. If there is something fundamentally wrong with your campaign, be it technical or creative, no degree of optimisation will save you at that point.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines optimisation as “the act of making something as good as possible”. Without something meeting a certain quality threshold in the first place, there’s only so good you can make it.
There are some tools however to make the best of your ad performance. Revealbot works as an effective real-time optimiser across Facebook, Google, and Snapchat ads.
It’s especially valuable for campaigns where rapid performance changes matter, allowing advertisers to set rules for budget adjustments, bid changes, or ad pausing based on specified conditions. The paid media team at Charlie Oscar take an incredibly hands-on approach to change in accounts, regularly making tweaks within hours to maximise key trading periods and performance trends. Revealbot can support this.
The platform is highly customisable, which is where it stands out. Users set rules, such as increasing budgets for high-performing ads or lowering bids if an ad’s click-through rate drops below a set threshold. Revealbot then adjusts campaigns based on these parameters, maintaining budget efficiency and reducing wasted spend.
According to Revealbot, this automated approach has helped users cut unnecessary ad costs by up to 15%, as the system continuously reallocates resources to the best-performing ads.
To make the most of Revealbot, it’s crucial to define clear goals. If conversions are a priority, users can set rules focused on conversion rate and cost per acquisition, while awareness campaigns might monitor reach and engagement metrics. However, setting up Revealbot requires a good understanding of campaign metrics to align rules with the brand’s objectives effectively.
Businesses without a clear focus or goal might not fully benefit from Revealbot’s flexibility.
Here’s how a retail brand running ads for a seasonal sale could benefit from these platforms:
Combining these tools allows the brand to maximise ROI across multiple platforms without overloading their team, which is key when running a lean, performance focused department and ensuring long-term buy-in to new tech.
Each platform serves a specific function, Pattern89 builds data-backed creative, Adzooma and WordStream refine bidding and targeting, and Revealbot keeps spending efficiently in real-time.
Other AI platforms are available. There’s a plethora of AI options cropping up in the media sphere, each more innovative and future-facing than the last. Reviewing and adopting the options that suit your needs or business best is the key to a complete approach to managing modern paid media.
Used intelligently together, tools like those mentioned above allow brands to cut waste, make data-backed decisions, and increase ROI with better-predicted marketing.
2025 will be the year these platforms truly embed themselves in the mainstream digital tech stack and going through a key review process to best understand synergies with your business will be key to supercharging your brand this year.
