The production list arrives: square, portrait and landscape images, with short headlines, long headlines and several versions of each. Those adaptations may all be necessary. The campaign needs to work wherever it appears.
As the client, you need to understand what that production buys: coverage of the placements, different ideas to explore, or both. Knowing the difference makes the proposal and its results easier to assess.
But how many different reasons for buying are explored?
- How many of the audience’s questions are addressed?
- How many assumptions can we assess from these materials?
These are questions about the creative direction, distinct from the number of exports.
Four levels worth separating
The concept is the central idea: for example, that a bag helps you organize your things for a short trip. The message expresses the chosen argument. The execution gives it a concrete form: photography, video demonstration, illustration or text. Adaptation prepares it for a format and display context.
Each level involves decisions and work. An adaptation may require repositioning elements, shorter text or a different hierarchy. Its value is explained by the use it makes possible.
What’s the difference in a campaign?
Take a fictional travel-bag brand. We can develop one idea about organization across 24 files. Or we can explore three ideas, each in four formats.
Three ideas, four formats, twelve adaptations.
Illustrative example. The conditions are explained in the article.
| Idea | 1:1 | 4:5 | 9:16 | 16:9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organization | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| Capacity | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 |
| Weekend | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4 |
Each row explores an argument, each column adapts it.
| Concept | Possible argument | What would we like to find out? |
|---|---|---|
| Organization | Each thing has its place | Does showing the compartments clearly help people choose? |
| Capacity | Everything needed for a short trip | Is volume an important criterion? |
| Use | The bag in use on a weekend away | Does seeing it in a real situation help? |
These are creative assumptions, not conclusions about the audience. We choose the arguments based on the product and the information available. We do not promise capabilities or characteristics that the product does not have.
Even the three-concept version is not automatically superior. If the idea is already established and the campaign has many placements, the adaptations may be exactly what the project needs. If we do not yet know which argument matters, a variety of concepts can be more useful.
An idea may require a lot of adaptation work
Having one concept does not make adaptation unimportant. Some formats need a finished composition; others need a photograph without text, plus separate headlines and descriptions. A vertical video may need re-editing, and a landscape image may need a different crop.
In Performance Max, variety also matters because assets can be combined across eligible inventory. We explain requirements, recommendations and Ad Strength in Size matters. So does context.
There are two questions: are these the right reasons to buy, and do we have the assets needed to communicate them properly? Both need answering before launch. Producing 24 files can be necessary work even when they express one idea; their value lies in the uses they enable.
What we compare in a test
If two materials differ only by size, we do not test two reasons for purchase. If they differ by message, photo and offer, we compare complete creative packages; we cannot automatically assign the difference to one element.
Every test therefore needs a question. “Does showing the compartments bring more relevant inquiries?” gives a clearer direction than “we need more banners.”
And the result must be interpreted in context. Different distribution, budget, period and audience can influence the comparison. Two published files do not automatically constitute a controlled experiment.
From the reason to buy to a useful comparison
A creative brief can connect four things: the person’s situation, their question, the proof we can show and the relevant action after the ad. For the bag in our example, a promise about organization can be backed by a demonstration of the compartments. For a service, we can show what the delivery includes or what a usable result looks like, without inventing a client case.
Two ideas can speak to the same person at different moments. Before buying, understanding how the product is used may matter most; after the first experience, compatibility with an accessory may become relevant. The difference in message comes from the question and the context, not from automatically assigning one psychological profile to everyone in a segment.
When we read the results, we connect the reaction to the next step. An asset can attract attention, but also people for whom the offer is a poor fit. That is why choosing a creative direction also considers the quality of the visits, inquiries or orders, as far as they can be observed. How to prepare the comparison is explained in “If we change everything, what do we learn?”
How to correctly describe production
In a proposal, we specify the number of concepts, main executions, adaptations and revisions included. We say who provides the photos, who approves the messages and what checks are needed.
This structure helps the client understand the deliverables and helps the team plan the work. It also separates a format adjustment from a request for a new creative direction.
At NOT MORE., the number of deliverables should follow from their role. We use automation and common elements where they help; we develop distinct variants when there is a question or context that justifies them.
What to ask when you get the list of materials
- How many different ideas do we explore and why?
- Where will each format be used?
- What can we learn from comparing variants?
Which ideas do your existing assets explore?
Show us the product and some of the materials you have used. We’ll discuss which arguments are already explained, where adaptations are missing and which direction is worth exploring before new production.