Understanding the Importance of Creative Strategy in Media Buying: Lessons from a Growing Skincare Brand

As marketing professionals, we often encounter the challenge of scaling our teams while maintaining effective strategies. Recently, I faced a situation that highlighted a critical gap in media buying – the ability to analyze and understand creative strategy, beyond technical know-how.

Overview of the Situation

I manage marketing for a skincare brand that has achieved solid growth and volume. Due to expanding account responsibilities, I onboarded two junior media buyers to support our efforts. These new team members are technically proficient, well-versed in campaign structure, bidding strategies, and the basics of ad platform functionalities. However, when it comes to evaluating competitor ads and deciphering what makes them effective, they tend to struggle.

The Challenge: Beyond Technical Skills

Their responses to analyzing ads are superficial at best. Descriptions such as “the colors are nice” or “it has urgency” reflect a limited understanding of what constitutes compelling creative strategy. This realization prompted a deeper reflection: I hadn’t explicitly taught them how to evaluate and dissect ad creatives in terms of hooks, messaging angles, attention grabbers in the first few seconds, and emotional resonance.

The Knowledge Transfer Dilemma

Having developed an intuitive sense of these elements over years of testing and real-world experience, I now face the challenge of transferring that knowledge. Unfortunately, I find myself uncertain about where to start. Formal training options are costly, and although free resources like YouTube are valuable, they often provide broad, generic advice that doesn’t address specific creative evaluation techniques.

The Consequence: Wasted Opportunities

Our team holds a wealth of competitor research—ads and campaigns that could offer crucial insights into what works in our niche. Yet, without the ability to analyze and interpret these materials effectively, that potential remains underutilized.

Questions for Consideration

• How can organizations equip junior team members with the skills to analyze and strategize based on creative elements?
• Are there structured methods or frameworks to teach ad evaluation that are accessible and practical?
• What strategies can be implemented to accelerate learning without costly training programs?

Reflections and Next Steps

Building expertise in creative analysis is vital for media buyers to craft more effective campaigns. It requires deliberate teaching, practice, and ideally, mentorship. For teams facing similar challenges, investing time in developing a systematic approach to ad analysis can significantly enhance performance and unlock new avenues for growth.

In conclusion, technical proficiency alone isn’t enough. The ability to scrutinize and understand