DTC Podcast Summary: Bonus Episode Featuring Meta’s Garrick Tiplady & Kitsch’s Yingying Kuang on Scaling Creative and Media Buying with AI

Release Date: June 4, 2025
Hosts: DTC Newsletter and Podcast Team
Guests: Garrick Tiplady (VP, Global Mid-Market Advertising Sales at Meta) & Yingying Kuang (Head of E-Commerce Growth at Kitsch)

Introduction

In this bonus episode of the DTC Podcast, host Eric Dick engages in a deep dive with Garrick Tiplady from Meta and Yingying Kwong from Kitsch. The discussion centers around the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing, particularly focusing on creative scaling and media buying strategies.

AI: Ushering in a New Era of Creativity

Garrick Tiplady opens the conversation by emphasizing the pivotal role AI plays in enhancing creativity within advertising.

"AI in our view, is actually spurring basically a new era of creativity. ... We're actually seeing a 7% increase in conversion with those businesses using just this one feature."
[00:00]

He highlights a significant uptick in the adoption of GenAI creative features among advertisers, noting a 30% increase from Q4 to Q1. This surge is attributed to the tangible results seen through tools like image generation, which not only streamline creative processes but also boost conversion rates.

Yingying Kwong echoes this sentiment, sharing her positive experiences with AI tools at Kitsch. She points out the efficiency gains and the enhanced ability to focus on creative diversification rather than manual media buying tasks.

"AI has made my life easier. ... It really takes that guesswork out of the process in terms of media buying."
[06:20]

Balancing AI and Human Talent in Media Buying

The conversation delves into the perceived tension between AI automation and human expertise in media buying. Garrick Tiplady reassures that AI is not a replacement but a catalyst for shifting focus toward more creative and strategic endeavors.

"Creative is actually the new targeting. ... We're actually seeing agencies use AI in a way that is generally aligned to this."
[04:13]

Yingying Kwong adds that AI tools alleviate the burden of repetitive tasks, allowing marketers to concentrate on understanding and engaging their audience more effectively.

"I don't think AI is going to be here to take our job or to replace us. I honestly think it's going to make our life easier."
[06:20]

Creative Strategy: Messaging as Targeting

Eric Dick steers the discussion towards the innovative approach of treating creative messaging as a new form of targeting. This strategy leverages diverse and customer-centric creative content to reach varied customer segments without the need for extensive manual targeting.

Yingying Kwong shares Kitsch’s strategy of leveraging customer feedback to inform creative development. By focusing on product benefits and addressing common customer queries, Kitsch ensures their ads resonate deeply with different audience cohorts.

"We have one top performing ad ... 'Shampoo, but better' ... targets a large range of customers."
[08:43]

Meta’s Value Framework: Automation and Incrementality

Garrick Tiplady elaborates on Meta's Value Framework, which intertwines automation with value-driven objectives. Automation facilitates the discovery of new audiences and optimizes campaign strategies, while the value component ensures that campaigns align with specific business goals like margin optimization and lifetime value (LTV).

"AI helps advertisers personalize their campaigns at a customer level, at scale. And then value gives advertisers control to really guide our AI to optimize what they really care about."
[14:33]

This framework aims to enhance the effectiveness of advertising spend by focusing on incrementality—ensuring that each ad contributes to outcomes that wouldn’t have occurred otherwise. Garrick cites research indicating that relying solely on last-click attribution can lead to approximately 35% of ad spend being wasted on non-incremental sales.

Scaling Creative with AI: Practical Applications at Kitsch

Yingying Kwong discusses how Kitsch leverages AI to scale their creative production, mentioning the deployment of 80 to 100 creatives weekly. AI assists in generating copy variations and video content, significantly reducing the time and resources required for these tasks.

"We launched our first batch of creative that's fully generated by AI last week. ... AI helps us produce a lot different and better creative."
[22:32]

This extensive use of AI not only boosts creative volume but also maintains high-quality standards, allowing for rapid iteration and optimization.

Q4 Strategies: Preparing for the Holiday Season

As Q4 approaches, both guests share their strategies for maximizing holiday sales through AI and creative optimization.

Yingying Kwong emphasizes the importance of ongoing testing and leveraging proven creative strategies with holiday-specific messaging. This approach ensures that Kitsch’s campaigns are well-prepared and effective during peak seasons.

"Let's go back to our tried and true creative things that are working. ... create offers with those creatives that are already working."
[32:13]

Garrick Tiplady advises advertisers to integrate AI tools early, allowing ample time for testing and optimization ahead of the crucial holiday period. He also highlights the significance of partnering with creators to amplify reach and engagement.

"Start integrating that into your campaigns now. ... partner with creators ... 53% of people are more likely to purchase an item if it's been promoted by a creator on Meta."
[34:19]

Creator Partnerships: Enhancing Reach and Authenticity

The discussion turns to the role of creators in Meta’s advertising ecosystem. Yingying Kwong shares Kitsch’s success with partnership ads, noting a 15-25% improvement in ROAS through collaborations with genuine brand advocates.

"We have seen 15 to 25% better ROAS on some of these partnership ads. ... it unlocks a different set of audience."
[36:16]

She advises brands to select creators who genuinely love and use their products, ensuring authentic and effective promotion.

"Finding the creator that genuinely loves your brand ... they can really create really good content with it."
[36:55]

Advice for Media Buyers: Mastering the Craft with Meta’s Tools

In their closing remarks, both guests offer valuable insights for media buyers aiming to excel in the evolving landscape.

Yingying Kwong emphasizes the importance of being customer-centric—listening to customer feedback and using it to guide creative development.

"Listen to your customers ... Being customer centric, I think it's more important as a media buyer and marketer than ever these days."
[38:25]

Garrick Tiplady adds that embracing diversity in creative is crucial for reaching varied audience segments effectively.

"Lean into diversity of creative. ... make sure you lean in."
[39:36]

Future of AI in Advertising: What to Expect from Meta

When asked about the future trajectory of AI tools at Meta, Garrick Tiplady remains optimistic yet cautious, emphasizing that AI advancements will continue to center around enhancing advertiser and consumer experiences. He underscores the ongoing commitment to bridging business objectives with consumer connections.

"Our advertisers and the consumers who use our platform will be at the core of everything we do."
[40:02]

Closing Thoughts

The episode concludes with a reflection on the symbiotic relationship between technology and human creativity. Both Garrick and Yingying agree that while AI tools significantly enhance marketing capabilities, the essence of effective advertising remains rooted in understanding and addressing human needs.

"AI makes us even more human ... it's about listening to other humans and solving their problems."
[39:07]

Host Eric Dick wraps up by expressing enthusiasm for the ongoing advancements and the collaborative efforts between platforms like Meta and innovative brands like Kitsch.

Key Takeaways

1. AI as a Creative Catalyst: AI tools are not replacing human talent but empowering marketers to focus on creativity and strategy by automating repetitive tasks.
2. Creative as Targeting: Effective creative messaging serves as a new form of audience targeting, enabling brands to connect with diverse customer segments through tailored content.
3. Value Framework and Incrementality: Meta’s focus on aligning AI-driven automation with specific business goals ensures that advertising efforts contribute to genuine, incremental growth.
4. Scaling with AI: Brands like Kitsch leverage AI to scale their creative output efficiently, maintaining high quality and fostering rapid iteration.
5. Holiday Preparedness: Early integration and testing of AI and creative strategies are crucial for maximizing Q4 performance.
6. Authentic Creator Partnerships: Collaborating with genuine brand advocates enhances reach and authenticity, leading to improved ROAS.
7. Customer-Centric Approaches: Listening to and incorporating customer feedback is essential for developing resonant and effective marketing campaigns.

This episode offers invaluable insights for DTC marketers and media buyers seeking to navigate the intersection of AI and creative advertising. By embracing AI tools and maintaining a steadfast focus on customer needs, brands can scale effectively and achieve sustained growth in an ever-evolving digital landscape.