Marketing Operators – "What We’re Putting Into Motion: Evolving Creative Strategy for Meta’s Andromeda Era" (Bonus Episode)

Release Date: November 13, 2025
Hosts: Connor Rolain, Connor MacDonald, (joined later by Cody Plofker)
Special Guest: Kathy Sun, VP of E-Commerce at Applovin

Episode Theme & Purpose

This bonus episode dives deep into how creative strategy is evolving for paid social advertising—especially in response to Meta's "Andromeda" update and the broader creator-driven landscape. The hosts examine what this means for DTC brands at a practical and strategic level, discuss how brands and marketers should approach content diversity, and provide firsthand lessons from testing new advertising platforms such as Applovin’s Axon. The latter half features guest Kathy Sun, who offers insights into Axon’s model, creative best practices, and how smaller brands can leverage emerging ad units for growth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Andromeda Era" of Meta Ads (00:00–19:28)

• Intro to Andromeda
  • Meta's new internal engine, Andromeda, represents a significant shift to more advanced ad matching using AI, referencing Greek mythological naming conventions. (00:06–06:49)
  • There is confusion in the DTC space—some blame poor performance on Andromeda, but economic headwinds are also critical.

    "Is it Andromeda, or do people just have less money right now?" (B, 00:09)

• Adapting Creative Strategy
  • Andromeda algorithmically surfaces ads from larger, more diverse creative catalogs. It's no longer enough to make small tweaks; brands need truly differentiated content. (11:48–15:55)
  • Meta will "bucket" similar ads (minor headline/image changes) together, so only substantively different creatives reach new audiences.

    "I'm like, if we're gonna change the image, let's change it more different." (A, 15:55)

  • Success now hinges on both the volume and real diversity of creative.

2. Measurement & Economic Context

• Brands' Struggles Go Beyond Ad Tech:
  • Wider economic downturn (consumer sentiment, SNAP benefit suspensions) is impacting DTC sales; many brands overlook this, blaming ad platform changes instead. (07:43–10:21)

    "Chipotle ... blaming [sales declines] on consumers not spending. ... E-Commerce is only 30% right now ... the overlap between that online buyer and [fast-casual] restaurants is strong." (B, 09:34)

• Sorry, You Can't Out-Optimize the Economy:
  • Brands shouldn't scapegoat agencies or teams for macro conditions.

3. What Does "Creative Diversity" Actually Mean?

• From Ad-First to Content-First:
  • Shift from thinking "what ads does the product need?" to "what content does my target audience consume on the platform?" (18:05–18:27)

    "Maybe the best practice was ... shifting to what is social, what is organic content people are consuming in that demo?" (A, 18:05)

  • Creatives should borrow from meme, news headline, and authentic user-generated styles—not just high-polish direct-response or UGC. (17:35–18:27)

    "We should be thinking ... what are people consuming? ... Headlines, memes, news articles, UGC—these are all very different and valid ad styles." (B, 17:50)

4. The Creator Era & Team Structure (30:23–35:36)

• Creator-First Content is Winning
  • UGC agencies churning out formulaic DR videos are losing ground to true creators and organic native content.

    "We're just, we're in the creator era ... brands are not uniquely positioned to succeed." (A, 30:47)

  • Brands either need to build creator engines (in-house or through partnerships) or work with creators who genuinely understand the platform DNA.

    "We need to either be good at making content or work with people that are good at it." (A, 14)

• Creative Strategy Hiring
  • Ridge is hiring a Director of Social with a performance bent—preferably a creator themselves. (31:54–33:43)

    "The team knows how to create content ... taking that knowledge and putting it through, 'hey, now we need content that generates intent', is a much easier gap to bridge." (B, 34:43)

  • Discussion about whether to hire a full-time creator vs. distributing content creation across many freelancers for greater diversity. (49:18–50:52)

5. Creator Collaboration & Testing Workflows (39:59–46:54)

• Volume and Speed Matter:
  • Successful brands are working at unprecedented volume, using Discords and Whatsapps to tap hundreds of TikTok Shop creators for low-lift, high-velocity content. (43:03–44:32)

    "You can get a lot of content very cheap ... we didn't brief it, we didn't script it, we didn't edit it. We got content and put it up." (A, 43:31)

• Testing Frameworks:
  • Some are hiring creators as creative strategists for specific audience personas. (46:42)
  • Repurposing winning TikTok Shop content for paid Meta/Instagram is a practical workflow.

6. Platform Spotlight: Applovin Axon (54:14–85:35)

Segment begins w/ guest Kathy Sun at [54:14]

• What Is Axon?
  • Applovin's self-serve platform enables brands to run longform video ads (avg. 35s) inside mobile games. Ads are immersive, with the format consisting of a video, interactive minigame, and dynamic product carousel (DPA). (54:14–57:14)

    "You're ... playing a game ... then there's a longish ad ... You feel like, OK, there was an actual value exchange." (C, 54:59–57:18)

• Why Is It So Effective?
  • Locked-in audiences are rewarded for watching, leading to high engagement and purchase uptake—a stark contrast to skippable social feeds. (62:34–64:55)

    "CPMs are higher than Meta, but the watch time is so much longer ... cost per 5 seconds watched, it's like a 60% cheaper on Applovin." (B, 62:34)

• Creative Best Practices on Axon:
  • Upload as much creative as possible to avoid frequency on same ads and unlock new audiences.

    "We told them hey, just put more videos in here ... their revenue within a month jumped from 12k to 130k." (C, 72:03)

  • Longer videos (30–60s+), captions (key for sound-off placements), diverse concepts, and optimized end-cards/minigames drive performance. (82:11–85:30)

    "Every single video should have captions because the sound is off ... try concepts that are truly different." (C, 82:11)

  • "Creative really is the targeting" on Axon and Meta—diversity is essential to unlock scale. (80:44)
• Self-Serve Democratizing Access for Small Brands
  • Even two-person brands can scale quickly with the right creative volume/diversity via Axon. (67:35–73:19)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the economy vs. blaming Andromeda:

  "Stop blaming Andromeda. It's the government shutdown." (A, paraphrasing Barry Hot at 08:29)

• On the For You Feed impact:

  "It's democratized it a little bit ... you could start an account today and go viral if you have the right post." (A, 25:24)

• On creative diversity:

  "It's almost like we're thinking ad first ... that can be overwhelming. So we're now thinking more: what are people consuming?" (B, 17:35)

• On creator-driven hiring:

  "Media buyers trying to become content strategists ... I think the more natural progression is someone who's already creating content." (B, 34:43)

• On workflow evolution:

  "You can get a lot of content very cheap ... we didn't brief it, we didn't script it, we didn't edit it. We got content and we put it up." (A, 43:31)

• On targeting on new platforms:

  "Creative really is the targeting." (C, 80:44)

• On small brands finding breakthrough:

  "Their revenue in within ... a month jumped from 12k to 130k. Today we make up 70% of their revenue." (C, 72:03)

• On measuring incrementality vs. new customers:

  "Spending money on retention ... can be incremental. Best case scenario, you validated it at different levels." (B, 78:33)

Important Timestamps & Segments

• 00:00–06:49 — Andromeda, The Apocalypse, and DTC Twitter buzz
• 07:43–10:21 — Economic conditions vs. platform changes, Chipotle as consumer indicator
• 11:48–18:05 — Explaining Andromeda, creative diversity, platform bucketing, practical takeaways
• 19:28–30:47 — Organic vs. paid social overlap, performance content mindset, and creator distribution
• 30:47–35:36 — Creator-driven team structure; team roles at Ridge
• 39:59–46:54 — Workflow: hiring creators, Discord/WhatsApp content networks, persona-based strategy
• 54:14–85:35 — Interview with Kathy Sun (AppLovin):
  • [54:14] — Intro to Axon and demo of ad units in mobile games
  • [62:34] — Why unique ad units work: high watch times, gaming context
  • [67:35] — Who wins on Axon/self-serve, creative requirements
  • [70:47] — Importance of creative diversity on performance and scale
  • [82:11] — Best practices: captions, length, creative diversity, end cards

Actionable Takeaways

• On Meta:
  • Focus on content that’s truly distinct—not minor iterations. Meta’s AI will group “near-duplicates.”
  • Creative diversity isn’t about just volume; format, emotional hook, and content type matter.
  • Brands must think like creators, not editors—consider hiring creators as strategists.
• On workflow:
  • Speed and low-touch testing (using networks of small creators without heavy approvals) is key to high-velocity creative iteration.
• On new platforms (AppLovin Axon):
  • Prepare a large variety of 9x16 videos and end cards; the ad experience is immersive and requires longer attention.
  • Even small, agile brands can scale quickly on emerging platforms.
  • Prioritize measurable incrementality, but recognize the value in repeat/retention-driven returns, especially on newer platforms.

Final Thoughts

This episode shines a light on the post-Andromeda era of paid social, where success is increasingly determined not just by media buying but by a brand's ability to create—and operationalize—content that is both diverse and truly native to platforms and audiences. The expert panel’s blend of candid strategy talk and practical lessons, coupled with a deep dive into cutting-edge ad platforms, makes this a must-listen (or must-read) for marketers seeking to stay ahead of the curve as the creator economy and ad tech landscape continue to evolve.