AI Will Run Your Ads. Meta/Google/Tiktok Will Spend Your Budget. But Only Creativity Will Make You Profitable.

Juan Pablo Camacho
2 days ago
2 min read

Is the future of creativity in marketing at risk?

Recent comments from Mark Zuckerberg have reignited a hot debate in the marketing world (If you dont have time here is a resume of the interview:https://www.theverge.com/meta/659506/mark-zuckerberg-ai-facebook-ads). With platforms like Google and Meta pushing toward fully automated advertising—where you connect your bank account, upload a few assets, and let AI handle everything—many marketers fear the death of creativity. But is it really the end of creative strategy, or just the start of a new era?

What’s really happening with platforms like Google and Meta?

Platforms like Google’s Performance Max (PMax) campaigns and Meta’s Advantage+ suite are shifting the paradigm. These tools rely on AI to optimize ads across all placements automatically. They test, measure, and improve in real time. And guess what? They often deliver outstanding results.

In one of my own campaigns for a product I sell, the best cost-per-lead and lead quality came from a PMax campaign using generic images and basic copy—with no brand logo or visual storytelling. That’s right: the platform figured out the rest.

Should marketers be worried about this shift?

This shift isn’t in the future—it’s already happening. But rather than fearing it, we should adapt and evolve. Because while performance platforms are great at finding the most efficient conversion paths, they don’t build brands.

What do performance-driven platforms lack?

They lack soul. A brand is not just paid acquisition. A brand is:

Reputation (think: reviews and social proof)
Retention (delivering great customer experience)
Product quality and differentiation
Community and word-of-mouth
Organic positioning and visibility across the web

The race to optimize performance is becoming a race to the bottom. The brand that truly stands out will not just spend the most—it will resonate the most.

So what’s the future of creativity in the age of AI-driven performance?

The best-performing brands will blend both worlds:

Performance marketing to drive scale and test what converts
Non-paid growth strategies to build long-term equity and loyalty
Creative branding to differentiate in a world of sameness

Now, more than ever, your brand voice, story, and emotional value will define your competitive edge. AI may win the bidding war—but it’s creativity that builds memory.

What about SEO? Is it still relevant in 2025?

Absolutely. But it’s evolving. SEO is no longer just Search Engine Optimization—it’s Search Everywhere Optimization. People now search across:

Google
AI tools (like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini)
Retail platforms
Review aggregators
Social media
Comparison websites

Being visible across all these environments is the new SEO. And it takes both content strategy and brand reputation to win in this space.

What’s the key takeaway for marketers and agencies?

Don’t panic. The rise of AI-driven ad platforms doesn’t kill creativity—it makes it more important. Agencies and marketers who lean into creative differentiation, multi-platform visibility, and brand-led storytelling will thrive.

The platforms will handle optimization. Your job is to make the message unforgettable.

GROWTH