Winning with Creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads

Building, testing, and scaling

high-performance ads
Winning
with
creative

02 Content© Singular010203050406
The state of ad creative in 2024
b Introductio1
b Why this report matters now — and
what marketers will learn

The creative advantag`
b The case for creative as a
performance driveK
b “Return on creative” as a strategic
KPI

Winning formats and
experience,
b The psychology of participatio1
b Proven strategies to integrate
playables into existing campaign:
b Real-world example:
b Innovations in UGC drive success
across categorie:
b Top tips for UGC ad:
b TikTok Ads – best practices for
success
Winning formats and
experience,
b Leaning into generative AI for
creative efficienc
b Carrying creative beyond the tap

Building smarter creative,
b Getting started with testin
b CRAFTSMAN+ Creative testing
framewor
b TikTok and Generative AI

Measurement strategies

The big takeaways

Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads

The state of
ad creative
in 2025
More formats, more data,
more pressure to perform
01

At a moment when nearly every other campaign
element is handled by automation and AI,
creative is the sole opportunity brands have to
really stand out and win audiences over.

For marketers focused on improving return on ad
spend (ROAS), scaling profitability, and building
a brand, creative optimization is essential.

So what does it take to build creative that
performs? Let’s break it down.

Great design doesn’t just help ads stand out, it
can also drive engagement, conversion, and
even build trust. Plus, if an ad’s brilliant creative
also sparks interactions, that may persuade
algorithms that it has greater value, triggering
more impressions.

And that’s the important point here:
Outstanding creative isn’t just a ‘nice-to-have.’
As targeting gets more challenging (thanks to
privacy regulations, fragmentation, and plain
old confusion), creative becomes a critical
performance lever – and the one remaining
domain where brands have control and the
power to differentiate.

Creative is the lever for growth,
not just engagementIntroduction
Ever feel like there are more ads than
organic content? Between the endless
stream of in-feed ads on social media
platforms, tacky native ads on every
news site, and absurdly long rewarded
in-app videos, it feels like ads are all we
consume today.

With so many ads clamoring for user
attention, it’s beyond critical for brands
to find a way to stand out in a messy,
noisy landscape.
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
04

This guide is intended to arm you, the marketer,
with the knowledge you need to build, test,
measure, and scale high-performing ad
creatives across formats and channels. We’ve
partnered with industry leaders including
Craftsman+,  Liftoff, Moloco, SplitMetrics, Tinuiti,
and TikTok to bring you actionable data,
insights, and real-world examples to help you
maximize the returns on your creative
campaigns.
Why this

report matters
now — and
what marketers
will learn
Ultimately, the goal is to bring in the
right customer, not just any customer.
When creative works, it does more than
convert. It teaches us what people
actually want and what’s getting in the
way of them saying yes.
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads 05

The creative
advantage
Marketing right now is a trifecta of
challenges, with signal loss, user fatigue,
and rising costs comprising a perfect
storm of marketing strife.

Ads not only have to rise above the noise
to capture attention, they also have to
convert quickly and profitably.
02

The case for
creative
as a
performance
driver
How important is creative, exactly? McKinsey data indicates that
creative can be the most impactful lever in a competitive marketplaces,
and that the most creative companies actually outperform their peers:
In advertising, if you win in creative, you win.

Period, full stop, end of story. You can screw up
targeting, you can fail in campaign creation, you can
mess up SKAN measurement, you can pick suboptimal
ad partners, but if you absolutely kill it with amazing
images, videos, or playables that absolutely demand
attention and irresistibly drive action, it’s almost
impossible to fail.

John Koetsier

VP Insights
Creativity is the most
powerful differentiator, but
there are only a handful of
tools available to reliably
attribute conversions to
any particular creative
asset.

had above-average
organic revenue
growth67%
had above-average
total return to
shareholders (TRS)70%
had above-average
net enterprise value or
NEV/ forward EBI T DA 7 4 %
Pro-tip: U se Singular ’s C reative IQ’ s
AI -powered dimension fi lters to
instantly spot your highest-impact
creative elements and iterate on
them in minutes, not days .
W innin g with creative : Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
07

“Return on
creative” as

a strategic KPI
Return on Creative is
emerging as an important
strategic KPI, since it
measures the isolated
impact of ad creative –
which isn’t tracked by
traditional metrics like CPC,
CPA, and ROAS.Magic formula to build winning creatives:
xx
Volume
High volume
creative
For performance
campaigns, 5-7
creatives with at
least 1x weekly
refresh leads to a
1.5x increase ROAS.

[1]
Versatility
Varied
formats
+19% more
conversions were
seen in campaigns
that combine video
and images.

[2]
Versioning
Creative
variations
For brand
campaigns, using 3+
creatives, refreshed
twice weekly, boosts
brand association
2.7x .
[1]
Variety
Diverse content
formats
A variety of A I,
professional, and user
generated content
boosts engagement
by 23% and watch
time by 25% .
[2]
W inning with creative : Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
08
Sources :

[1] Introducing Symphony Creative Studio

[2] Image Ads: A growing way to tell stories on TikTok

Build resonance

Create content that is
interesting, informative
and adds value to
audience’s life.
Performance campaigns need:

creative assets on average

Using 5–7 creatives refreshed weekly boosts
ROAS by 1.5x.

[1]
Brand campaigns need:

creative assets on average

Using >3 creatives refreshed twice weekly
drives 2.7x higher brand association.

[1]
Show up more

Build high-volume, varied
content to target and
connect with niche
communities on TikTok.
Combine organic &
paid

Combine organic and paid
efforts to boost results and
achieve full-funnel
outcomes.010203To maximize that Return on Creative:
5-7> 3
Pro-tip: Use Creative IQ’s side-by-
side performance summary to
measure the CPA and ROAS
difference between the two runs.
That delta between the two
different creatives becomes your
true Return on Creative, isolating
exactly how much incremental
value each asset delivers.
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
09
Sources:

[1] Introducing Symphony Creative Studio

Winning
formats and
experiences
03
If creative is the key to success, where do
marketers start? What approach should
you be taking towards crafting ads that
are truly “thumb-stoppers?”

Formats. They’re a good place to start,
since some canvases offer more creative
opportunities than others.

CRAFTSMAN+ has found that, among their
clients, interactive and playable formats drive:
20x

7x

50%

40%

5x

32%
more installs.

higher conversion rates.

increase in engagement.

higher click-through rates (CTR).

higher install per mille (IPM).

more memorable brand experiences.
Tap into the psychology of play, challenge, and
reward. Playable and interactive formats trigger
deeper cognitive processing and emotional
response:
This translates into higher install rates, stronger
brand recall, and ROAS lifts that outperform
static and video-only ads.
The psychology
of
participation
Choose dynamic formats, gamified
units, and interactive end cards. In-
feed, these don’t interrupt; they
invite. CRAFTSMAN+ reports a
24.18% year-over-year increase in
interactive ad exports, evidence
that marketers are investing in more
engaging formats.

Pro-tip: With Creative IQ’s interactive-format
dashboard, compare dwell time and conversion lift
side-by-side to pick your next playable winner.
Agency : U sers choose their journey,
engaging with elements they find
relevant or entertaining .

Reward : G ame mechanics activate the
brain’s dopamine systems, encouraging
continued engagement .

Memory : L onger time spent = higher
brand recall. Research shows that
increased dwell time directly correlates
with unaided brand recall by up to 40% .
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
11

Interactive formats are ideal sandboxes for
experimentation
Test new product features or gameplay
mechanics before full rollout
Validate messaging, creative hooks, or user
flows with minimal production lift
Collect real-time behavioral data to
understand what drives conversion and
refine your broader strategy.
Create a one-two punch by leading with video,
then deepening engagement with a playable
Start with a top-performing video ad to build
familiarity and interest
Follow with a gamified unit that invites
interaction, like a mini-game, quiz, or swipe-
to-reveal mechanic
Use this sequence to balance awareness and
engagement, especially in multi-format
campaigns across mobile and CTV.
Pair playables with

high-performing videoUse playables to test and learn
Proven
strategies to
into
existing
campaigns
integrate
playables
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
12

CRAFTSMAN+ launched an interactive ad
for McDonald’s with NCAA champion
Angel Reese to drive engagement and
boost foot traffic. Ads ran in Uber and Lyft
cars during mealtimes and overnight.
CRAFTSMAN+ developed a DraftKings
playable with football-themed game
mechanics tied to team loyalties and
player picks. Ads tapped into emotional
connections to teams, driving higher
engagement and stronger intent to
place bets.McDonald’s x Angel ReeseDraftKings x NFL SeasonReal-world
examples
Interactivity thrives in
gaming environments, but it
also works surprisingly well
for non-gaming brands, like
QSRs, fashion retailers, and
DTC wellness startups. These
brands leverage playable
mechanics like mini games
and interactive end cards to
boost both conversions and
brand affinity. McDonald’s Playable Click to play!
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
13DraftKings Playable

Innovations in
UGC
across
categories
drive
success
For consumer apps across utility,
e-commerce, social, sports
betting, and other non-gaming
verticals, integrating user-
generated content (UGC) is
quickly becoming the go-to
strategy for winning over new
audiences.
Over the past year, Liftoff has seen non-gaming
advertisers using UGC-style video ads increase
their conversion rate from impression to install by
an average of 152%.

It’s easy to see why UGC works: Content
creators engage their existing audiences,
bringing an air of authenticity to brand
messaging, and boosting conversion metrics
across the board.

Key differentiator for leading apps

Liftoff data shows that consumer apps’ share of
total spend on UGC increased significantly year
over year. The trend is more pronounced when
comparing top-spending advertisers to the rest
of the field.

Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
14

Growth in UGC spend of as
share of total ad spend
20232024
+11% YoY+2% YoY+4% YoYBenchmarkOther AppsTop AppsSource: Liftoff
Benchmarked against non-top advertiser spend on UGC as a share of total
spend over 48 months, from January 1, 2023, to January 1, 2024.
UGC as a share of total spend for top apps was
only four percentage points higher than the rest
of the field in 2023, a difference that scaled
noticeably in 2024.
UGC’s share of spend for top apps increased 11
percentage points for top spending apps and
only two percentage points for other advertisers,
indicating that UGC is becoming a key
differentiator in driving scale and ROI.
UGC spend increased for nearly all top consumer
app verticals,  but social and utility apps scaled
the most, growing their share by nearly 30
percentage points between 2023 and 2024.
Innovations in
UGC
across
categories
drive
success
W inning w ith creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
15

Top tips
for
UGC ads
How do you ensure that your
UGC strategy is competitive and
you get the best returns for your
efforts? The key to high-impact
UGC content is working with the
right creator. Look for a partner
with quantifiable overlap in
demographics and interests with
your audience. Starting with
tried-and-true concepts can
help you benchmark your ad
performance and accelerate
testing.
For all app verticals: Show off how your app works

No matter what your app is, prospective
customers want to see that your UX/UI design
is clean and easy to navigate. With the right
creator, they’ll pause for a preview because it’s
coming from someone they trust. Showing an
app UI preview can also be a way to onboard
the user before they install, making their first
experience of your app as smooth as possible.
Lifestyle and first-person POVs work
exceptionally well for social apps.

Show how the app fits into everyday life. Since
social apps already rely on UGC for content,
they can leverage multiple creators and existing
content to boost engagement. Stitching
different creator content together can be a way
to show variation on your platform.
For crypto and sports betting apps,
try a two-person skit.

You can communicate your top features and
differentiators in a relatable way. Make sure to
hit your top value props in the script, whether
it’s betting during the game, the variety of
sports you can access, or just how easy your
app is to use. To maximize impact, try
combining it with an app walkthrough.
01030204
Here are a few winning concepts for top consumer
apps by vertical:
For e-commerce apps, in addition to direct-
to-camera app walkthroughs, go with a first-
person point of view that shows how the app
interacts in real life.

For example, show a content creator ordering
food for instant delivery or unboxing new
accessories. Remember to test the products you
showcase to get the most out of your top assets.
W inning with creative : Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
16

Tips for UGC
success

Accelerate testing and improve results
with winning templates like an app
walkthrough or a two-person skit.
H The assets you show off – matter.;
H Spend time testing to identify your top-
performing content.;
H Slot winning assets into new ads for a
performance boost.;
H Play with video duration. (For non-
gaming ads, shorter, 30-second videos
are more likely to drive conversions than
longer ones, although this could
change.*
H Liftoff has seen a 350% increase in scale
(of ad spend) after combining winning
creative templates with a top asset.  Click to play!
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
17

Here are TikTok’s own best practices for

successful ads on their platform:

TikTok First: Advertisers that create content
authentic to TikTok and the For You page see a 2X
increase in engagement and watch time. [3]
What does “TikTok first” actually mean, though? In
short:

Go lo-fi, vertical, high-res, and
feature people, whether they’re
creators, employees, or customers.
And whatever you do, don’t make
it too slick.

Structure: TikTok splits the structure of creative
into three sections:{
The Hook: The first six seconds are vital; this is
the time to introduce your value proposition.
Successfully land an emotional, surprising, or
suspenseful hook, and your odds of success
multiply.{
The Body: Keep the brand messaging going
and “nail” your product and brand
messaging home
The Close: Make sure you’ve got a strong
and compelling call to action.

TikTok Ads –

for success
Best practices
TikTok is the UGC mothership,
and it has its own set of rules.
For tips on creating
successful TikTok ads, we
went directly to the source.
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
18
Source: TikTo k

[3] Creative Codes: 6 principles for creating on TikTok

50%
of TikTok users say music
makes content more
uplifting and entertaining

[3]
lift in communicating new
information to audiences
through sound-on

[3]
of users would “stop and
look” at a sound-on
TikTok ad

[3]
of users say sound is
vital to the TikTok
experience

[3]55%73%90%
Source:

[3] Creative Codes: 6 principles for creating on TikTok
Stimulation: Use editing techniques or assets to
keep your audience engaged. Adding attention
triggers like music, transitions, movement, text,
and emojis makes ads appear more native.

Sound: TikTok is the only platform where ads with
sound drive significant lifts in purchase intent and
brand favourability.

Trends: Tap into platform trends (Moments,
signals, forces) to connect with users. Trends are
an easy way to create TikTok First on the
platform. Find relevant trends via hashtags or
your FYP – it’s worth the effort. TikTok reports
that 77% [3]  users like it when brand content is
inspired by trends, memes, or TikTok challenges.

Production: Follow these principles to start
delivering more lift on your creativeJ
Shoot vertical (9:16) in high resolution. [3] B
Be aware of the TikTok UI’s safe space and
be sure not to cover it.B
Refresh your content often, but monitor
results on existing assets.

S ound-on is powerful 173 K
P ro-tip : Track audio performance
with Creative IQ’s “Audio
Keywords” dimension to discover
which music or voice-over styles
resonate best on TikTok.
Winning with cre ativ e: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
19

Building
smarter
creative 04
It takes a lot of creative to scale a
successful campaign – sometimes more
than teams have the bandwidth to craft.
Designing and producing all those ads
can be a heavy lift: TikTok recommends
between five and seven creative assets
for performance campaigns and at least
three for branding initiatives.

From summarizing TikTok trends, advising on
creative best practices, and (of course)
generating script ideas and storyboards to
near-instant generation of TikTok-ready
content, Symphony streamlines content
creation. It can refresh stale content or generate
net-new video. It can also “remix” video into new
variations, in a new style, and with a fresh script.

While some brands may worry that AI-
generated content could turn users off, TikTok
maintains that their audience takes a positive
view of this practice.

Leaning into
generative AI
for creative
efficiency
TikTok Symphony is a new
suite of AI tools that help
make content creation
more accessible, efficient,
and informed.  Innovative 57% Creative 49% Cutting Edge 40%
TikTok users perception of
brands using Gen AI for TikTok:
More likely to say they’re
familiar with Generative AI
More likely to say they’re
excited to see Generative
AI used in more ads
More likely to say they
have used Generative AI
More likely to say
Generative AI makes them
excited about the future
of content creation1.2×1.2×1. 4 x 1.6xTikTok users are
W innin g with creative : Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
21 Source : Introducing Symphony Creative Studio

05
However marketers build
brands – and regardless of
style or format – the most
successful ads are built on
an understanding of their
audience. Knowing what
inspires them to action
creates a blueprint for ads
that resonate.
Audiences are never monoliths, and that’s
why segmentation is so important. Audience
segments go beyond behavioral signals and
demographics and allow marketers to
personalize creatives in a few ways$
? Using insights from your CRM, social
listening, and customer research to
identify narratives’
? Adjusting the message or call-to-action
based on where the customer is in their
journey’
? Adapting images, language, tone and
other elements for cultures and regions.
That final point is especially important
as you expand your marketing into
different geos. 
 13
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
22

+1% IPM+2% IPM+1% IPM+5% IPM-4% IPM-3% IPM-1% IPM
North
American
market
Core games:
Impact of creative
features on IPM
Even with nearly identical player trends
in the US and Korea, the same creative
can drive vastly different results. US
players engage more with bold, high-
energy messaging and clear calls to
action.
Cultural preferences may
vary far more widely than
you’d expect. Case in point:
Moloco wanted to know if
different geographical
audiences would respond
differently to different
creatives. Here’s what their
“East vs. West” analysis
found:
Storyline

Character in Danger

Play Now CTA

App Store Display

Real people interaction

Cinematic Cutscenes

Free to play icon

Fail State

Influencers
–

–

+

+

020406080East DevelopersWest Developers
Core games:

Spend by creative
features in North
America
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
23

Korean

market+3% IPM+2% IPM+5% IPM-2% IPM-1% IPM-7% IPM
Core Games:
Impact of creative
features on IPM
Audiences in the Eastern part of the world,
including Japan and Korea, favor ads with a
strong narrative, progression, and visually rich
story arcs. These ads could be longer and have
more of an emotional buildup.
Core Games:

Spend by creative
features in Korea
Character in Danger

App Store Display

Fail State

Storyline

Play Now CTA

Handpointer

Free to play icon

Real People
+

+

+

–
020406080East DevelopersWest Developers
Bottom line: Ad creatives need to
change substantially for different geos
and cultures. Test, test, and test again –
and rely on insights to adapt character
designs, storylines, visual themes, and
pacing to audience expectations.Key takeaways1.
A di ff erentiated creative strategy by
region is critical to ma ximi zing
performance.2 .
Locali zation goes beyond language.
M a ke sure to ta ke into account creative
tone and structure too.3 .
To harness higher conversion rates and
player LTV, align your moneti zation to
di ff erent cultures and geos.
W inning w ith creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
24

Categories that benefit most from creative
personalization show significant uplifts6
5 Graphics & Design: +39″
5 Lifestyle: +36″
5 Sports: +32%

For the Finance, Gaming, and Shopping
categories, there’s still room to test and win.

SplitMetrics developed a tailored custom
product page for an AI chatbot app, focusing on
clear, benefit-led messaging. The page featured
social proof (“2,500,000+ users”) and action-
oriented visuals like “Text Summarizer” and
“Snap & Solve.”

The results6
5 Tap-Through Rate increased to 30″
5 Cost per Install dropped by 6″
5 Cost per Subscription decreased by 13.85%

This kind of performance lift demonstrates the
power of aligning ad creative with a fully
optimized App Store experience.

Carrying creative
beyond the tap
To drive the most conversions, creative
optimization needs to go beyond the
ad, continuing through to the post-tap
experience. Apple’s Custom Product
Pages (CPPs) create a seamless
experience, aligning the ad creative
with specific versions of an App Store
listing, and tailoring everything from
screenshots to messaging.
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
25

When to use custom product pages

Marketers can apply custom product pages in a
variety of high-impact ways(

Test value propositions: Comparing utility-
focused messaging with social-driven benefits

Tailor store pages to user intent: Seasonal
campaigns, feature spotlights, or specific
keyword themes

Deep-linking: Drive users directly to in-app
content that matches the ad promise.

For teams investing in Apple Ads, custom product
pages offer a high-leverage way to extend the
impact of creative variations, turning better
alignment into better results.
Extending creative impact to the App Store

Beyond the data, CPPs open up powerful creative
strategies(
k Match ad variations to keywords or audience
segments
k Test value props (e.g., feature vs. benefit-led)
k Use deep links to route users to the exact
experience promised in the ad
k Testing by audience, geo, channel — examples
and KPIs. Carrying creative
beyond the tap
By creating up to 35 unique versions
with distinct visuals, messaging, and
deep links, marketers can optimize for
different user intents, campaign goals,
and audience segments — all while
boosting tap-through and conversion
rates.
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
26

Creative
testing and
measurement 05 ABC

05 Basic testing options
Key metrics to monitor during testing include CTR
(clickthrough rate), IPM (installs per mille), ROAS
(return on ad spend), and engagement. As
platforms evolve and improve, automation tools
and creative dashboards can help manage
scale. Human oversight ensures insights don’t
get lost in the data.

Getting started
with
testing
Experimentation helps
identify winning creatives,
understand why they work,
and build effective
iterations.
Yes, testing will incur additional
expense, but consider it an investment.
It’s better to know if creative is flopping
in a controlled environment than out in
the wild with a full budget behind it.
What benefits, features, or concepts
grab your audience’s attention?
Testing different creative
concepts, not just elements.
On a small scale with a familiar
audience, you can get a general idea of
how well your creative is resonating.
A/B testing for clear directional
learning.
Once you have your winner, test
different elements. It’s important to set
a threshold and budget so you’re not
overspending – but also not pulling your
test before you have statistically
significant results.
M ultivariate testing to optimi z e
com b inations.
P ro – tip : Don’t just test colors or headlines
—use AI to test full creative concepts in
seconds with Singular’s Creative IQ.
W inning with creative : Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads

CRAFTSMAN+ Creative testing
framework
Looking for a tried-and-
true testing framework?
This three-stage process
from CRAFTSMAN+ helps
you go from early concepts
to creatives that are
tested, tuned, and ready to
drive results.
The following example shows a UGC-
specific framework that can be
customized across playables, statics,
and video ads.
Stage 1: Test what motivates

Combine a variety of user motivations (like escapism, discovery, or social connection) with
different concept types (like testimonials, trend-driven formats, or first-time experiences) to help
identify which pairings resonate best with the intended audience.

W inning with creative : Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
29In this example we ’ll test 4 user motivations
and 3 con cept t yp es – 12 con cepts tota l.

These concepts can be added to a
campaign specifically made for testing
purposes.Stage 1 | Test u ser motivations & concept typesUser motivation A Concept type A Concept type B Concept type C User Motivation C Concept type A Concept type B Concept type C User motivation B Concept type A Concept type B Concept type C User Motivation D Concept type A Concept type B Concept type C Concept typesUser motivationsSelf-Expression Expertise Escapism Social Connection Discovery Relaxation Progression Power Testimonial Skit First Time Trying Offer/Deal X Reasons Why Trend Driven Comment Reply Other/O ut-of-the- box

Stage 2: Refine what works

Take the top-performing concepts from Stage 1 and test variables like talent and video duration
to land on an optimal format. Do users respond better to 6-second bursts or 30-second deep
dives? Does a certain tone or delivery style outperform others? CRAFTSMAN+ Creative testing
framework
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
30In this example we’ve narrowed the test down

to 2 user motivations and 2 concept types
that were top performers during stage 1

At this stage we’ll proceed with testing 2
talent options and 2 video durations for
each concept.Stage 2 | Test talent & video durationTop performing user
motivation B Winning concept B Duration A Talent A Talent B Duration A Duration A Duration A Winning concept A Duration A Talent A Talent B Duration A Duration A Duration A Video duration TalentGender Ethnicity Age Energy/Vibe Couple vs. Individual Other 6 sec 15 sec 30 sec 45 sec 60 sec Other

Stage 3: Optimize for scale

Test variants and swap assets to fine-tune performance. Experiment with changes to intro hooks,
audio, call-to-action language, and even color or product background to identify the winning
creative and set a benchmark for future iterations.CRAFTSMAN+ C reative testin g
framewor k
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
31In this example we’ve narrowed the test down to 2 top
performers from stage 2. At this stage we’ll proceed with
testing 2 variants and 2 asset swaps for each concept.

This will determine our winner (Hero) that we can add to
larger scale campaigns. This will also be set as our
benchmark for future tests.Stage 3 | Leverage top performers & optimizeStage 2 Top performer A Variant B Asset swap A Asset swap B Variant A Asset swap A Asset swap B Hero Stage 2 Top performer B Variant B Asset swap A Asset swap B Variant A Asset swap A Asset swap B Asset swaps VariantsIntro VO Win vc. Lose Promo Audio/Music Seasonal CTA/End Card Copy Background/Colors Gameplay/App footage Product Other

Measurement
strategies
06

While shorter videos can
boost engagement by up
to 2x, length is just one
lever. True performance
comes from clear
messaging, strong
narrative structure, and
creative strategies
grounded in audience
insight, diverse storytelling,
and measurable
frameworks.
Tinuiti recommends testing against distinct
creative concept buckets, aligning each one
with different stages of the user journey and
customer motivations:
These concept types enable structured testing
of assets along with their underlying stories. By
segmenting performance this way, CTR and CVR
can be tracked, as well as shifts in downstream
impact, including ROAS lift and contribution to
long-term brand equity.

Some patterns observed includeb
^ Education-focused concepts often deliver
15–20% stronger CVR early in campaigns
across high-consideration verticals like
health, finance, and techz
^ Localized creatives tend to outperform
during late-funnel phases, particularly when
user friction is highz
^ Social proof formats contribute more to
sustained ROAS and trust over time than
initial click engagement.
Pro-tip: Focus on keyword tags and KPIs
like CTR or install rate to see at a glance
which narrative style is leading on each
metric.
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
33Brand-forward Education-focused Expert-driven Social proof-based Localized messaging

Measuring fatigue is a different story. It
goes beyond basic frequency caps or
CTR decay.

Tinuiti monitors three leading indicators
for creative refres
Declining spend prioritizatio(
Rising CPA
Diminishing returns within concept
buckets
“In one health and wellness
partnership, the brand emphasized a
built-in support team as a central
value prop. We built creative around
it and later incorporated it more
subtly in supporting messaging.
Neither direction drove results.

The data made it clear: Users weren’t
buying community, they were buying
outcomes. That insight allowed us to
redirect creative development
toward what actually converted.”
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads
34

The
takeaways big
Creative is the last scalable performance lever.
With targeting constrained by privacy
regulations and AI taking over optimization,
creative remains the only lever marketers fully
control.

Performance hinges on format and narrative,
not just length or style. Marketers can get
caught up in the distraction of testing surface-
level features like length or production value. But
conceptual testing delivers deeper insights.
Layered messaging strategies will outperform
every time, especially when tracked by outcome,
not just engagement.

Creative fatigue is a strategic blindspot, but it’s
fixable. Don’t wait until metrics crash to address
fatigue. Rely on signals like declining spend
share, CPA creep, and concept decay to inform
your timing when it comes to refreshing
creatives. With structured measurement,
marketing teams can preempt performance
drops and extend the life of creative assets.

It’s time to stop thinking about
scroll-stopping creative as a
nice-to-have and investing in it
like the business imperative it
truly is.

The brands that win this year will
be the ones that treat creative
as a measurable, testable, and
evolving lever. Let data drive
your design, test with purpose,
and optimize across formats and
narratives, and watch your
campaign performance soar.
Winning with creative: Building, testing, and scaling high-performance ads

Creative IQ

Stop guessing, start scaling.
Connect your creative assets to performance data and build
high-performing ads with AI-driven insights from Creative IQ.What you’ll unlock GET STARTED TODAY
Creative Gallery

Side-by-side views of
every ad, paired with real
performance data.
AI Tagging

Automatically label audio/
visual elements to see
what’s really converting.
Creatives Explore

Dive deep into your data
with granular breakdowns
in a pivot tables.
Custom dimensions

Effortlessly encode your
manual tags with custom
dimensions.
Cross-team collaboration

Unlimited seats and
restricted users to share
with external agencies
and design teams. Le a di n g m a rke ters t ru st S in g ula r’s su peri o r c re at ive rep o rtin g to gr o w fa ster