Lesson 1: Double down on copywriting fundamentals.
With AI writing more and more copy, a lot of brands are going to take their foot off the gas on actual copywriting skills. That's a mistake. I spoke with people at the event who went through a deep copywriting program and said it was one of the best things they've done. I spent over $1,000 on a course before the event even started and sent it to our team. For retention and email, copy is one of the most important things. While everyone else leans on AI defaults, this is the time to go deeper on fundamentals. Go read Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz if you haven't already.
Lesson 2: Look at alternative ad platforms.
Most brands stick to Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snapchat. But depending on your demographics, there's real opportunity on platforms like Bing, native networks like Taboola, and Applovin. Some of these platforms are still early enough that they'll offer credit lines to build the relationship. There's a high chance you can get a much lower CPA on these once you crack them, especially compared to Meta in the US.
Lesson 3: Giveaways can be a massive growth lever.
One presentation showed how running a giveaway alongside your brand (a car, a cash prize, something relevant to your audience) cut CPMs in half, reduced CAC significantly, and increased overall spend per customer. One brand saw a 400% month over month increase. You can run this during Black Friday or all year round, and if you stack subscriptions on top, the economics get even better. The key is making sure the giveaway is relevant to your audience, not just a random prize.
Lesson 4: Test way more creatives on Meta.
Meta's algorithm can now handle 10,000 times more creatives than it could previously. That means for every angle you test, you should also have it in every format: UGC, static, review style, professional, customer reply. If your best angle only exists in one format, Meta can't show it to the people who prefer consuming a different format, even if they're your ideal customer. It gets complex, but AI makes it easier to produce the volume needed.
Lesson 5: There's always more opportunity.
There were talks on telehealth, new verticals, new business models. It's easy to get distracted, and you still need to keep the main thing the main thing. But it's worth knowing that while people complain about rising ad costs, there are people in the room building businesses in completely different ways and making serious money doing it.
Lesson 6: Connections solve most of your problems.
One person at the event got a single connection on day one that solved a major business problem, access to something they couldn't get on their own. In e-commerce, so many blockers come down to access: ad platforms, payment processors, suppliers, partnerships. The right introduction bypasses months of waiting. That alone makes events like this worth attending.
