creative-research

Creative Competitor Research Protocol

Discover new creative concepts by analyzing competitor ads. Find validated winning concepts and adapt them for your brand.

Prerequisites

Before exploring competitors, identify your current winning ads and their patterns (angles, formats, hooks). This gives you a baseline to compare competitor insights against. Use your primary conversion metric: Purchase ROAS (ecommerce) or Cost Per Result (leadgen).

---

Step 1: Find Competitors

AI-Powered Discovery

Tool: ads_library_find_competitors

Parameters:
  website_url: "www.yourcompany.com"   # Preferred
  OR brand: "Your Brand Name"

Returns: competitor brands (up to 5) with names + URLs, product keywords, niche category, market target (B2B/B2C), suggested search queries.

Competitor Selection Rules

• Match competitors by: same product category, similar AOV/price point, similar market size
• A small DTC brand can't replicate a $100M+ brand's approach — scale matters
• Search "[category]" and see which brands appear in results
• DO NOT use generic/wide search terms (e.g., "shopify apps"). Use specific category descriptors (e.g., "sale countdown shopify apps")

When AI Discovery Returns Zero Ads

1. Define 2–3 parallel categories (NOT wider, but adjacent). Example: "sale countdown shopify apps" → try "conversion boost shopify apps", "sale announcement shopify apps"
2. For each parallel category, find the biggest brands first
3. Try ads_library_search_brands with those brands BEFORE using keyword search
4. Only use ads_library_discover_ads keyword search as last resort
5. NEVER go generic. Search terms must be relevant to the specific product function.

---

Step 2: Get Brand IDs

Tool: ads_library_search_brands

Parameters:
  domain: "competitor.com"    # More accurate than name
  OR name: "Competitor Brand"
  limit: 10

Returns: brand_id (needed for fetching ads), brand name, category/niches. Save brand_ids for Steps 3A/3B.

---

Step 3A: Evergreen Winners (Proven Concepts)

Goal: Find ads running 30+ days — longevity implies profitability.

Tool: ads_library_get_ads_by_brand_id

Parameters:
  brand_ids: ["brand_id_1", "brand_id_2"]
  live: "true"
  order: "longest_running"
  limit: 50
  running_duration_min_days: 30    # Optional filter

Analysis Process

1. Filter: remove ads tagged "low impression count". Focus on top 10–15 longest runners, prioritize 60+ days.
2. Deep analyze with ads_library_analyze_ad: pass top ad IDs with include_duplicates: true.
3. Document patterns across winners:

Element	What to Look For
Angle	What selling points repeat across winners? (Authority? Results? Price?)
Concept	How is the angle executed? (Testimonial? Before/after? Expert?)
Visual Style	Professional vs lo-fi? UGC? Product-focused?
Script	Common structure? (Problem → Solution → CTA) Length patterns?
Hook	Visual patterns? Text overlay? Audio approach? (first 3–5 seconds)
Format	Dominant format? (Testimonial, demo, lifestyle)

4. For each winner, suggest adaptation: their approach → your version with rationale.

---

Step 3B: Breakout Winners (Recent Scaling Signals)

Goal: Find concepts launched recently and repeated aggressively — indicates active scaling.

Tool: ads_library_get_ads_by_brand_id

Parameters:
  brand_ids: ["brand_id_1", "brand_id_2"]
  live: "true"
  start_date: "[30 days ago, YYYY-MM-DD]"
  order: "newest"
  limit: 100

Identifying Breakout Winners

Group ads by similarity (same copy/format/visual style). A Breakout Winner is a concept that:

• Launched within 30 days
• Has been repeated/varied multiple times
• Variations launched across different dates (not just one batch)

Scaling signal levels:

• HIGH (4+ variations across multiple dates): Competitor actively scaling this concept
• MEDIUM (2–3 variations): Worth monitoring
• LOW (< 2): Testing phase

Deep analyze with ads_library_analyze_ad using include_duplicates: true.

---

Step 4: Alternative Discovery

By Keyword/Product

Tool: ads_library_discover_ads

Parameters:
  search_query: "protein shake"     # Max 6 words, specific not generic
  order: "longest_running"
  niches: ["health/wellness"]
  display_format: ["video"]
  live: true
  limit: 50

Use when researching a category broadly rather than specific brands.

Brand Analytics

Tool: ads_library_get_brand_analytics

Parameters:
  brand_ids: ["brand_id_1"]

Returns: total active ads, format distribution, platform breakdown. Use to decide which competitors are most active and worth deep analysis.

---

Key Principles

1. Scale matters — compare similar-sized competitors
2. Patterns > individual ads — look for what repeats across winners
3. Recent > old — breakout winners (30 days) often more valuable than 180-day evergreens
4. Variations = validation — multiple versions = strong signal
5. Adaptation not copying — translate concepts authentically to your brand
6. Speed matters — if competitor is scaling NOW, test quickly before saturation