High-Impact Creatives For Platform-Smart Strategies
By: Charlene Tassinari, Co-Founder at Canvas+Co, Advisor, Ex-Google & YouTube.
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With a growing list of digital platforms and constantly connected consumers, marketers are feeling increased pressure to feed the content machine. Pile on each platform’s unique creative constraints, the need to balance on brand with on trend, and limited creative resources, and you have a recipe for some very overwhelmed marketers.
After years of designing high-performing creative strategies for brands (and helping marketers make sense of an evolving industry), three guiding principles continue to rise to the top:
CONNECT WITH PEOPLE, NOT ALGORITHMS
In the midst of algorithms and analytics, it's easy to forget that marketing is, at its core, about people. Behind every screen is simply another human being, and connecting with that human is the key to unlocking effective creative. It's about empathy, authenticity, and delivering genuine value. So fight the urge to overthink it, to wrap everything in “marketing speak,” and follow what everyone else is doing. Instead, ask yourself: What does my audience truly care about? What problems can I solve for them? Even simpler is that delivering value usually boils down to one of these things:
Entertainment: Making your audience feel something goes beyond humor, so don’t get caught in the trap that your brand can’t entertain just because your tone isn’t cheeky or playful. Great creative taps into a variety of emotions, real-life experiences and relatable moments. From a TikTok that leans into the nostalgia of the ‘90s, to UGC that reveals a genuine customer reaction, or a carousel on Instagram unfolding a suspenseful mini-narrative, each creative approach delivers entertainment and storytelling.
Tips & Education: What better way to add value than to teach your audience something new? The best educational content simplifies complex topics or provides share-worthy tips. And while product demonstrations are a natural fit for how-to content, stretch your thinking to include related topics that inspire viewers to hit, share, and save. For example, if your brand sells HomeGoods, you can share a tip that helps enhance dinner party decor, like Balsam Hill did in their popular post, “How to Fold a Christmas Bow Napkin.”
FOLLOW THE DATA
The best creative is backed by data, not just intuition. By leveraging audience insights and testing different approaches, brands can craft creative that truly connects with their target market.
Leverage Data to Understand Your Audience: Before designing an ad, take the time to dive into audience insights. Platforms like Meta, YouTube, and TikTok provide valuable data on interests, demographics, and engagement behaviors. Knowing who you’re talking to allows you to create content that speaks directly to their needs and desires.
A/B Testing for Optimization: A common mistake brands make is assuming they know what will work best without testing. A/B testing different creative elements helps identify what resonates most with your audience. Small tweaks can lead to significant performance improvements.
Platform-Specific Insights: Different platforms require different creative approaches. While your audience on Instagram may love your aesthetic ‘Day in the Life’ content, you may find TikTok viewers prefer actionable styling tips. Understanding these nuances will help maximize your creative impact.
DON’T LET ASSETS GO TO WASTE
With the constant need for fresh content, brands often fall into the trap of creating from scratch every time. However, repurposing existing assets can significantly extend the life of creative work while maintaining consistency across platforms.
Turn One Piece of Content Into Many: A single long-form video or recorded webinar can be cut into short snippets for Instagram Reels, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts. A top performing organic post or customer testimonial can be reformatted into an ad. Maximizing content mileage saves time, resources, and ensures a cohesive brand message.
Adapting, Not Copy-Pasting: Repurposing doesn’t mean simply copying the same creative across platforms. Instead, adjust elements like aspect ratio, text overlays, or CTA placement to fit the unique format and audience of each platform while keeping the core message intact.
Less Siloes, More Content: Too often, a brand’s organic, influencer and paid teams work independently from one another. Break down internal silos to gain access to the wealth of extra assets (and insights) across teams.
Creating high-impact creatives across multiple platforms doesn’t have to be a complex, resource-draining process. By keeping messaging human, prioritizing insights and testing, and repurposing existing assets, brands can work smarter - not harder. In an era where content is king, a strategic, creative-first approach ensures that brands remain relevant, engaging, and effective across every digital touchpoint.
Ready to get started? THE BOARD is a vetted community of C-Suite talent from worlds of Fashion, Beauty, Tech and more. Whether your brand needs a 'Dream Team' to create a data-driven roadmap for what's next or an on-call advisor to provide objective feedback on your strategy, THE BOARD has you covered.
