Q4 2025: Calm Strategy in an AI Storm

Winning at Q4 in an AI-Driven Digital Ads Landscape

Q4 is here, but this time it feels a little different.

More automation. More pressure. More ad platform updates to keep on top of than ever before.

AI is literally everywhere, with the promise of time-saving, maximising and generally making everything more shiny and exciting. But also demanding we give up more and more control.

AI is an amazing addition to digital ads and elements of it can be game changers, but it can also get it wrong - a lot. Big brands would never dream of handing their highly protected brand and the creation of their final ad over to the bots - and neither should you. Using AI wisely, instead of jumping on every new feature, is where you need to be.

Yes, I know the platforms promise an exciting X% better performance if you do, but blind trust in AI isn't going to do you any more favours than putting your fingers in your ears and completely ignoring it. You need to find the right balance - knowing what to trust, what to test and what to ignore.

So, let’s go in on what actually matters for Google and Meta this peak season - and how to use AI to your advantage.

1️⃣ Strong Signals, Clean Data

Yes - the boring bit first. Tracking.

AI can only make good decisions if it’s learning from clean, accurate data. If your pixel, tag or feed is messy, the platforms are optimising based on incorrect data - something no amount of AI can fix.

So before you ramp up your budget, be absolutely certain that you are set up for success:

👉 Your Meta pixel and CAPI are both firing correctly and purchase values are accurate.

👉 Your Google conversions aren’t duplicated or missing and enhanced conversions are working.

👉 Your product feeds are healthy.

None of this is exciting, but get tracking wrong and you are operating blind. Which is never good, but is particularly bad if you are about to add more budget.

2️⃣ Choose Your AI Wisely

It is easy to feel like you can set things up and trust the AI to run your account on autopilot these days. But trust every AI-led change and take your eye off the ball at your peril. Things have changed a lot on both Google and Meta since last Q4...

Meta: Advantage+ Sales Campaigns replaced Advantage Shopping this year and they have been a positive change overall. The loss of the existing customer cap has taken some getting used to in some accounts and they do have a tendency to go hard after warm audiences unless you add specific exclusions, so that is one to watch. Ad+ Audiences are genuinely useful for scaling once you already have good conversion data. But the creative 'enhancements' are not always your friend and should be used carefully - the last thing you want is to compromise your brand voice, messaging and tone. So keep them in human hands. Advantage+ Creative is worth testing, but tread carefully.

Google: Performance Max and AI Max for Search are strong, but you still need to guide them - and if your budget and level of conversions are low, you may struggle to get AI Max working for you. Structure campaigns carefully, exclude brand where needed, and monitor search term expansion. “Automation” shouldn’t mean “anything goes” and mad levels of spend - but it sometimes does if you aren't on it.

In short, use AI where it really is enhancing things - don't give it the wheel and wander off, or you'll find yourself in trouble.

3️⃣ Creative Is Still King

Here’s the big shift that we saw coming last Q4 but which has really stepped up in 2025: your creative is now a targeting signal. Goodbye interest-based and lookalike audiences (although there is still space for both in certain circumstances and with small budgets). If you're using ASCs in Meta or Demand Gen in Google, your creative is what is going to find your people, not what you plug into your audience.

Incredibly sophisticated algorithms read what’s in your image or video and decide who to show it to. This is why nailing the creative to not only fully represent your brand but also catch focus and attention is more important than ever.

Focus on creative that:

👉 Hooks attention in the first three seconds (especially on Reels or Shorts)

👉 Feels native to the platform - think less ad, more content

👉 Speaks to feelings - this is especially important as we approach gifting season.

This is where humans still win every time. AI can remix content, but it can’t feel it.

4️⃣ Calm Your Budget: Don’t Panic-Spend

Q4 has a way of turning even the most measured business owners and marketers into big spenders, flashing the cash. Be careful when setting your budgets. Spending it all on Black Friday week is not a sustainable peak strategy.

Spread the spend carefully - lots of consideration is happening right now in October, when ads are a bit cheaper, so don't neglect the run-up. Also, don't scale just because you have projected a certain level of spend. Increase based on performance, not your budget spreadsheet.

CPMs will rise. Competition will spike. We all know that is coming. Pace it out - think tortoise, not hare:

👉 Build awareness and consideration through October and early November. Think Demand Gen on Google and Reach on Meta.

👉 Don't lose your head over Black Friday. If your discounts can’t compete with the big boys, step aside and focus on before and after the frenzy.

👉 And don’t neglect 'Q5' (that magical little post-Christmas lull when CPMs drop and “treat yourself” shopping kicks in - that's one I personally fall for every year...).

Be steady and responsive to results. It beats quick-hit and rigid budgets every time.

5️⃣ Stay Human

AI can predict patterns, but it can’t understand people. You can. That’s where your real advantage lies this Q4. But super clear on who you are talking to, their pain points and the problem you are solving for them, so you can get your message just right.

Ads are about people. They are about speaking to emotions and how your product or service makes them feel. This is especially so at Christmas when the focus is nostalgia, connection, generosity, love.

The best-performing campaigns this season will come from brands that blend automation with the human touch -  with instinct, empathy, messaging that hits home and ad smarts.

Ads management is evolving fast and platforms want us to automate more than ever (and never forget they want you to spend more too!)

The brands that win this season will be the ones that keep a firm hold on their account and their budget, using automation to support their vision, not define it.

In Summary...

This peak season, don’t get swept up in the hype. AI is your sidekick, not the driver. It can help but you/your ads manager need to be the ones at the helm. Keep your data clean, your creative on point and your budgets steady. Good luck!

Want to know more about how to get the most out of your digital ads this peak season? Get in touch and we can have a chat: louise@louisebeasley.com