Meta announced a series of new advertising features during the Brand Building Summit that help brands become culturally relevant and achieve better results. The updates primarily focus on Reels trending ads and expanded capabilities within Threads.
Reels trending ads now widely available
The most important news concerns the expansion of Reels trending ads to all advertisers with a Meta sales representative. This feature places ads alongside the most trending and culturally relevant Reels content. Early tests show that Reels trending ads can increase spontaneous brand awareness by 20%.
Meta's AI technology automatically curates the most trending video inventory and provides advertisers access to highly engaging, brand-safe content. Available categories include general trending content and specific themes such as animals, fashion, cars, and sports. JCPenney achieved 32% higher ad recall and 6x greater brand preference with this approach compared to standard campaigns. SharkNinja saw 91% incremental reach and over 16 million video views within a few weeks.
Threads grows to 400 million users
Threads has now reached 400 million monthly active users and is introducing new ad formats. The platform is currently testing a 4:5 display for images and videos, as well as carousel ads. Soon, Advantage+ catalog ads and app campaigns will be available.
Three out of four Threads users follow at least one business, making the platform ideal for authentic brand building. Advertisers without a Threads profile can now use their Instagram account for Threads ads.
AI-driven targeting with value rules
Meta expands value rules to awareness and engagement objectives. This feature helps advertisers instruct their AI system to target the most valuable audiences. Tests show that campaigns with value rules generate 2x more high-quality conversions.
Impact for companies
These developments offer companies concrete advantages. Campaigns on Meta's platforms are 66% more cost-effective for brand building than average channels. The new tools make it easier to remain culturally relevant while also achieving measurable results.
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