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This episode of the DTC Podcast is a triple threat: Meta’s Jake Bailey returns to unpack the Cyber 5 data, Hungryroot’s Adam Weber shares how they scaled partnership ads to 50%+ of spend, and adMixt’s Kevin Simonson drops a masterclass on testing, attribution, and scenario planning.

https://hungryroot.com

https://admixt.com

https://meta.com

What’s inside:

• Why Cyber Monday hit softer — and which brands still crushed
• The shift from segment-based targeting to real personas (with matching creators)
• Why partnership ads are outperforming UGC — and how Hungryroot scaled them
• Meta’s new catalog + partnership ad combo (early tests: +20% performance)
• Q5 lead gen strategy: when volume spikes, competition drops

If you’re running paid on Meta, an agency managing $500K+ budgets, or a brand that needs a serious Q5 plan, this episode is a must listen.

Timestamps

00:00 Creative diversification and the rise of partnership ads

02:00 Hungryroot’s personalization model and marketing approach

04:00 Cyber Five performance trends and consumer behavior

08:00 Why partnership ads outperformed traditional UGC

12:00 How Hungryroot uses creators to reach distinct customer avatars

16:00 Evolution of whitelisting to partnership ads and catalog formats

20:00 How creator deal structures work in practice

24:00 The importance of agility and rapid pivots during Cyber Five

28:00 Q5: Why January is Hungryroot’s biggest moment

32:00 Campaign structure, testing, and Meta’s automation shift

37:00 Organic content, measurement, and 2026 predictions

Hashtags

#metaads #blackfridaymarketing #cybermondaystrategy #partnershipads #ugcads #ecommercemarketing #d2cpodcast #hungryroot #admixt #creativediversification

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