Creative testing frameworks that survive contact with media buyers
If your test plan needs a spreadsheet to read, it won't be used.
Most creative test frameworks are abandoned within a quarter because they slow down media buyers. Lightweight wins. The framework that ships ten tests a month at 70% rigour beats the framework that ships two tests at 99% rigour.
The framework we use
One variable per test, minimum 10k impressions, decision rule documented before launch. That's it. Anything more and the team starts batching tests into 'next quarter' and never runs them.
The artefact
A single shared doc per quarter. Hypothesis, variants, result, decision. No PowerPoint. The doc lives in the team's main channel, gets a weekly update and is the source of truth for what's been learnt.
What to test
- Hook — the first 1–3 seconds is the highest-leverage variable.
- Format — square vs vertical, video vs static, carousel vs single.
- Offer — discount vs free trial vs free shipping vs gift.
- Social proof — UGC vs studio vs review snippet.
What not to test
Logo size, button colour, font weight. These have been tested to death across the industry. Spend test budget on variables where the answer for your brand is genuinely unknown — not on litigated micro-decisions.