Compared with the previous 4Runner campaign in 2014, which targeted based only on propensity to buy, adding personalization increased engagement by an astonishing 698%, from 2.07% to 14.45%. Click-through rates saw an almost unheard-of increase, from 0.94% to 5.82% – an increase of more than six times.

Once we defined the audience by their interests, we shot multiple clips of each of the 12 activities (skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, surfing, etc.) to be assembled with one of 20 shots of the 4Runner into potentially hundreds of short videos.

The videos could be assembled with either a single activity clip, for broader targeting, or two clips of different interests for even more precise delivery. They were optimized for mobile, because 70% of the audience would see it on their devices, and were non- audio driven. Finally, each video could be no longer than 6 seconds, since the sweet spot for auto-play content on Facebook is under 8 seconds.

We then used the audience data to ensure each person received just the right video, and included targeted post messaging selected from more than 1,000 pieces of copy.

The result was advertising that felt more like content because it included visuals and messaging that appealed directly to the recipient’s passions.

Once we began rolling out the video posts, we tested them in real time to optimize for the best-performing creative. The relatively large scale of the campaign gave us meaningful data with which to make adjustments. We devised multiple test-and- learn scenarios unique to the brand campaign, and tested all possible combinations of interests, clips within each interest, and copy messaging. Posts that didn’t perform well were replaced.