🧠 DPA’s Are The Most Overlooked Profit Levers in Your Funnel

Welcome back to the 94th edition of Nord Media

Before we get started, is there anything specific you want to learn about? Let me know, as always, I appreciate all of you who reply each week and share feedback with me.

We’ve talked extensively about creative testing on this newsletter, but there’s one ad type that always seems to get left behind.

Dynamic Product Ads.

They’re automated, templated, and frankly… kind of boring.

Yet they’re the highest-intent ad format in your funnel. The people seeing them are already browsing, carting, and coming back.

So why are brands still treating them like generic catalog feeds?

If you’re running DPAs without customizing creative, testing variables, or aligning them with your brand story, you’re leaving performance on autopilot.

This week, we’re diving into how smart eCommerce teams are taking back control of their DPAs:

• Injecting brand-forward creative into dynamic formats

• Using automation and multivariate testing to scale performance

• Turning overlooked ad units into powerful profit centers

Let’s break it down.

Injecting Brand-Forward Creative into Dynamic Formats

Most DPAs look the same: White background, product image, price tag.

They work, but they don’t wow. And they definitely don’t represent your brand.

Today’s tools make it possible to break that mold and design DPAs that actually feel like your brand, without losing the efficiency of automation.

Here’s what that looks like:

• Swapping generic white space for on-brand templates

• Adding social proof like reviews or UGC snippets

• Highlighting benefits and features directly in the creative

• Using fonts, colors, and styling that match the rest of your funnel

• Updating creatives seasonally to keep things fresh
  

You get the best of both worlds: Performance from personalization, and scale from automation.

The result is:

• Higher engagement

• Stronger clicks, 

• And a better experience for your highest-intent shoppers.

Using Automation and Multivariate Testing to Scale Performance

Once you’ve injected brand-forward creative into your DPAs, the next step is scaling that impact, without relying on constant manual effort.

That’s where automation and multivariate testing come in.

Instead of running single-variable A/B tests, multivariate testing allows you to explore how combinations of creative elements influence performance. And with the right tools, you can automate the entire process across hundreds of SKUs.

Here’s what brands are testing right now:

• Product imagery:

Testing lifestyle vs. studio shots, zoomed-in detail vs. full product view, or alternate angles to see which best drives clicks.

• Backgrounds and layout:

Swapping plain white for branded color blocks, seasonal themes, or lifestyle-inspired textures that feel more premium and eye-catching.

• Text overlays:

Comparing price-only overlays vs. benefit-first messaging (e.g. “Lightweight & Leakproof”) to see what increases relevance and urgency.

• Social proof:

Adding short review snippets (“4.8 stars from 10,000+ customers”) or trust badges to reduce friction and boost buyer confidence.

• Discount callouts:

Testing “20% Off” vs. “Ends Tonight” vs. “Bestseller” badges to see which incentive structure pushes conversions.

You don’t have to pick one version and hope for the best.

With automated multivariate testing, you can see what combinations of creative elements work best and scale those insights across your entire product catalog.

Turning Overlooked Ad Units into Powerful Profit Centers

Most teams treat Dynamic Product Ads as a “set it and forget it” channel.

They plug in the feed, let Meta do its thing, and move on to the next campaign.

But DPAs are often the last touchpoint before a purchase. These are high-intent shoppers seeing products they’ve already shown interest in, yet brands are running the same bland creatives they’ve used for years.

Here’s what happens when you stop treating DPAs like background noise:

• ROAS improves because the creative speaks directly to buyer intent.

• Click-throughs rise because your ads actually stand out from the feed.

• Conversions increase because every element is tailored to nudge action.

• Retention benefits too, because branded DPAs reinforce your identity, even post-purchase.

This isn’t just about better-looking ads. It’s about reclaiming a profit-driving touchpoint that’s been running on autopilot for far too long.

The brands winning today are squeezing more value out of what they already have by making even the most overlooked parts of their funnel work harder.

DPAs included.

Closing Thoughts

In a world where acquisition costs are rising and attention spans are shrinking, you can’t afford to let any part of your funnel run on default.

Dynamic Product Ads might be automated, but that doesn’t mean they have to be uninspired.

When you layer in brand-first creative, automation, and structured testing, you turn DPAs from a basic retargeting play into a scalable, high-performing revenue lever.

They become more profitable, consistent, and fully aligned with your brand experience.

Want to learn more? Connect with me on social 👇
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Thank you for reading! I appreciate you.

Sincerely,
Kody

Disclaimer: Special thanks to Marpipe & Alia for sponsoring today’s newsletter.