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At eTail West, Megan McDonagh of WPromote shared how the leading digital media agency is leveraging AI to drive smarter marketing strategies, enhance media performance, and help brands navigate the evolving e-commerce landscape.
As the competition intensifies in digital marketing, WPromote is differentiating itself by not just managing ad spend, but by helping clients maximize return on investment through data-driven insights and automation.
"We challenge the status quo by ensuring brands invest their next dollar in the right place to maximize growth," McDonagh explained. "With Polaris IQ, our proprietary technology platform, we help brands understand media performance and optimize investments—enabling them to make real-time decisions that drive measurable results."
Leveraging AI for Competitive Advantage
AI is increasingly becoming the cornerstone of WPromote’s strategy, both in client solutions and internal operations.
One of its latest innovations, Creative Audit, was developed in partnership with Google and built on Gemini AI. This tool allows brands to pre-test video ad performance across platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels before running paid campaigns.
"Instead of spending money to learn which ad creatives perform best, clients can now leverage AI insights beforehand," McDonagh explained. "The system provides real-time recommendations on video improvements to enhance engagement and effectiveness."
Beyond client-facing AI applications, WPromote has also implemented AI internally to streamline its own workflows. The agency developed an AI-driven RFP tool that helps the sales team automate responses to requests for proposals (RFPs), improving speed and efficiency.
Consumer behavior is rapidly shifting toward influencer-led purchasing decisions, making social commerce a dominant force in digital marketing. WPromote has expanded its earned media capabilities, focusing heavily on influencer partnerships to drive brand messaging and engagement.
"Consumers trust the influencers they follow, and we’re seeing significant performance gains when brands integrate influencers into their digital marketing strategy," McDonagh said. "Our role is to match brands with the right influencers and ensure messaging is aligned to maximize reach and authenticity."
This shift highlights a broader trend where direct brand-to-consumer engagement is evolving, requiring companies to adopt multi-channel digital strategies to remain competitive.
AI Search & The Future of Digital Discovery
Looking ahead, McDonagh believes AI-driven search is set to reshape digital discovery, requiring brands to rethink their traditional search strategies.
"Traditional Google search isn’t the only game in town anymore," she said. "With AI-powered search engines emerging, brands need to develop content that is optimized for AI-driven discovery—not just paid keywords."
This approach requires a shift from search term bidding to creating highly relevant, AI-discoverable content, ensuring brands remain visible as search behaviors evolve.
What’s Next for WPromote?
As WPromote continues to push the boundaries of AI-driven marketing, influencer commerce, and predictive analytics, the agency remains focused on client-first innovation.
"We think about AI in two ways: augmentation and automation," McDonagh explained. "It’s not about replacing human intelligence—it’s about enhancing human decision-making and automating repetitive tasks so we can deliver more value, faster."
With AI playing an increasingly central role in digital media, WPromote is positioning itself as a leader in data-driven marketing strategies, ensuring brands stay ahead in a rapidly evolving e-commerce landscape.
📍The Big Question: Are Brands Measuring What Matters?
Across sessions and side conversations, one theme keeps coming up: marketers lack the tools to measure full-funnel impact
As channels fragment and platforms guard their data, brands need better ways to understand what’s working—whether that’s attribution, predictive modelling, or AI-driven measurement.
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