---
name: creative-research
description: "Use when researching competitor ad creatives: find competitors, brand IDs, evergreen winners, breakout winners, pattern analysis."
---
# Creative Competitor Research Protocol

Discover new creative concepts by analyzing competitor ads. Find validated winning concepts and adapt them for your brand.

## Prerequisites

Before exploring competitors, identify your current winning ads and their patterns (angles, formats, hooks). This gives you a baseline to compare competitor insights against. Use your primary conversion metric: Purchase ROAS (ecommerce) or Cost Per Result (leadgen).

---

## Step 1: Find Competitors

### AI-Powered Discovery

**Tool: `ads_library_find_competitors`**
```
Parameters:
  website_url: "www.yourcompany.com"   # Preferred
  OR brand: "Your Brand Name"
```
Returns: competitor brands (up to 5) with names + URLs, product keywords, niche category, market target (B2B/B2C), suggested search queries.

### Competitor Selection Rules

- Match competitors by: same product category, similar AOV/price point, similar market size
- A small DTC brand can't replicate a $100M+ brand's approach — scale matters
- Search "[category]" and see which brands appear in results
- DO NOT use generic/wide search terms (e.g., "shopify apps"). Use specific category descriptors (e.g., "sale countdown shopify apps")

### When AI Discovery Returns Zero Ads

1. Define 2–3 parallel categories (NOT wider, but adjacent). Example: "sale countdown shopify apps" → try "conversion boost shopify apps", "sale announcement shopify apps"
2. For each parallel category, find the biggest brands first
3. Try `ads_library_search_brands` with those brands BEFORE using keyword search
4. Only use `ads_library_discover_ads` keyword search as last resort
5. NEVER go generic. Search terms must be relevant to the specific product function.

---

## Step 2: Get Brand IDs

**Tool: `ads_library_search_brands`**
```
Parameters:
  domain: "competitor.com"    # More accurate than name
  OR name: "Competitor Brand"
  limit: 10
```
Returns: brand_id (needed for fetching ads), brand name, category/niches. Save brand_ids for Steps 3A/3B.

---

## Step 3A: Evergreen Winners (Proven Concepts)

**Goal**: Find ads running 30+ days — longevity implies profitability.

**Tool: `ads_library_get_ads_by_brand_id`**
```
Parameters:
  brand_ids: ["brand_id_1", "brand_id_2"]
  live: "true"
  order: "longest_running"
  limit: 50
  running_duration_min_days: 30    # Optional filter
```

### Analysis Process

1. Filter: remove ads tagged "low impression count". Focus on top 10–15 longest runners, prioritize 60+ days.
2. Deep analyze with **`ads_library_analyze_ad`**: pass top ad IDs with `include_duplicates: true`.
3. Document patterns across winners:

| Element | What to Look For |
|---------|-----------------|
| **Angle** | What selling points repeat across winners? (Authority? Results? Price?) |
| **Concept** | How is the angle executed? (Testimonial? Before/after? Expert?) |
| **Visual Style** | Professional vs lo-fi? UGC? Product-focused? |
| **Script** | Common structure? (Problem → Solution → CTA) Length patterns? |
| **Hook** | Visual patterns? Text overlay? Audio approach? (first 3–5 seconds) |
| **Format** | Dominant format? (Testimonial, demo, lifestyle) |

4. For each winner, suggest adaptation: their approach → your version with rationale.

---

## Step 3B: Breakout Winners (Recent Scaling Signals)

**Goal**: Find concepts launched recently and repeated aggressively — indicates active scaling.

**Tool: `ads_library_get_ads_by_brand_id`**
```
Parameters:
  brand_ids: ["brand_id_1", "brand_id_2"]
  live: "true"
  start_date: "[30 days ago, YYYY-MM-DD]"
  order: "newest"
  limit: 100
```

### Identifying Breakout Winners

Group ads by similarity (same copy/format/visual style). A Breakout Winner is a concept that:
- Launched within 30 days
- Has been repeated/varied multiple times
- Variations launched across different dates (not just one batch)

**Scaling signal levels**:
- **HIGH** (4+ variations across multiple dates): Competitor actively scaling this concept
- **MEDIUM** (2–3 variations): Worth monitoring
- **LOW** (< 2): Testing phase

Deep analyze with `ads_library_analyze_ad` using `include_duplicates: true`.

---

## Step 4: Alternative Discovery

### By Keyword/Product

**Tool: `ads_library_discover_ads`**
```
Parameters:
  search_query: "protein shake"     # Max 6 words, specific not generic
  order: "longest_running"
  niches: ["health/wellness"]
  display_format: ["video"]
  live: true
  limit: 50
```
Use when researching a category broadly rather than specific brands.

### Brand Analytics

**Tool: `ads_library_get_brand_analytics`**
```
Parameters:
  brand_ids: ["brand_id_1"]
```
Returns: total active ads, format distribution, platform breakdown. Use to decide which competitors are most active and worth deep analysis.

---

## Key Principles

1. **Scale matters** — compare similar-sized competitors
2. **Patterns > individual ads** — look for what repeats across winners
3. **Recent > old** — breakout winners (30 days) often more valuable than 180-day evergreens
4. **Variations = validation** — multiple versions = strong signal
5. **Adaptation not copying** — translate concepts authentically to your brand
6. **Speed matters** — if competitor is scaling NOW, test quickly before saturation