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Ever wondered what goes on behind the walls of Meta? Vlerick Marketing students recently got the chance to find out, gaining exclusive insights through a unique connection with the company. Let’s take a look at what they discovered.

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During our recent Vlerick Business School study tour to Dublin, we had the incredible opportunity to visit some of the world’s leading tech companies, including Meta, Google, Microsoft and Salesforce (I know, sounds amazing, right? Spoiler: It was ;-)). This trip was not only an eye-opener into the digital marketing landscape but also an invaluable experience in understanding how major players shape the future of social media and advertising. Our visit to Meta’s Dublin office stood out, offering a first-hand look at how AI-driven solutions are revolutionizing the way businesses connect with consumers.

Meta: More than just social media

Once upon a time, Meta was all about connecting people. Now? It’s about empowering those connections and making advertising as effortless as possible. With a user base growing across all platforms, Meta is putting massive investments into AI to ensure businesses – big and small – can reach their customers with precision.

AI is the game-changer: Automation & personalization

One of the biggest takeaways? Automation is now at the core of Meta’s advertising solutions. Meta Advantage+ uses AI to optimize ad performance, helping businesses automate campaign setup, budget allocation, and audience targeting.

🚀 Some AI-powered innovations you definitely need to know:

• Advantage+: Automates campaigns for max performance (think more purchases, easier lead generation, and app installs).
• Generative AI integrated in Meta tools: Text, images, backgrounds – fully AI-generated ads that are fresh and unique, easy to design in the Meta environment.
• Personalized marketing: AI tracks who engages with what (even if they pause for only 2 seconds on a post!) and adjusts ads accordingly

Rethinking the marketing funnel

Traditionally, marketers see the customer journey (every marketing student or marketeer knows this by heart 😉) as a linear funnel: Awareness → Consideration → Conversion. But at Meta, we learned a different approach – one that reflects real consumer behaviour. The funnel is no longer rigid. People jump between stages: from awareness directly to purchase or from conversion back to consideration.

The attention war: How to win it?

In the battle for eyeballs, your ads are competing with EVERYTHING—from memes to viral TikToks. Let’s be honest, we’re all guilty of spending way too much time scrolling through it all ;-).

Top strategies for standing out:

• Visual diversification: Test different styles such as UGC videos vs. high-production ads & see what clicks.
• Avoid fragmentation: Brands over-segmenting their audiences often struggle. Keep your targeting broad and let the algorithm do its magic.
• Don’t get stuck in old ways: The biggest mistake? Using the same strategy as last year.

Measurement = Growth

Meta emphasizes that regular testing fuels performance. Businesses that conduct consistent marketing experiments see up to 20% higher ROI.

Key measurement tools of Meta:

• A/B Testing: Compares different creatives or strategies to find the most effective approach.
• Brand lift studies: Splits audiences into test and control groups to measure ad impact on brand perception.
• Meta Pixel & Conversion API: Tracks customer interactions across platforms for deeper insights.

Vlerick x Meta Dublin

Our visit to Meta wasn’t just about marketing – it was also about understanding the future of technology and how it shapes our careers. As students of the Master in Marketing Strategy, we had a course at Vlerick called Digital Marketing, Content & Social Media Marketing Techniques, so it was incredible to see these concepts in action at Meta. We explored how AI, creativity, and data insights are used to optimize the customer journey, marketing funnel, and online advertising. These strategies, from demand generation to AI-driven audience expansion, are no longer just theories – they’re actively transforming the marketing landscape.

We’re truly grateful for this opportunity. Vlerick’s strong ties to the industry and its ability to facilitate connections with leading tech companies made this an unforgettable experience. The memories made, the conversations we had, and the perspectives gained will stick with us long after we graduate! 🙂

Watch the whole playlist of the study tour to Dublin.

Future marketeers, listen up!

For those looking to stay ahead in digital marketing, here are our biggest takeaways:

✅ AI is a powerful tool, but the best results come from combining data-driven automation with human creativity and strategic input.

✅ Test, analyze, and optimize continuously.

✅ Think beyond the traditional funnel – consumers don’t follow a straight path.

✅ Stay flexible, creative, and open to innovation.

Want to gain similar real-world experience and learn directly from the industry? Check out our Master’s in Marketing Strategy page.

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With thanks to Vlerick Business School and article authors, Zoë Saelens, Caitlin O’Brien, Shana Michiels, and Wahid Murad.

Learn more about Vlerick Business School