competitor-ad-teardown

# Competitor Ad Teardown (Meta Ad Library) Analyze competitor paid social creatives via Appeeky Meta Ad Library integration. Produce a **swipe file of patterns and hooks** — not a copy-paste kit. Research before you generate. The best first batch mirrors proven formats with your unique positioning. ## Initial Assessment 1. Read `app-ads-context.md` — your app, category, geo 2. Identify 1–3 competitors (direct + aspirational) 3. Confirm read-only Ad Library access (Appeeky API key; optional `X-Meta-Ad-Library-Token`) ## What You Can Learn (and Cannot) | Can learn | Cannot learn | |-----------|--------------| | Active creative formats | Exact spend / ROAS | | Hook patterns and angles | Which ad "wins" internally | | Long-running ads (proxy for profit) | Full funnel CVR | | Platform mix (FB, IG, etc.) | Audience targeting details (limited) | | CTA and copy structure | Proprietary assets to steal | **Long-running active ads** (30+ days) are the strongest signal — competitors rarely keep losers live. ## Data Sources (Appeeky MCP) | Tool | Use when | |------|----------| | `meta_app_ad_intelligence` | You have competitor App Store / Play ID | | `meta_ads_search` | Keyword or brand name search | | `meta_ads_page_ads` | You know Facebook Page ID | See [appeeky-meta-ads.md](../../tools/integrations/appeeky-meta-ads.md). ## Workflow ### Step 1 — Identify Target | Input | Example | |-------|---------| | Competitor app name | "Calm" | | Apple App ID | `571800810` | | Google package | `com.competitor.app` | | Facebook Page ID | If known from prior search | Pull organic context from aso-skills `competitor-analysis` if available — aligns ASO vs paid positioning. ### Step 2 — Fetch Ad Intelligence (by app) Best starting point — resolves app → brand → Ad Library: ``` meta_app_ad_intelligence app_id: "571800810" platform: "apple" country: "us" status: "ACTIVE" media_type: "ALL" limit: 25 ``` **Google Play:** ``` meta_app_ad_intelligence app_id: "com.competitor.app" platform: "google" country: "us" lang: "en" limit: 25 ``` **Override search terms** if brand name differs from app title: ``` meta_app_ad_intelligence app_id: "571800810" platform: "apple" query: "Calm meditation sleep" ``` ### Step 3 — Search by Keyword or Page **Keyword search:** ``` meta_ads_search query: "Calm meditation" countries: "US" status: "ACTIVE" media_type: "ALL" limit: 25 ``` **Page-specific:** ``` meta_ads_page_ads page_id: "<facebook-page-id>" countries: "US" status: "ACTIVE" limit: 25 ``` Paginate with `after` cursor if `limit` exhausted. ### Step 4 — Analyze Each Ad For top **10–15 ads** (prioritize long-running + diverse formats): | Dimension | What to extract | |-----------|-----------------| | **Hook** | First line of primary text / video opening | | **Format** | Video / static / carousel / meme | | **Angle** | Problem, social proof, offer, fear, aspiration | | **Visual** | UGC, studio, screenshot, before/after | | **CTA** | Install, Learn more, Sign up | | **Runtime** | `ad_delivery_start_time` → today | | **Platforms** | Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Audience Network | | **Seasonality** | Holiday, back-to-school, New Year | ### Step 5 — Pattern Summary Cluster ads into 3–5 patterns. Count frequency. ### Step 6 — Translate to Your Variants Map gaps to `ad-creative-variants` matrix — angles competitors **don't** use are opportunities. ## Analysis Framework ### Hook Taxonomy | Type | Signal words | Example | |------|--------------|---------| | Problem | "Tired of", "Still", "Can't" | "Still can't focus?" | | Outcome | "Get", "Finally", "In X days" | "Sleep better in 7 nights" | | Social proof | "Join", "million", "#1" | "Join 10M+ users" | | Curiosity | "This", "Why", "Secret" | "This app fixed my mornings" | | Identity | "For [persona]" | "For busy moms" | | Offer | "Free", "Trial", "% off" | "7-day free trial" | ### Format Taxonomy | Format | Scroll-stop mechanism | Your Appeeky preset mapping | |--------|----------------------|----------------------------| | UGC phone | Authenticity | `person_holding_phone` + `ugc` | | Split problem/solution | Contrast | `problem_solution_split` | | Testimonial quote | Trust | `creator_testimonial` | | Clean product shot | Premium | `clean_app_store_mockup` | | Video demo | Motion proof | `tiktok-creative-strategy` (not static API) | ### Longevity Scoring | Days active | Interpretation | |-------------|----------------| | < 7 | Testing — weak signal | | 7–30 | Promising — watch | | 30–90 | Likely working | | 90+ | Core evergreen creative | ## REST API Equivalents ```bash # App intelligence GET /v1/apps/:id/ad-intelligence?platform=apple&country=us # Search GET /v1/ads/meta/search?query=Calm&countries=US&status=ACTIVE # Page ads GET /v1/ads/meta/pages/:pageId/ads?countries=US ``` Headers: `Authorization: Bearer <appeeky-key>`; optional `X-Meta-Ad-Library-Token`. ## Output Template ```markdown # Competitor Ad Teardown — [Competitor Name] **App ID:** [id] | **Platform:** apple | **Ads analyzed:** N active **Date:** [date] | **Geo filter:** US ## Executive Summary [2–3 sentences: what they lean on, what's missing, your opportunity] ## Top Patterns ### 1. [Pattern Name] — X of N ads - **Format:** Video / static / carousel - **Angle:** Problem / proof / offer - **Typical hook:** "..." - **Why it works:** [hypothesis] - **Example library ID:** [id] ### 2. [Pattern Name] — X of N ads ... ## Hook Swipe File | Hook (paraphrased) | Type | Format | Days live | Platforms | |--------------------|------|--------|-----------|-----------| | | Problem | Video | 90+ | IG, FB | | | Social proof | Static | 45 | FB | ## Visual Patterns - Dominant: [UGC / studio / screenshot] - On-image text: [heavy / minimal] - Brand colors: [notes] ## Platform Mix | Platform | % of ads | |----------|----------| | Instagram | | | Facebook | | | Audience Network | | ## Gaps & Opportunities - **Angles they avoid:** [list] - **Formats underused:** [e.g. before/after] - **Weak CTAs to beat:** [generic "Learn more"] - **Geo gaps:** [EU vs US creative differences] ## Recommended Variants for Us → Run `ad-creative-variants` with: | Variant | Angle (inspired by, not copied) | Style / Preset | |---------|--------------------------------|----------------| | A | [your problem hook] | problem_solution / split | | B | [your UGC angle] | ugc / person_holding_phone | | C | [gap they miss] | professional / mockup | ## Ethical Use Reminder - Inspire format and structure — never copy exact copy/visuals - Do not present competitor ads as your own ``` ## Multi-Competitor Comparison When analyzing 2–3 competitors: | Pattern | Comp A | Comp B | Comp C | You | |---------|--------|--------|--------|-----| | UGC video | ✅ Heavy | ⚠️ Some | ❌ None | ? | | Before/after | ❌ | ✅ Heavy | ❌ | Opportunity | | Free trial CTA | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ | Match | ## TikTok Competitor Research (manual) No TikTok Ad Library API in Appeeky yet: 1. TikTok Creative Center → Top Ads by industry 2. Search `#[competitor]` and `"[competitor] ad"` on TikTok 3. Document in same teardown template under **TikTok appendix** 4. Feed hooks into `tiktok-creative-strategy` ## Benchmarks (category signals) | Signal | Saturated market | Open opportunity | |--------|------------------|-------------------| | Same hook in 80%+ ads | Parity required + differentiation | | | Video dominance | Need video channel (TikTok/Meta video) | Static may still work if others ignore | | No static ads | | Static 1024 via `meta-ad-creative` | | Heavy offer ads | Trial/price in your copy | Brand/outcome angle unused | ## Common Mistakes | Mistake | Fix | |---------|-----| | Copying hooks verbatim | Paraphrase; adapt to your listing | | Analyzing inactive ads only | Filter `status: ACTIVE` | | One competitor only | Compare 2–3 for pattern confidence | | Ignoring ad age | Weight long-running ads higher | | Research without action | Always output variant recommendations | | Skipping your own listing | Generate only after teardown → variants plan | ## Ethical & Legal Use - **Inspire, don't infringe** — formats and categories are fair game; assets and exact copy are not - Paraphrase all hooks in swipe file - Use competitor ads for internal strategy only - When showing user examples, label clearly as **competitor ad** with source ## Pre-Teardown Checklist ``` - [ ] Competitor app IDs confirmed - [ ] Geo filter matches your launch market - [ ] meta_app_ad_intelligence or search returned results - [ ] 10+ ads analyzed (or documented if fewer exist) - [ ] Patterns counted and ranked - [ ] Variant recommendations mapped to ad-creative-variants - [ ] Ethical use note included in output ``` ## Related Skills - `ad-creative-variants` — build counter-creatives from teardown - `meta-ad-creative` — single creative from your listing - `tiktok-creative-strategy` — video format selection - `meta-campaign-setup` — deploy after creatives ready - aso-skills `competitor-analysis` — organic/ASO side - aso-skills `competitor-tracking` — ongoing monitoring - `app-ads-context` — your positioning vs findings