About the Episode
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About the Episode:
Meta claims new tech ‘redefining’ advertising as an ‘AI agent’
Meta Previews New Optimization Tools As It Hypes AI-Driven Ad Revenue Growth
In this episode of Higher Ed Pulse, host Mallory Willsea sits down with Marina Cooper, Senior Associate Vice President for Integrated Marketing and Brand at Johns Hopkins University, to unpack how AI is rewriting the advertising playbook. As platforms like Meta roll out real-time ad optimization tools, Marina shares her perspective on the opportunities and pitfalls of letting AI take the reins in campaign creative. This conversation dives into the nuance of brand guardrails, ethical AI use, and why higher ed marketers must stay both curious and cautious.
Key Takeaways
- AI in higher education advertising is evolving rapidly—real-time optimization is no longer a future state; it's here.
- Dynamic creative tools like Meta’s AI ad suite offer massive scale but raise serious questions about brand control and message consistency.
- Institutional marketers need guardrails—brand tone, visual identity, and context sensitivity must be protected as AI tools generate creative on the fly.
- Brand safety and strategic oversight are essential when experimenting with automated creative, especially in sensitive or mission-driven environments like higher ed.
- Marketers must learn alongside the machines—understanding how to use AI outputs as insights for broader campaign and messaging strategy.
- Professional marketing communities, such as local AMA chapters, offer vital learning, networking, and recruiting benefits that help leaders stay sharp.
Episode Summary
What is Dynamic Creative Optimization and How Is AI Changing It?
Dynamic creative optimization (DCO) once meant simply swapping out images or headlines based on early performance indicators. Now, powered by generative AI, tools from platforms like Meta can reformat videos, rewrite copy, and optimize asset combinations in real time—all without requiring manual input. This shift promises better campaign ROI, faster scalability, and hyper-personalization at scale. But Marina Cooper stresses that higher education institutions, unlike startups or small brands, need to tread carefully. These real-time systems may optimize for clicks and conversions but not for tone, timing, or contextual nuance—essential components of storytelling in higher ed.
How Should Higher Ed Marketers Think About Brand Safety in the Age of AI?
Marina highlights a core concern: real-time AI-generated content may miss the mark when it comes to brand integrity. In higher education, campaigns often speak to multiple audiences simultaneously—prospective students, alumni, donors—and each requires a tailored, thoughtful approach. AI tools may accidentally crop out key brand visuals, misinterpret sentiment during sensitive times, or prioritize short-term engagement over long-term brand trust. For Marina and her team at JHU, this means getting extremely clear on what parts of a campaign can be optimized versus what must remain fixed. Fonts and copy weights? Maybe. Photography and language? Probably not without human review.
Can AI Performance Data Improve Broader Campaign Strategy?
While concerns around automation are real, Marina acknowledges the upside of machine learning: better, faster insights. AI-driven campaign results can offer valuable signals—what imagery works, which headlines resonate, how audiences interact with formats—that marketers can use to inform creative briefs and messaging strategies across channels. But it all comes down to thoughtful integration. AI should not be a substitute for strategy—it should be a companion to it. The goal, she says, is to evolve the work, not replace the humans behind it.
What Should Marketing Leaders Do to Navigate AI-Driven Campaign Changes?
Leadership in the AI age means setting clear boundaries and maintaining accountability. Marina emphasizes three pillars: quality inputs (your creative assets), strong brand guardrails (what AI can and can't change), and active oversight (marketing leadership must remain hands-on, even with automation). She warns against being lured solely by flashy ROI numbers without understanding what’s driving them. Transparency, ethics, and replicability are non-negotiables—especially when platforms like Meta offer little insight into their algorithmic decision-making. For institutional marketers, it’s not just about the lift; it’s about whether that lift aligns with the mission.
How Can Higher Ed Marketers Stay Informed and Supported?
Throughout the episode, Marina champions the value of professional communities like AMA. Her involvement—both nationally and locally in the Baltimore chapter—has helped shape her strategies, expand her network, and even recruit talent. These spaces are where best practices are shared, creativity is sparked, and collective learning happens. Marina encourages listeners to plug in locally and contribute to the dialogue around how marketing—and marketers—must evolve in the face of AI.
Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea
About The Enrollify Podcast Network: The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.
Enrollify is produced by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.
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