Inside Meta’s AI vision for marketers: A conversation with Naomi Shepherd 

You don’t need us to tell you: AI is changing the marketing game. 

Content, campaign management, customer service, you name it – almost every aspect of marketing is feeling the impact. 

With so much transformation underway, industry leaders are racing to define what’s next. And few are more determined to lead the charge than Meta. 

So we caught up with Naomi Shepherd, Meta’s Group Industry Director, to hear how one of tech’s biggest names is harnessing AI – and how marketers can use their tools to drive impact. 

Here’s what we learned.

Transforming customer connections

AI is already reshaping the way brands interact with their audiences. But according to Meta, this is just the beginning.

'AI is helping businesses do more with less,' says Naomi Shepherd, Group Industry Director at Meta. ‘Tasks that once required expensive tools or deep technical expertise are now within reach for organisations of all sizes.

‘Soon, we’ll be able to take this even further. I see a future where businesses can leverage AI as an extension of their team.'
This would be a game-changer for customer service. 

‘Across the world, a billion people message a business on our platforms every day ,’ says Naomi. ‘AI is perfectly positioned to help manage that scale.’

It’s an inevitable trend. Just as every business now has a website and social presence, soon they’ll also have their own AI. A digital assistant to respond instantly to customer queries, provide tailored product recommendations and help drive growth.

And the opportunity doesn’t stop there. 

Making marketing more accessible

Besides transforming customer service, AI is also helping businesses streamline campaign development, making the process faster, simpler and more accessible.

To give just a few examples: businesses don’t need to manually define target customer groups anymore. They can now use AI to analyse customer data and identify high-value segments in real time. And rather than A/B testing different creative campaigns over several weeks, AI can run thousands of micro tests in parallel.

On Meta’s platforms, tools like Advantage+ are helping businesses automate campaign setup, speed up creative development and reach the most relevant customers with minimal effort.

'What used to take 11 steps now takes just two,’ says Naomi. ‘It removes the complexity and the guesswork. With AI managing the complicated technical processes, it’s easier for any business to create and run effective campaigns.’

This accessibility is opening marketing to a wider range of organisations – including startups, small businesses and those with limited resources or experience. 
And for experienced marketers? It’s saving valuable time. 

'While the AI handles testing, optimisation and iteration of successful campaigns in the background, marketers are free to focus on what really matters: developing big ideas, storytelling and experiences.'

Boosting creative output at scale

According to Naomi, creative focus is where some of the most exciting opportunities lie.

'If I learnt anything at the recent Meta Festival, it’s that creativity is one of the most powerful levers marketers can pull to improve campaign performance,' she says.

'Not everyone scrolls the same way, and even your highest-performing ad will eventually reach its limit. To truly drive results, you need to appeal to a broad audience, which means creating a wide variety of creative assets. And producing that volume of content manually can be a real challenge.'

That’s where generative AI is making a difference.

'Generative AI can boost creative output, expand creative potential and ultimately elevate campaign performance,' says Naomi. 'In one test we ran, a Meta ad campaign that used our image generation feature achieved an 11% higher click-through rate and a 7.6% higher conversion rate than those that didn’t.'

For Australian mattress company Ecosa, the results have been similarly promising. 

By using Meta’s AI-powered tools during their Black Friday campaign, Ecosa deployed nearly 200 creative variations – three times more than the previous year. The payoff? A 155% increase in revenue and a 44% year-on-year boost in return on ad spend (ROAS).

As Naomi points out, this kind of scalability is unlocking exciting new opportunities for campaign performance – and more. 

Finding new audiences 

Beyond campaign results, AI is the gateway for marketers to connect with new and unexpected audiences.

'AI can help marketers find customers they may never have considered,’ says Naomi. ‘Not just new customer segments, but also audiences in different markets and regions.’

While market expansion is nothing new, AI makes it more effective by enabling smarter targeting and more personalised creative at scale.

'With generative AI, marketers can adapt content to resonate with a broader range of interests and preferences,' Naomi explains. 

'That allows brands to connect with previously untapped audiences in a way that feels relevant and authentic.'

Empowering creators and communities 

While marketers already see tangible gains from AI, Meta is exploring how its capabilities can drive impact beyond advertising.

'AI should benefit everyone. Not just developers and marketers, but creators and everyday users too,' says Naomi.

To that end, they’re rolling out several AI tools for creators and communities. 

This includes the Creator AI extension, which automatically responds to common DMs and story replies on Instagram for content creators and influencers.

'It gives creators more bandwidth to focus on making quality content, while still staying connected to their communities,' Naomi explains.

Open-source tools like Meta’s Llama model are also enabling projects with real-world impact. In partnership with Deloitte and Niunet, not-for-profit LiteHaus is using Llama to build a chatbot that delivers educational content to students in remote Papua New Guinea – in both English and local languages.

'It’s an incredible example of how open-source technology can help bridge access gaps.’ 

An impact on everyday life – and beyond 

Then, there are the emerging AI-powered experiences that are set to change everyday life. Naomi points to the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses as a sign of what’s coming.

‘The new Ray-Ban Meta glasses featuring AI integration are really exciting,’ she enthuses. ‘I used them recently on a trip to Paris. They have a camera on them, so I could take photos of signs or menus and ask Meta AI to translate from French to English via built-in speakers. Or ask it to give directions to the restaurants and museums I wanted to visit. All hands free. 

‘A lot of people say AI is changing the world, which I know can feel clichéd. But at that moment, I remember thinking: this will change how people travel. And it’ll change how we interact with the world.’

As AI continues to evolve, one thing is clear: the brands and marketers that embrace its potential today will be best placed to thrive in the world of tomorrow.

Marketing is changing – fast – but ADMA is here to help you keep pace. Discover more expert insights and practical strategies in our Resource Centre. Or sharpen your marketing toolkit with one of our future-focused courses.