Indulge in our exclusive interview series, ExtraMile by YourTechDiet, where we connect you with leading industry players who are reshaping the future. Join us as they share their secrets of innovative ideas, key trends in tech, and marketing strategies.
In today’s episode, we are delighted to have Mr. Xavier de Baillenx, the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Ramdam, a front running provider of creator Ads services. Explore Xavier’s journey in transforming the advertising landscape by optimizing social media campaigns for brands.
With a rich background in the music industry and a proven track record in digital marketing, Xavier shares how Ramdam has revolutionized user-generated content (UGC) in video ads through the power of artificial intelligence.
Dive in and take a tour of his journey, understand the impact of AI on advertising, and comprehend the future of creative marketing!
Hello Xavier, it’s a pleasure to have you with us!
1. Digital advertising is indeed an evolving sector. What, according to you, contributed the most to the increasing popularity of digital ads?
Ans: The increasing popularity of digital advertising can largely be explained by the massive reach of platforms like TikTok. In the U.S. alone, TikTok has around 170 million monthly active users, which is over half of the population. This level of penetration is unprecedented compared to traditional media, making social platforms dominate alternative advertising channels.
What’s even more impressive is the level of engagement happening across social media. TikTok users in the U.S. spend an average of 1.5 hours per day on the platform. This deep connection with shortform, authentic content allows advertisers to capture attention in ways traditional ads can’t match.
As users are increasingly captivated by more authentic content, such as creator ads and user-generated content, these platforms have grown even more attractive to brands. This modern style of advertising resonates more with audiences, especially younger generations, and is transforming how brands communicate with their consumers.
2. Considering your extensive experience in the advertising and marketing domains, we would like to know about your perspective on AI revolutionizing brand partnerships across social media platforms and generating higher ROI.
Ans: The impact of AI on digital advertising is immense. While many individuals assume that AI is primarily being used to generate ads, its transformative potential lies in reshaping both creative processes and ad delivery. One of the biggest challenges in influencer marketing is finding the right creators among millions. AI-powered platforms, like Ramdam, are upleveling influencer marketing by optimizing creator partnerships. Using AI to analyze audience engagement, brand alignment, and performance metrics, brands can collaborate with influencers who are more likely to deliver top results and drive better campaign performance.
AI is going beyond just matching brands with the right influencers; it’s transforming the distribution and scale of ads. By analyzing user behavior, demographics, and interests, AI-powered algorithms on platforms like TikTok and Meta refine ad placements in real-time to ensure that ads reach the most relevant audiences at the optimal time, maximizing ROI. In fact, AI tools are empowering brands to create, personalize, and scale content more efficiently than ever with highly targeted campaigns, producing content that resonates with specific audiences while adapting in real-time.
As AI capabilities advance ad optimization and scale, it’s critical to remember that AI must be used in tandem with human creativity to ensure content connects emotionally with audiences and stands out in a crowded digital arena.
3. What are the basics of creative advertising? How do marketers bring precision to their approach?
Ans: The essentials of creative advertising center around creating impactful, engaging content tailored to today’s digital landscape. To start, marketers must shift away from overly polished ads and towards short-form, dynamic content. However, there are several key elements that successful ads typically incorporate from hooks, eye-catching visuals, and impactful sound to authenticity and problem-solution narratives.
While there is no formula for success when it comes to creating the best ad, there are several ways for marketers to bring precision to their approach. As AI analyzes vast amounts of data to identify audience preferences and refine targeting, it enables marketers to pivot campaigns in real-time to improve engagement and ROI. Creating effective ads is a process and using data-driven testing to iterate and refine ads for better performance, in combination with creative storytelling, can help marketers consistently produce content that connects with audiences and drives measurable results.
4. Good advertising resonates with human emotions. Do you agree? What is the significance of nostalgia marketing in this regard?
Ans: I absolutely agree – human emotions and authenticity are at the heart of effective advertising. In an era where users decide whether content is worthy of their time in milliseconds, they’ve developed an instant intuition to reject anything that feels fake or overly promotional. The less an ad feels like a hard sell, the better it performs. We see in our own campaigns that the most successful ads are those where a micro-influencer genuinely shows how a product meets their needs, reaching hundreds of millions of views.
Nostalgia adds another layer to this emotional connection on TikTok. Interestingly, even Gen Z, which is often seen as future-focused, frequently engages with trends inspired by the past, leading TikTok trends incorporating throwbacks music, TV shows, or cultural moments to take off, as it creates instant familiarity and emotional resonance. Nostalgia bridges generations, offering a unifying and relatable touchpoint for audiences. By tapping into these shared memories, brands can craft ads that not only capture attention but also foster a deeper sense of connection and community, making nostalgia a powerful strategy in modern advertising.
5. What is your take on influencer marketing and micro-influencers? How do you think these tactics can boost brand engagement and profitability?
Ans: The rise of platforms like TikTok has revolutionized how content is consumed, as viewers increasingly favor short-form video content. These formats are 2.5 times more engaging than long-form content and drive significant visibility—for example, smaller accounts have seen an 892% increase in reach for their Instagram Reels as opposed to longer videos. As a result, this new wave of digitalization is driving influencer marketing.
To truly boost engagement and profit, brands need to be strategic about the creators they’re working with. Micro-influencers consistently outperform big influencers in engagement rates, offering up to 60% more engagement than larger accounts. Their relatable, non-celebrity personas make them particularly effective in building trust and connection with niche audiences. This authenticity, in turn, fosters higher interaction rates and drives conversions more effectively than polished, traditional ads.
Micro-influencers are redefining the influencer marketing landscape with their authenticity, niche targeting, and high engagement. When their content is amplified by algorithm-driven discoverability, brands can achieve greater profitability while building meaningful connections with their audiences. At Ramdam, this is our specialty: helping brands harness the power of micro-creators to deliver impactful campaigns that truly resonate.
6. Let’s shift our focus to your personal interests, what pursuits do you have apart from being the visionary CEO of Ramdam?
Ans: Thank you for the “visionary CEO of Ramdam”—I’ll gladly take that! When I first entered the tech startup world, my previous company was acquired by Match. But before that, I spent a significant part of my life in the music industry. I was a hip-hop producer in South Africa, managed a pop group that was huge in Asia, and worked at Universal Music in digital for a few years. So I’ve been deeply involved in the music scene, both as a passion and a profession. Now, while my career has taken a different path, music still holds a special place in my heart and mind.
7. What are the common challenges of running effective ad campaigns? How to tackle these challenges and attain success?
Ans: One common challenge in running an effective ad campaign is that brands are still stuck in the “creative lottery,” where they buy UGC (user-generated content) from various sources and hope for a winning ad. This trial-and-error approach often leads to inconsistent results, with some ads performing brilliantly while others fall flat—without a clear understanding of why. Our solution is something we call Creative Intelligence, which leverages AI and data to take the guesswork out of ad creation. By analyzing past campaign data, audience preferences, and engagement patterns, brands can make informed decisions about which creators will make their brand go viral – shifting from random experimentation to a strategic and data-driven approach.
Another challenge is scaling creatives for campaigns. Effective campaigns require high quantity and consistency in renewals to deliver higher ROAS (return on ad spent). But maintaining this volume is resource-intensive and overwhelming. AI-driven platforms automate parts of the creative process. These tools can generate multiple creative variations, match with creators who align with your brand and audience, and continuously test new creatives to maintain engagement.
8. The festive season is knocking on the door already. Can you share a few strategies for marketers to boost engagement with their audience after the Christmas and New Year period?
Ans: The festive season may wind down after Christmas and New Year, but the post-holiday period—what we call Q5—offers a unique opportunity for marketers to boost engagement and profitability. During Q5, consumers remain active online, fueled by holiday gift cards and leftover budgets. With lower ad competition and reduced costs for increased ROI, it’s an ideal time to connect with audiences on social platforms where engagement levels are high to leverage postholiday shopping momentum.
Consumer behavior shifts after the holidays, with many focusing on New Year’s resolutions, personal growth, and self-care. Tailor your campaigns to align with this mindset—highlight products that support fresh starts, wellness, or organization. Messaging like “treat yourself” resonates strongly during this period, with 57% of post-holiday shopping driven by self-gifting, particularly among millennials and Gen X. Hyper-personalization is key for Q5 success—use data analytics to tailor offers based on browsing habits, purchase history, and social media activity. Consumers are particularly responsive to brands that align with their New Year goals and aspirations.
With reduced pressure and less competition, Q5 is a perfect time to test new ad formats or creative approaches. Experiment with UGC, bundle offers, or exclusive deals to gauge what resonates best with your audience.
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