A groundbreaking new book, Hacking Advertising: How We Learned to Make Ads Without the Agency (And You Can Too), was published on April 29, 2025. Written by Jon Sneider, former Microsoft executive with experience managing advertising budgets over $500 million, the book challenges the advertising industry’s status quo. It offers companies a detailed roadmap to create high-quality ads at a fraction of traditional agency costs, potentially saving marketers millions annually.
- The Traditional Agency Model and Its Inefficiencies:
- Sneider critiques the traditional advertising agency model, which he believes is complex, expensive, and primarily benefits agencies, not clients.
- He exposes inefficiencies in the traditional system, showing how agencies often create work to drive their own business, rather than focusing on client outcomes.
- Creative Production Under One Roof:
- By combining creative and production teams under one roof, Sneider demonstrates how companies can slash both costs and time to market.
- Small, experienced teams can outperform large agency teams, producing better work more efficiently.
- Strategies and Revelations in Hacking Advertising:
- In-Market Testing vs. Pre-Testing: Sneider emphasizes that testing ads in-market provides better insights and results than pre-testing.
- Stealing Like an Artist: A concept that encourages marketers to draw inspiration from successful campaigns to create faster and more effective ads.
- Five Magic Metrics© Framework: Sneider introduces a new framework that focuses on the key metrics driving advertising success, helping marketers eliminate waste and focus on what truly impacts ROI.
- The Impact on Marketing Leadership:
- Hacking Advertising offers concrete strategies for CMOs and marketing leaders, who face increasing pressure to prove ROI on ad spend. The book shows how to maximize advertising impact while reducing waste.
Hacking Advertising is already being hailed as a disruptive force in the ad industry. By challenging conventional practices and promoting more efficient, cost-effective strategies, Jon Sneider’s book offers a powerful alternative to traditional advertising models. Marketers now have a guide to creating higher-quality ads at a fraction of the cost, paving the way for more efficient and impactful advertising strategies.
