Poor Targeting Blamed for Wasted Ad Dollars

Brett Fish sees a lot of wasted ad spend in the digital marketing space. He is the founder of TagHero, a company that tracks advertising performance for clients on platforms like Meta, Google Ads, and TikTok. Fish argues that these platforms function primarily as algorithms that react only to data inputs. When the data is clean, the results are strong. When the data is flawed, the money is wasted. This concept is often described as “garbage in, garbage out,” where the quality of the digital signals dictates the efficiency of the budget.

The foundation of performance: Data integrity

According to Fish, improper data setup is a major culprit behind inefficient campaigns. He explains that ad algorithms are essentially automated systems that need specific data points to function correctly. If those data points are garbled or incomplete, the algorithm cannot deliver the intended return on investment. Even established brands with significant budgets can suffer from these technical glitches. Fish recently audited a large brand and discovered systematic double-counting of events across Meta’s systems. Such errors can go unnoticed for years, bloating data reports and skewing the understanding of campaign health.

The use cases for tracking can get complicated and require customizations. Maybe it is a tag installed years ago that no one knows about, resulting in double-counting and duplication. Fish suggests that advertisers should prioritize the data level—the underlying infrastructure—before focusing on creative, landing pages, or account structures. Once the data infrastructure is dialed in, the creative elements can perform as intended.

Managing the technical setup

Are people still using Google Tag Manager? Fish says yes, it remains on millions of websites because it is a reliable tool. Placing a single code snippet from Google Tag Manager on a website can eliminate similar site snippets from Google Analytics, Meta Pixels, and a slew of other providers. This consolidation helps clean up the data feed and reduces the risk of errors. Fish always recommends the easiest and most cost-effective solutions, such as native Shopify integrations for ad campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Google. These integrations are free and easy to set up and use for smaller businesses.

Clients with larger ad spend and web traffic usually benefit from third-party data tools such as Elevar and Blotout. At this scale, the complexity of tracking requires dedicated software to maintain efficiency. Fish notes that while these tools are helpful, they are not always necessary for smaller budgets. The primary goal is to ensure that the platform receives accurate information about user interactions.

As the digital ecosystem matures, the technical infrastructure that connects user behavior to advertising platforms has become a critical bottleneck. Many advertisers focus heavily on creative strategy and audience targeting, yet if the data pipeline is fractured or obstructed by privacy restrictions, even the most sophisticated ad designs will fail to reach the intended audience. This creates a disconnect where creative teams produce high-quality work, but the data pipeline ensures that the platforms never see it.

Privacy and cookie consent

Privacy regulations are changing how data is handled. U.S. brands are now increasingly aware of the compliance issues that European advertisers have faced for years. Fish advises placing a banner on a website that allows visitors to opt in or out of cookies. There are different categories of tracking, such as analytics, ad targeting, and cookies that keep users logged in. Users often get to a website, see the cookie banner, and opt in to everything without reading the details. However, it is critical to respect users’ choices if they do not actively participate. If a visitor opts out of ad targeting, you cannot send tracking data to Meta, Google, TikTok, and any other ad platform. Privacy is a significant concern for U.S. brands and is increasingly regulated.

At what point to upgrade tools

Determining when to invest in external optimization tools depends largely on the size of the ad budget. Fish suggests that clients typically benefit from third-party data tools like Elevar and Blotout when they reach a monthly ad spend of around $80,000. At this level, the cost of these external tools becomes justifiable compared to using only free, native integrations. The benefit is usually incremental, meaning it provides a small boost in efficiency rather than a massive overhaul of the campaign performance.

For more information or to get in touch with Brett Fish, you can visit the company website at TagHero.io or connect with him on X and LinkedIn.