• What custom bidding is—and why it matters now more than ever
• The limitations of smart and manual bidding
• How custom bidding improves efficiency and profitability
• The math behind custom bidding: inputs, outcomes, and what to track
• How to structure your bidding models for real-world impact
• Brand health vs performance marketing—and how to balance both
• Why marketers need to own their numbers and not rely blindly on algorithms
• Leadership, data, and the evolving role of marketing in 2025
✔ Custom bidding isn’t just for data scientists—every performance marketer should understand it
✔ You can scale smarter, faster, and more profitably with the right bidding strategy
✔ Relying on Google or Meta to optimize your campaigns? It’s time to take control
✔ Brand building and bidding are not mutually exclusive—they should support each other
If you’re serious about leveling up your paid media game, this episode is a blueprint.
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⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – Intro
01:45 – What is custom bidding (and why it’s misunderstood)
04:20 – Where smart bidding falls short
08:12 – Inputs that matter: defining value in your bidding model
13:50 – Common mistakes in performance bidding strategies
18:24 – Real-life example: building custom bidding from scratch
23:08 – Why marketers need to think like product managers
27:32 – Balancing brand health with aggressive bidding goals
32:10 – How custom bidding increases profitability
36:40 – Final thoughts from Hicham on owning your strategy
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