I just reviewed Meta’s Q3 data and found some red flags beneath the surface for DTC brands.

Clearwater’s latest research mirrors what we’re seeing across our client portfolio.

The good:
→ Meta ad spend remains durable
→ Revenue tracking is steady
→ Brands are prioritizing revenue over strict ROAS
→ Q4 budgets look cautiously optimistic

But here’s the flip side:
• Meta’s Incremental Attribution isn’t delivering the lift it promised. Agencies are underwhelmed.

• GenAI features? Most teams are still avoiding them after early misfires.

• Efficiency gains are drying up. Budget is shifting, mostly toward TikTok…but performance reads are still mixed.

Meta’s still the most dependable platform for DTC at scale. But the easy wins are gone.

The brands getting results now are doing it with smarter measurement, deeper creative testing, and better cross-channel strategy (coincidentally that’s exactly what we do at Acceler8)

If Meta’s feeling less efficient lately, you’re not alone.

The question is: are you evolving your playbook, or just spending more to keep up?

What are you seeing in your Q3 Meta performance? Curious to compare notes.