Reddit just launched Max Campaigns, its first fully automated ad product and the timing at CES isn’t subtle. This is Reddit making a clear play for the performance dollars that currently flow to Google and Meta.
The product itself does what you’d expect from an AI-powered campaign type: automated targeting, bidding, creative selection, and budget allocation. But the differentiation Reddit is betting on is what it calls “Community Intelligence” using actual conversations happening in subreddits to inform targeting and creative, rather than relying purely on behavioral signals.
That’s the interesting part. Reddit sits on a massive dataset of self-declared intent: people actively researching purchases, comparing options, asking for recommendations. For categories where buyers do their homework before converting, that’s a genuinely different signal than what you get from Meta or Google.
What this means for media plans
Reddit has historically been a “nice to test” channel – interesting audience, but too manual and too niche to prioritize. Max Campaigns changes the math by removing the operational friction. Automation makes it easier to add Reddit to a channel mix without dedicated resources to manage it.
That said, automation doesn’t neutralize Reddit’s quirks. Brand safety and tone require more intentionality here than on other platforms. Showing up in the wrong subreddit or sounding too polished can backfire fast. Smart exclusions and creative that actually fits the environment still matter.
The bigger signal
Reddit is positioning itself as a standard line item in full-funnel plans, not a experimental buy. That’s a meaningful shift but it raises the bar. Once you introduce AI-led automation, advertisers expect consistency, scale, and clear proof of incremental value alongside Meta and Google.
The question isn’t whether Max Campaigns works mechanically. It’s whether Reddit can deliver the transparency and learnings that justify ongoing investment, or whether this becomes another black box competing for the same budget.
