Microsoft Ads, ClickTech, and a Cup of Copilot: What We Learned About Making Q4 Count
The Axonpoint team recently joined ClickTech and Microsoft for a deep dive into how Microsoft Advertising is evolving — and what brands can do to make the most of the high-stakes autumn/winter period.
While consumer brands head into peak shopping season, many B2B businesses experience the opposite: fewer inbound moments, longer buying cycles, and a greater need for precision. That’s why this session stood out. The day brought together Microsoft specialists, agency practitioners and data-driven marketers, each sharing what’s genuinely moving the needle inside the Microsoft Ads ecosystem.
Below are the themes that shaped the conversations — and the ones we’ll be carrying into Q4 planning.
Display is Having a Moment
One of the early discussions focused on Display. And if you haven’t revisited Microsoft’s offering recently, it’s worth a second look.
Matt Beswick (Quality Bearings Online) summed it up simply: Microsoft Display has levelled-up. His point wasn’t about shiny features, but about targeting. By tagging users at ad-group level — across job roles, industries, companies and more — advertisers can create precise, higher-value segments, particularly in B2B programmes.
The advice was to spend more time inside the audience data itself. Find the pockets of unexpected performance. Build around them. And don’t forget the quieter tools: Microsoft Clarity for behaviour insights, or templated reporting that speeds up the “what’s actually happening here?” analysis.
Smarter Account Management: It’s Not Just a Copy of Google
A recurring message from multiple speakers: importing Google Ads into Microsoft is fine as a starting point — but not as a strategy.
To unlock real performance, Microsoft needs a native approach. That means:
- Refreshing Google imports every quarter
- Reviewing CPA and ROAS targets (they behave differently)
- Checking UTMs for consistency
- Reassessing bidding strategies, especially when budgets are lean
PMAX also earned a fair amount of attention. Pairing Microsoft’s version with Copilot is already generating impressive conversion lifts for some advertisers.
The Microsoft Ecosystem Is Bigger Than You Think
One of the most interesting sessions was led by Niki Grant (Partner Support Lead), who walked us through the Microsoft Ads ecosystem. Spoiler: it’s huge.
We’re talking beyond Bing — into LinkedIn, Xbox Live, Edge, MSN, and even Microsoft 365. Plus, through search partners like DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, and Nextdoor, you’re reaching privacy-first audiences and niche communities you won’t find anywhere else.
With predictive targeting and signal-powered shopping, Microsoft is leaning into the idea of intent-driven discovery. In plain English: it’s learning what users want before they know it themselves.
Ready for Peak Season? Here’s Your Checklist
As Q4 kicks in, preparation is key. Microsoft shared a great holiday readiness checklist, and it’s one we’ll definitely be applying for clients:
✅ Review asset groups and creatives
✅ Use broader seasonal search themes
✅ Update ad extensions (and make them relevant!)
✅ Revisit bidding strategies for faster reactions
✅ Adjust budgets to match consumer demand
✅ Schedule ads logically — timing matters
✅ Make seasonality adjustments for traffic spikes
The key message? Don’t just crank up your spend and hope for the best. Everyone else is doing that. Instead, refine smarter.
Collaboration Over Isolation
One panel ended with a point that stuck with us: “Channel isolation kills insight.”
If you’re still treating Microsoft Ads as an add-on or afterthought, you’re missing half the picture. Microsoft Ads isn’t just a retargeting platform or a cheaper version of Google — it’s a growing, data-rich environment, especially effective for B2B and high-value audiences.
As Alice Yan (The Ingenuity) put it, the brands winning right now are the ones who track and report holistically — seeing how every touchpoint connects.
So What Next?
Between Copilot, PMAX, predictive data, and its unique reach across platforms like LinkedIn and Xbox, Microsoft Ads is quickly moving from “nice to have” to “essential.”
For us, the biggest lesson from the ClickTech x Microsoft event was that Microsoft’s ad ecosystem is maturing fast — and for marketers who give it proper attention, there’s real opportunity this season to capture audiences others are missing.
And yes, we’ll admit: we’re a bit excited to get stuck in so if you’d like to know how you can reach new audiences and steal a march on your competition, get in touch to find out about test campaign offers and incentives!
