Infographic · Creative Comparison

UGC vs Founder Video vs Polished Creative

Three creative formats. Very different results. Here's what the data actually shows — and which one to use when.

Metric	UGC Ads	Founder Video	Polished Creative
Average CTR	1.0–1.4%	1.3–2.0% best	0.6–1.0%
Average CPA	Medium	Lowest best	Highest
Production cost	£200–£800/video lowest	£0–£200 (DIY)	£2k–£20k+
Time to produce	5–10 days	Same day fastest	2–6 weeks
Scalability	High (multiple creators) best	Medium (one founder)	Low (high cost per variation)
Trust signal	High (social proof)	Highest best	Low (feels like an ad)
Brand safety	Medium (creator variance)	High (brand controls)	Highest best
Cold audience performance	Good	Best best	Weak
Best use case	Volume testing, social proof	Top of funnel, new audiences	Retargeting, brand lift

When to Use Each

You're entering cold audiences, launching a new product, or CPA is too high. This is your primary weapon at top of funnel.

You've found a winning angle and need volume. UGC lets you test 10 variations of a hook for less than one polished shoot.

You're retargeting warm audiences who already know the brand, or running awareness campaigns where aesthetics matter.

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