Whether you’re an experienced Amazon advertiser or thinking about diving into this channel, you’ve probably heard of Amazon UnBoxed. The annual event took place on October 25 – 27, 2022, at the Jacob Javits Center North in New York.
According to Amazon, UnBoxed is “a conference open to businesses of all sizes and marketers of every level of expertise interested in learning how Amazon is helping brands grow their business through creativity and innovation.”
This year, Amazon announced many new updates that appear to rival the ad capabilities of Google and Meta. Several members of Blue Wheel’s staff attended this year and, together, we’ve come up with five key takeaways from this year’s conference.
1. Brands Need to Focus on Video
- Video Builder
Amazon announced a new creative feature that gives advertisers the ability to create videos faster by taking advantage of customizable templates. This is designed to expand video advertising access to small to midsize brands.
- Video on Sponsored Display
Amazon is also adding video to its self-service Sponsored Display solution. Advertisers can now easily create video campaigns covering several formats including tutorials, demos, unboxing, and testimonials, to name a few. You can measure campaign performance with standard Sponsored Display metrics.
- Interactive Video Ads
Advertisers can now feature a range of CTA options, including (but not limited to) “Add to cart,” “Add to list,” and “Shop now” on ads placed within their streaming services. Additionally, brands that are not on Amazon can include the CTA “Send me more” with the option to follow up via email or direct viewers to a QR code.
2. Analytics Made Simple with Amazon Marketing Cloud
- Signal Coverage
The added integration of Sizmek Ad Suite (beta) means that advertisers can analyze bidding, cross-publisher attribution, and total reach with new Sponsored Display and digital subscription event signals.
- Manage DSP with Ease
Soon brands can manage their DSP audiences within Amazon Marketing Cloud. This means advertisers will gain access to more customization options and insights. Additionally, Amazon now has more than 50 playbooks in their AMC library, otherwise known as ‘Instructional Queries,’ to help advertisers improve utility.
3. Amazon Expanding Display Capabilities
- Not on Amazon? No problem!
In an effort to drive more traffic and users, Amazon has decided to open up advertising to brands who are not on Amazon. If you don’t currently sell on Amazon, you can now run Sponsored Display ads on Twitch.
- Rewarded Sponsored Display
Soon, customers will be able to receive shopping credits when they click on Sponsored Display ads and purchase the advertised product. Brands will be able to add Amazon shopping credits to their creative when setting up campaigns.
4. Growing Focus on In-Store Capabilities
- Digital Signage Ads
Brands soon will be able to manage in-store ads within Amazon Fresh stores through Amazon DSP. Placements can be managed based on store location, dayparting, or via the location of signage within the store.
5. Reporting Goes Deeper, Real-Time
- New CTV Metric
Now CTV advertisers can measure “incremental household reach,” a new metric that will help brands understand the audience they reached via Amazon streaming TV ads. According to Amazon, “the solution ensures accurate, aggregated results by combining first-party and third-party signals, augmented by machine leaning-based-projections.”
- Performance Recommendations
Advertisers can now access automated campaign performance recommendations in real-time for their Sponsored Product campaigns. These are based on tried and true best practices.
As part of Blue Wheel’s omnichannel marketing wheel, our Amazon advertising services give you the opportunity to meet customers where they are, at every stage of the buyer journey.
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