Amazon Ads now offers full-funnel advertising at scale, fuelled by first-party data no other platform can match…
At this year’s Amazon Upfront UK event, one headline was crystal-clear: Amazon Ads has hit unprecedented scale.
Now reaching over 22 million UK viewers (up 15% year-on-year), Prime Video’s ad-supported tier is allowing advertisers to access a massive 8 in 10 UK households through Amazon DSP.
And for brands, that’s not just reach – it’s reach with intelligence, with DSP able to integrate signals from streaming, shopping and buying behaviour and combine them with exclusive inventory across Prime Video, Twitch and thousands of premium publishers.
So what’s new?
Alongside this expanded scale, Amazon is also pushing hard into interactive and shoppable formats, including interactive pause ads, which let customers discover and connect with brands when they take a break from streaming, and interactive video ads that let viewers click to learn more or add to cart without leaving their stream.
Do they work?
Well, US data from leading brands like giffgaff, Lenovo and Nestlé reported a 30% uplift in brand awareness and a 36% uplift in orders for campaigns that included interactive formats than those without, so there certainly seems to be potential.
With Amazon confirming that they’re developing generative AI capabilities to make these video ads experiences even more relevant, these are definitely “watch this space” innovations.
The retail giants are also extending programmatic buying into live sport – from the UEFA Champions League to the NBA on Prime – making premium audiences even more accessible to advertisers.
And with Fire TV Channels launching in the UK next year?
Ad-supported reach is only set to grow.
“We’re helping to transform how brands connect with consumers by delivering full-funnel advertising at scale that brings together unmatched reach, audience signals, innovative ad tech capabilities and measurable performance – all in one place.
With exclusive supply and access to more premium publishers than ever before, all fuelled by Amazon’s trillions of streaming, shopping, and buying signals, we’re making it easier for brands to connect with their consumers wherever they are in their viewing and shopping journey.”
Piers Heaton-Armstrong, vice president of Amazon Ads Europe
Why it matters for brands
With Amazon also revealing that audience engagement increased more than 25% in monthly ad-supported viewing hours compared to the same period last year, we think the opportunity for advertisers here is twofold:
- Scale + signal: it’s a chance for the right brands to get unparalleled access to engaged audiences with the power of purchase intent baked in.
- Format innovation: these are interactive, measurable ad formats designed to blur the line between entertainment and commerce, opening up a pathway to stronger engagement.
But the challenge – as ever! – lies in your strategy.
With so many tools now available to brands, and with budgets under pressure, those that win out will be the ones who plan their full-funnel mix with perfect precision.
The Bottom Line
Amazon’s DSP now covers most of the UK household landscape, but brands will need more than scale alone to secure success.
That’s why our award-winning Amazon Ads team is focusing on creating super-smart strategies that drill down with precision targeting and deliver creativity and relevance in a measurable way – making sure that every ad impression adds commercial value, not just visibility.
If you’d like help building a high-performance Amazon Ads strategy that leverages this new reach while protecting your ROI?
Our experts are ready to help – get in touch today.