The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Amazon DSP can help advertisers move beyond campaigns aimed mainly at immediate product clicks by buying programmatic ads for defined audiences across Amazon properties and third-party apps and websites. It is not a replacement for Sponsored Ads: DSP and sponsored formats can serve different objectives and stages of a marketing plan.
What Amazon DSP does
Amazon Ads describes its demand-side platform (DSP) as an audience-first programmatic advertising solution. Advertisers can use it to reach audiences across Amazon-owned properties and third-party apps and websites, using signals such as shopping, browsing, and streaming activity. This gives a brand a way to plan around who it wants to reach and where, rather than focusing only on a specific product listing.
That broader reach can support awareness and other brand objectives, but it does not guarantee a particular outcome. The campaign objective, audience, creative, inventory, and measurement plan still matter. Amazon Ads’ DSP guide explains the platform and its role in programmatic advertising.
How DSP differs from Sponsored Ads
Sponsored Ads are self-service solutions commonly used to reach shoppers who are actively searching for or viewing products. Sponsored Products promote individual listings; Sponsored Brands can showcase a brand and multiple products. Amazon Ads describes Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands as cost-per-click formats, while DSP supports programmatic buying. Confirm current buying details and availability for your market and account.
| Campaign approach | Typical audience focus | Format and buying approach | Strategic role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon DSP | Defined audiences reached across Amazon properties and third-party apps and websites | Programmatic buying; Amazon announced goal-based reach or frequency bidding on September 19, 2024 | Can support broader reach and brand objectives |
| Sponsored Products | Shoppers searching for or viewing products | Self-service, cost-per-click ads promoting individual listings | Can capture active shopping interest |
| Sponsored Brands | Shoppers engaging with brand or product discovery | Self-service, cost-per-click ads showcasing a brand and multiple products | Can present a brand alongside its products during shopping |
These roles are a planning framework, not a strict division of outcomes. DSP can extend a campaign’s audience reach, while sponsored formats can help meet shoppers closer to product discovery or purchase. Which mix fits depends on the campaign objective and the inventory and features available to the advertiser. See Amazon Ads’ overview of Sponsored Ads.
How to make the shift strategic
- Set the objective first. Decide whether the campaign is intended to build awareness, change brand perceptions, increase reach, or support a nearer-term shopping goal. Choose the advertising approach and success measures to match that objective.
- Define the audience and role of each format. Use DSP when the plan calls for programmatic audience reach across eligible inventory. Use Sponsored Products or Sponsored Brands where the objective is to connect with people actively exploring products. They can be parts of the same broader plan rather than competing choices.
- Choose measures that reflect the goal. Do not treat return on ad spend (ROAS) as a complete measure of brand building. Pair commerce measures with reach, frequency, viewability, new-to-brand, or other relevant indicators as appropriate.
- Check account and market eligibility. Amazon’s features, inventory, and measurement options vary. Verify current availability in the advertiser’s market and account before planning a campaign around a particular capability.
How to measure brand advertising
Use reporting that matches the objective
Amazon Ads groups campaign reporting into industry-standard and e-commerce measures. Depending on eligibility and campaign setup, its reporting includes new-to-brand, reach and frequency, viewability, and off-Amazon conversions. These metrics answer different questions: reach and frequency describe exposure; viewability indicates whether an ad was viewable; new-to-brand and conversion measures relate to shopping outcomes. Select a focused set that reflects the intended result rather than relying on one metric for every campaign. Amazon Ads’ campaign reporting guide describes the reporting categories.
Use Brand Lift to study perceptions
Amazon Brand Lift uses surveys of people exposed to ads and an unexposed control group to assess changes in brand perceptions. Amazon lists measures including awareness, attitudes, preferences, favorability, intent, and ad recall. This can help address a different question from whether an ad generated a click or conversion: whether exposed audiences report a change in how they perceive or remember a brand.
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Eligibility depends on campaign and advertiser geography. Amazon’s Brand Lift information describes DSP availability in the United States, Canada, Germany, Spain, France, Mexico, Japan, and the United Kingdom, and sponsored-ad availability in the United States; these details can change, so check the current terms for the advertiser’s market. See Amazon Ads’ Brand Lift page.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsBrand-oriented DSP controls announced by Amazon
Amazon announced DSP goal-based bidding on September 19, 2024. The feature lets advertisers specify reach or frequency goals, with bids optimized in real time. On December 23, 2024, Amazon announced advertiser-level reach and frequency measurement that deduplicates audiences across publishers, channels, and devices. These dated announcements illustrate controls and measurement suited to reach-oriented planning; they are not evidence that a campaign will improve brand outcomes. Check whether the features are currently available to your account and in your market before relying on them.
Quick Recap
- Amazon’s September 19, 2024 announcement of DSP goal-based bidding
- Amazon’s December 23, 2024 announcement of advertiser-level reach and frequency measurement
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
