In the ever-evolving world of e-commerce, staying ahead of the curve is essential for brands looking for digital marketplace success. Amazon recently announced their next opportunity for brands to do so: the beta release of Off Amazon Sponsored Products ads. This new feature automatically extends Sponsored Product placements to premium apps and websites such as Pinterest, BuzzFeed and more.
The beta of this program has begun, with a full rollout planned for August 31st. However, as of September 7th, the mass rollout has been paused and due to go live in the coming weeks.
Traditionally, Amazon Sponsored Products have been confined to the walls of the Amazon marketplace. While this platform has undoubtedly been a powerhouse for e-commerce advertising, Amazon's latest move takes it up a notch. Sponsored Products ads will now automatically show up when Amazon thinks a customer is likely to be interested in the product, based on relevant page context. Advertisers do not need to take any action to appear on these sites or apps, and when the full rollout happens, all current & new campaigns will be auto-enrolled with the off-Amazon functionality and operate on a cost-per-click model.
This new feature is exciting on paper, allowing advertisers to use Amazon Ads to reach up higher in the funnel and allow shoppers to discover their brand initially. However, the benefit for brands still remains to be seen and will only be realized when results are available. So far, Amazon has not provided a lot of information behind the new program, and advertisers don’t have a lot of control over the ads and placements, as brands will be auto-enrolled. As reporting comes in, advertisers are able to view rollup performance grouped by “Off Amazon,” but there is no more detail provided yet.
With the rollout schedule to happen any day now, it’s important for brands to know what this new feature could mean for their brand. Keep reading to learn more about Off Amazon Sponsored Products.
Enhancing Brand Visibility and Customer Engagement
The key motivation behind the Off Amazon Sponsored Product ads is enhancing brand visibility and customer engagement, ensuring your brand is present where your potential customers are. Some benefits to the new feature include:
- Increased Awareness: With Sponsored Products your brand gains access to a wider audience. This increased reach can translate into heightened brand awareness, crucial for building trust and recognition and critical to upcoming holiday shopping success.
- Multi-Platform Exposure: Customers are no longer confined to a single platform. Your products are showcased in diverse settings, ensuring your brand stays top-of-mind regardless of where customers are shopping online.
- Seamless Shopping Experiences: Amazon's automated placement system ensures that customers can discover and explore products effortlessly, making it easier for them to make informed purchase decisions.
- Tailored Advertisements: Amazon's robust data and AI capabilities strategically place ads to reach the right audience at the right time. This level of personalization enhances the effectiveness of marketing efforts.
Brands will be auto-enrolled in these placements once the full rollout begins, being added to existing campaigns and will automatically be part of new campaign builds. The campaigns remain retail aware, meaning products must be in-stock for ads to serve. The CPC bidding model remains unchanged - the only difference is the addition of off-Amazon impressions and traffic.
Off Amazon Sponsored Products Reporting
To gauge the effectiveness of the Off Amazon Sponsored Product ads, reports are available in the reporting center on the ad console or through the Amazon Ads API. These reports provide a comprehensive view of your campaign's overall performance and include a specific "Off Amazon" placement type. Key metrics such as impressions, clicks, CPC, spend, sales, ROAS (Return on Ad Spend), orders, and units are included in these reports.
Currently, reports have limited detail included beyond the basic information above, however, Amazon has plans to expand off Amazon reporting metrics to the Amazon Ads console and other Sponsored Products reports in the future. This expansion will hopefully provide even more insights into performance across different channels.
Brands advertising on Amazon are used to new features and enhancements rolling out, and this is one worth keeping a close eye on as it rolls out. If your brand could use a strategic partner to help manage Off Amazon Sponsored Products and other Amazon advertising products, contact us today.
