The story: At its recent conference in Austin, Texas, Amazon Ads highlighted how it’s fast-tracking its role in advertising by transforming how brands can engage audiences within Amazon’s unique ecosystem. Amazon demonstrated its ability to integrate ad solutions with AWS and AI-driven tools, showcasing how its blend of content, cloud infrastructure, and machine learning (ML) sets it apart from competitors like Google and Meta.
While Amazon Ads has made significant strides, the platform is still evolving. As Kelly MacLean, VP of Amazon Ads, acknowledged, “We have heard feedback…that, historically, the DSP has not been the easiest to use.” Usability improvements are now a priority for Amazon, which has taken steps to address issues like AMC’s slow processing times by introducing simpler, SQL-free options for creating targeted audiences.
Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) remains central to Amazon’s ad strategy, providing privacy-friendly insights that are increasingly valuable to advertisers. AMC’s recent updates allow ad activations via Amazon’s DSP, with plans to extend limited functionality to other DSPs as well. Another focus was Performance Plus, Amazon’s answer to automated, ML-driven campaigns like Google’s Performance Max. Performance Plus leverages Amazon’s vast media network while maintaining transparency and control, which MacLean noted is a key goal to prevent the “black box” feel associated with automated ad tools.
“Google spans so many different media and access points in people’s lives: Gmail, Maps, Search, YouTube, YouTube TV, and the web…Amazon and Performance Plus bring the same breadth of media, spanning Amazon Echo, Kindle, Fire TV, Prime Video, Twitch, the Amazon site and app, Freevee, IMDb, Whole Foods, and more.” - AdExchanger, 2024.
The takeaway: Amazon’s advancements highlight an industry shift toward automation that doesn’t sacrifice transparency, underscoring the need for ad infrastructure that is both user-friendly and comprehensive. The expansion of AMC and Performance Plus also reflects rising demand for smarter data activation while reinforcing the value of a robust, multi-channel ecosystem.
AWARDS: Kevel Ranks Top 10 In “UK’s Most Loved Workplaces®”
Kevel ranked #9 in Newsweek’s “UK’s Most Loved Workplaces® 2024” rankings, helping to set the standard for fulfilling workplaces and sharing a commitment to creating professional environments in which people thrive.
PUBLISHED: Kevel’s Retail Media Ad Serving Guide
Retail media ad serving is rapidly transforming the digital advertising landscape, with ad spend expected to reach $178B by 2028. Now accounting for 20% of total ad spend - up just 10-15% in recent years - retail media is on track to surpass TV advertising and is one of the fastest-growing segments.
Check out our comprehensive guide to explore the evolution of retail media, best practices of top performing networks, and how to launch and scale your own retail media platform.
WATCH → The Middlemen Podcast features Trevor Sumner, former CEO of Perch and current Head of Innovation & AI at Raydiant, which acquired Perch. Hosts Tom Limongello and Todd Sawicki discuss how luxury sectors aren’t just breaking the mold but also crafting scalable and marketable video retail media experiences for retailers.
READ → The demise of the once-market leading Oracle Advertising marks a new chapter in the ad tech industry's story. Read all about it in Digiday’s “The rise, stall and fall of Oracle’s advertising business” by Sam Bradley.
LISTEN → The fourth episode of the Retail MediaX podcast sees Paul Skeldon sit down with Jessica Cooke, Head of Media & Loyalty from Stonegate Group and Emma Dean COO at SMG to talk about the role of retail media outside of traditional retail. (Listening time: 22:40).
