Amazon Streaming TV Ads: How to Scale Your Brand Beyond Search

Your Amazon Sponsored Products campaigns are humming along, but you’re looking for the next big growth lever. You’ve heard about Amazon streaming TV ads, but you’re not sure if they’re right for your brand or how to even get started.

This is a common question for Amazon sellers who are ready to scale beyond traditional PPC. The reality is that Amazon streaming TV ads offer a massive opportunity to reach new customers and build brand awareness.

In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about Amazon streaming TV ads, including who they’re for, how they work, and how to create a winning strategy. Let’s dive in.

What Are Amazon Streaming TV Ads (OTT)?

Amazon streaming TV ads, also known as Over-The-Top (OTT) ads, are video ads that appear on streaming services like Amazon Freevee, Twitch, and other platforms connected to Amazon’s advertising network.

Think of it like this: you’re watching your favorite show on Freevee, and a 15-30 second ad pops up before or during the program. That’s an Amazon streaming TV ad.

Why Should Amazon Sellers Care About OTT Ads?

Most Amazon sellers focus on search ads, but here’s why you should consider streaming TV:

• Reach a Broader Audience: Tap into viewers who aren’t actively searching for products on Amazon.
• Build Brand Awareness: Video ads are more engaging and memorable than static search ads.
• Drive Sales (Indirectly): Increase brand recognition, which can lead to more organic searches and sales on Amazon.

Who Are Amazon Streaming TV Ads For?

Are streaming TV ads right for everyone? Not necessarily. Here’s what to consider:

• Established Brands: OTT ads work best for brands with existing Amazon listings and a proven track record.
• Products with Broad Appeal: If your product solves a common problem or caters to a large audience, streaming TV can be effective.
• Sufficient Ad Budget: Video ads typically have higher CPMs (cost per thousand impressions) than search ads, so you’ll need a dedicated budget.

If you’re a new seller with limited capital, focus on perfecting your Sponsored Products campaigns first.

How Do Amazon Streaming TV Ads Work?

Let me break this down:

1. Ad Creation: You’ll create a 15- or 30-second video ad that showcases your product and brand.
2. Targeting: Amazon allows you to target viewers based on demographics, interests, and even past purchase behavior on Amazon.
3. Bidding: You’ll set a bid for how much you’re willing to pay per thousand impressions (CPM).
4. Placement: Your ad will appear on streaming services within Amazon’s network, reaching your target audience.
5. Measurement: Track key metrics like impressions, completion rate, and website visits to gauge performance.

Understanding Amazon’s OTT Targeting Options

Amazon offers robust targeting options for streaming TV ads:

• Demographics: Target viewers by age, gender, income, and location.
• Interests: Reach people based on their browsing and purchase history on Amazon.
• Lifestyle: Target specific groups based on their interests and consumption habits.
• Contextual: Target viewers based on the content they’re watching (e.g., ads for cooking products during a cooking show).
• Remarketing: Target viewers who have previously visited your Amazon product pages or engaged with your brand.

Creating a Winning Amazon Streaming TV Ad Strategy

Here’s how to get the most out of your OTT campaigns:

1. Define Your Goals: Are you focused on brand awareness, driving traffic to your Amazon store, or increasing sales?
2. Create a Compelling Video Ad: Focus on high-quality visuals, clear messaging, and a strong call to action.
3. Target the Right Audience: Use Amazon’s targeting options to reach viewers who are most likely to be interested in your products.
4. Set a Realistic Budget: Start with a small budget and gradually increase it as you see results.
5. Track and Optimize: Monitor your campaign performance closely and make adjustments as needed.

Example: Scaling a Supplement Brand with OTT

Let’s look at a real example. A supplement brand selling protein powder wanted to increase brand awareness. They ran a 30-second video ad on Freevee targeting fitness enthusiasts. The ad showcased their product and highlighted its benefits.

Here’s what happened:

• Impressions: The ad generated 500,000 impressions in the first month.
• Website Visits: Traffic to their Amazon store increased by 15%.
• Sales: While direct sales attribution is tricky, they saw a 10% increase in overall sales during the campaign.

This example shows how streaming TV ads can drive brand awareness and, indirectly, increase sales on Amazon.

Measuring the Success of Your Streaming TV Ads

The reality is that directly attributing sales to OTT ads can be challenging. Here’s what to focus on:

• Brand Lift Studies: Amazon offers brand lift studies to measure the impact of your ads on brand awareness and perception.
• Website Traffic: Track the number of visits to your Amazon store from your video ads.
• Organic Search: Monitor branded search terms to see if they increase after running your ads.
• Overall Sales: Look for a lift in overall sales during and after your campaign.

Are Amazon Streaming TV Ads Right for You?

Amazon streaming TV ads offer a powerful way to reach new customers and build brand awareness. While it may not be for everyone, brands with established Amazon listings and a sufficient budget should definitely consider adding OTT to their advertising mix.

Ready to take your Amazon advertising to the next level? Contact AdLabs today to learn how we can help you create a winning streaming TV strategy.

Key Discussion Points from the Episode

Here are some of the most valuable insights Andrew and Stephen shared during the full episode discussion:

And you said that was within the first 30 days. Yeah, I’m trying to, I’m trying to do some math here to see what the scan rate is to the, to the number of impressions. I’m, I’m thinking, all right, if they spend $5,000 in that first month, $25 cpm, that’s like 200,000, I think impressions.

So relatively it’s a, it’s a low, it’s a low, I think engagement rate. But obviously there’s a lot more that’s happening than just the QR code. Like that’s not why we do these.

The QR code is more of a recent development that Amazon’s done to just kind of help skip one step. So if the person is going to come and search for your brand, that’s typically how a lot of these channels will start measuring the performance. Is, is there an increase in, in branded traffic, search volume or even like you were saying?

Well, like maybe even in just overall your, your sponsor product performance starts doing better because even in non brand keywords, people now have some recognition of your brand and you have a reputation with these customers. And so when they discover you in search, whether organically or through paid, you know, you’ll, you’ll have some better performance there. But I do know that the QR code has been something that Amazon’s really been pushing in the past couple of years, which I think is certainly interesting.

They’re even doing this thing when Andrew and I were speaking with some reps back in. When was that? When were we?

February, March, early this year when we were in New York. Andrew, what, what month was that? I don’t remember.

I think it was March. Yeah, but they were even showing a package where what they would do for brands is they, let’s say you have your target audience, you know, say it’s a beauty brand or whatever. And Amazon knows from its prime members who’s more typically buying beauty brand products.

And what they’ll do is for those individuals who are typically buying beauty brand products, they will wrap the package with your brand’s branding, like, all over the Amazon prime box, and then they add the QR code there so that people can scan it on their phone when they open the package. So it’s interesting, all these ways in which Amazon’s trying to help brands out, but also Amazon’s charging for it. So Amazon’s helping themselves as well.

This article is based on Episode 24 of That Amazon Ads Podcast. Subscribe for weekly Amazon PPC strategies.