Unit
- Sponsored Display defined: Amazon's display advertising product that allows sellers, vendors, and agencies to show ads to relevant audiences both on Amazon.com and across third-party websites and apps. Unlike Sponsored Products which target search queries, Sponsored Display targets audiences based on their shopping behaviors and interests.
- Integration with Amazon Ads: Sponsored Display operates within the same campaign management console as Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands, enabling unified reporting and budget management. It fills a unique role in the advertising ecosystem by addressing shoppers who are not actively searching but have demonstrated purchase intent.
- Placement types: Ads appear on Amazon product detail pages, search results, home page, and also on external publisher sites through the Amazon Ads network. This includes placements on platforms like Yahoo, AOL, and other premium publishers, extending reach beyond Amazon's owned properties.
- Targeting methodologies: Two primary targeting modes exist: product targeting (showing ads for related or complementary products) and audience targeting (using interest, lifestyle, and in-market segments). Audience targeting leverages Amazon's extensive shopper data to reach users likely to purchase.
- Campaign objectives alignment: Sellers can choose between awareness (reach), consideration (engagement), or conversion (purchases) as their campaign goal, which influences bid strategy and optimization. Each objective adjusts how Amazon's algorithm optimizes delivery toward that goal.
- Budget and bidding: Sponsored Display supports cost-per-click (CPC) bidding for conversion-focused campaigns and cost-per-thousand-viewable-impressions (vCPM) for awareness campaigns. Budgets can be set at the campaign level with daily caps.
- Creative formats: Supported ad formats include product-display ads (generated from product images) and custom image/video creatives. Unlike Sponsored Products which are automatically generated, Sponsored Display allows customized headlines and logos for brand consistency.
- Performance measurement: Key metrics include impression share, click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), return on ad spend (ROAS), and total sales. Attribution is view-through and click-through, with a default 14-day attribution window.
- Eligibility requirements: Sellers must have a Professional selling account with an active product catalog. Brands must be enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry to use custom creatives and audience targeting features.
- Strategic value: Sponsored Display helps capture demand from shoppers who have shown interest but not yet searched, retarget past visitors, and build brand awareness beyond Amazon's search results. It is a key component of a full-funnel advertising strategy.
Customer Persona
Sophia, Digital Marketing Manager at a Mid-Size CPG Brand
- Demographics
- 32 years old, brand marketing team lead at a consumer packaged goods company with annual revenue of $50 million. She manages a team of three and reports to the VP of Marketing.
- Goals
- Increase brand awareness for a new snack product line on Amazon while keeping advertising costs under 15% of sales. She wants to understand how Sponsored Display can complement their existing Sponsored Products campaigns.
- Pain Points
- Struggles to attribute sales from display ads and finds the campaign setup process complex. She needs clear reporting to justify budget allocation to display advertising.
- Channels
- Uses Amazon Advertising console daily, also manages social media ads and email marketing. She prefers data-driven decision making and needs benchmarks to evaluate performance.
Quick Revision
- Sponsored Display targets audiences based on shopping behavior, not search queries.
- Ads appear on and off Amazon, extending reach beyond search results.
- Two targeting modes: product targeting and audience targeting.
- Campaign goals (awareness/consideration/conversion) affect bid strategy and optimization.
- Eligibility requires Professional selling account and Brand Registry for custom creatives.