Reaching Shoppers Through TV Ads Isn't Just for “BIG” Brands Anymore
In order for your brand to stand out from the competition and win over incrementally new shoppers, it’s critical that you’re reaching them across device types and ad types beyond Sponsored Product ads. In the past, TV ads were considered exclusive to household brand names such as Coca-Cola and Budweiser, but the landscape has shifted such that now any brand can reach shoppers on the biggest screens in their homes without multimillion dollar ad budgets. It’s possible through Amazon Streaming TV ads and Sponsored TV.
Both formats make use of Amazon’s first-party data to target audiences and offer dynamic ways for brands to reach viewers through Amazon’s growing ecosystem of streaming services. Let’s break down what these ad formats are, how to use them, the differences between them, who can benefit, and the significant advantages they bring to your brand.
1) What are Amazon Streaming TV ads & Sponsored TV?
Streaming TV Ads are non-skippable video ads shown before, during, or after on-demand shows, live sports (such as Thursday Night Football), and movies across platforms like Prime Video, Freevee, Twitch, and third party TV publishers and broadcasters. These ads are accessible through Amazon’s Demand Side Platform (DSP) with a minimum ad spend unless you are working with an agency like BirdDog Agency.
Sponsored TV is a self-service ad platform that allows brands of any size to reach viewers on streaming services like Freevee, Twitch, and third party services through Amazon Publisher Direct. It provides flexible budget options, no minimum spend, access to Amazon’s extensive audience data, and are tracked through Amazon Ads' metrics and insights tools. These ads are accessible to Brand Registered Sellers and Vendors through Amazon Ads either through Seller Central or Vendor Central. Even businesses which do not sell products on Amazon (ex: car dealerships, landscaping services, etc.) can use Sponsored TV to reach shoppers within their geographic region.
Getting started with Amazon Streaming TV ads and Sponsored TV is a streamlined process, especially if you’re working with the expert team at BirdDog Agency. Here’s a step-by-step approach for each:
2) Steps for Creating Streaming TV ads Campaigns
Create an Amazon DSP Account: There are limited DSP “seats” available to brands and agencies, but BirdDog Agency has access and can get a campaign up and running right away.
Campaign Creation: Once in Amazon’s DSP, select “create campaign” and then “create a video campaign.”
Ad Placements: Choose where you want your ads to show up and run once the campaign is live.
Targeting: This is where you will set your ad targeting parameters and determine the Amazon and custom audiences you want to target.
Goals: Select your KPIs and optimization preferences based on the desired performance outcomes of your campaign.
Creative: Add your creative assets or use Amazon’s creative builder to build a video ad from scratch.
Launch: Begin bidding and launch your campaign.
3) Steps for Creating Sponsored TV Campaigns
Create an Amazon Ads Account: If you do not already have an account, you’ll need to create one first.
Campaign Creation: Once in your Amazon Ads Account, click “create campaign” and then choose Sponsored TV. Then give your campaign a name, enter flight dates, and add your daily budget.
Targeting: This is where you will choose the landing page where the ad will drive traffic to, select your targeting options, and set bids.
Creative: Upload your creative assets or use Amazon Ads Creative Services to build a video ad.
Submit and Review: Amazon Ads will take up to 72 hours to review your creative assets before launching the campaign.
4) Key Differences Between Streaming TV ads and Sponsored TV
While both Streaming TV ads and Sponsored TV allow brands of all sizes to reach audiences across TV programming, there are some key differences between the two beyond how you access them. Amazon’s DSP grants Streaming TV advertisers greater control and more granular audience targeting than Sponsored TV advertisers. For example, Streaming TV ads allows a brand to remarket to shoppers who viewed a product but did not convert, as well as create lookalike and custom audiences from Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC). Sponsored TV enables targeting based on lifestyle interests and in-market categories based on a shopper’s browsing and shopping history. From a measurement standpoint, Streaming TV ads provides a complete view of which shoppers who viewed your ads ultimately made a purchase, whereas Sponsored TV reporting is limited to impressions, ad-attributed brand searches, and product detail page views.
5) What Are the Benefits for Brands?
Brands using Amazon Ads Streaming TV and Sponsored TV can enjoy several key benefits:
Increased reach: Amazon’s streaming services and Fire TV offer massive exposure, with over 155 million average monthly viewers.
Exclusive content: Streaming TV ads and Sponsored TV allow your brand to appear across a wide selection of premium TV shows, movies, live sports and entertainment, and original content across services.
Data-driven targeting: Amazon’s first-party data provides access to over 20 thousand audience targeting segments based on billions of signals across shopping habits, viewing history, and demographic insights, ensuring ads reach the most relevant audience.
Accessibility / Flexibility: Whether you’re an established brand with a dedicated video production team or you’ve never created and run a video asset before, there’s an option that fits your business and your budget that BirdDog Agency can help optimize.
Conclusion
In today’s shopping environment, search ads alone are not enough to reliably grow your brand and reach new customers. Amazon Streaming TV ads and Sponsored TV are powerful tools for reaching an engaged audience in the growing streaming space. From targeting precision to creative flexibility, these formats offer a wealth of opportunities for brands of all sizes to connect with viewers in meaningful ways. Take the first step today and connect with BirdDog Agency to start leveraging these dynamic ad solutions to elevate your brand.