“Advertisers want ad formats that create meaningful customer engagement and are inherently measurable,” Jenny Burke, Director, Global Video Strategy and GTM Amazon Ads from Amazon, tells Cynopsis. “They are looking to connect awareness and brand objectives directly to sales outcomes.”
Burke came to Amazon from Peacock in January, and notes that while both companies offer premium content, Amazon’s reach of over 115 million paid Prime members is a differentiator. “What’s really unique to Amazon is the consumer touchpoints we have across a consumer’s life, particularly with the store and shopping, that then enables more signals to find audiences for the most relevant ads. And we’re able to utilize those signals in streaming and measurement, to measure those outcomes with our ad technology.”
The fact that consumers are used to purchasing from Amazon n doubt contributes to the success of shoppability. “Shopping on Amazon is innate to the consumer,” notes Burke. “When you’re viewing on Prime Video and you have a shoppable format, we’ve found through research that that’s a very intuitive format, which is why our metrics are proving out. Interactivity is quite strong around either engaging or learning more about the product in the format, or adding to cart.”
Pause ads is one of the formats Burke is excited about. “Our shoppable formats are shoppable via the remote,” says Burke. “We’ve moved in most cases beyond the QR code. It’s a very usable format.”
The shoppable carousel, a format that pulls in products from the Amazon store, is also generating excitement, along with interactive video ads using the remote control, “They’re really working,” says Burke. “The last one I’ll call out is our first impression takeover. With the reach we have in the United States of 150 million, reaching consumers with that first ad when they come to the service is a big reach play.”
Ultimately, it’s all about the consumer. “We know a lot about the consumer because they spend so much time with us, whether it’s in the store or Prime Video, and we have those signals to know what they’re shopping, what they’re browsing, what shows they’re engaging with. We’re able to utilize those signals to serve that relevant ad format,” says Burke. “We are obsessed with the user experience, and then the advertising follows suit. That’s where the future of streaming has to go, and we’re leading. That’s what guides us: consumer first, make the experience great, and make the ad experience great.”
