Amazon DSP vs Google/Meta

We hear it often, and we even say it! Amazon DSP is the next frontier of Amazon Advertising. But let’s take that sentiment a step further… Amazon DSP is the next frontier of digital advertising.

Amazon DSP and how it compares to Google Display Network or Facebook Ads (now Meta for Business) is a conversation important to more than just those who sell on Amazon, because you don’t have to sell on Amazon to advertise through their DSP.

Let’s repeat that one more time – Amazon DSP is not just for those selling on Amazon.

Now that we have that misconception smoothed out, let’s dig into why you should advertise with Amazon DSP or supplement it with your other platforms.

KEY SIMILARITIES

While Amazon DSP ads offer a number of competitive advantages over Google and Facebook, let’s start with some key similarities.

Amazon DSP Ads, Google Display Network, and Facebook Ads are all Demand-Side Platforms, software that allows advertisers to automate buying inventory from publishers’ sites. Meaning, you can manage all your digital ads on the one platform interface.

They all allow you to target audiences (groups of people based on similar interests or actions), with custom creatives, and the ads aren’t just limited to their specific platform. Amazon, Google, and Facebook all offer their own exclusive supply, but also have connections to work with providers of a third-party supply.

WHY AMAZON DSP STANDS OUT

These similarities mean if you’re advertising on one platform, those assets and skills are easily transferrable to the other platforms. Even creatives in some cases can be duplicated on the different platforms. However (and this is a big however), Amazon DSP takes the possibilities to the next level.

First-Party Data

This first one is the BIG ONE. The audience targeting capabilities of Amazon are unmatched and near limitless. And it all comes down to the data source.

Because shoppers come to Amazon to make a purchase, the data collected is highly relevant and closely connected to their consumer shopping habits. If someone is searching for “baby spoons” on Amazon, it’s pretty simple to connect what else that shopper might be “in the aisle” for and what their lifestyle may look like.

With Google, the audience data is further away from the purchase. Based off search results, and not necessarily related to an intent to purchase, Google makes indirect connections to create audiences. Say a web user searches for “when do babies learn to crawl?” Google can assume that user has a baby and show relevant ads based on that search query.

Meanwhile, Facebook offers data that is even further disconnected from a purchase. They can view what you do on your social media channels, but that doesn’t necessarily reflect your purchasing habits. Facebook tries to build more precise audiences by tracking users across apps, but recent privacy updates have made that much harder.

Because what consumers purchase and view on Amazon is all contained within their app, privacy updates don’t impact them as much.

Inventory & Supply Sources

Creatives

While you can target audiences with custom creatives with Amazon DSP, if you are an Amazon brand, you can also leverage their responsive ecommerce creatives. These creatives are branded similarly to Amazon listings, making it clear the ad will bring you to a trusted shopping experience at Amazon.com.