So, What is Amazon DSP?

March 2, 2021
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Delve Goes Deeper: Amazon DSP

Short answer: It’s a game-changer. Learn how this high-performance platform delivers high-intent audience data to advertisers like you.

This is the fifth post in our Amazon DSP series, exploring how this robust demand-side platform can help you reach an engaged, high-intent audience at scale—and deliver higher ROI versus traditional demographic data.

Amazon DSP enables advertisers to programmatically buy display and video ads on Amazon sites, mobile apps, devices, and across the web via third-party exchanges. Although a part of Amazon’s advertising suite, Amazon DSP is a complete standalone platform that is available to both advertisers who sell products on Amazon and those who do not.

While the platform is not as mature and refined as the larger DSPs (Display & Video 360, Mediamath, The Trade Desk), Amazon DSP has a broad reach, with display and video inventory across Amazon-owned apps, sites, devices, as well as a large network of exchanges and publishers. 

Amazon DSP is a newer platform with lower costs and unique inventory on properties such as IMDb. But what really stands out is the access that advertisers get to unique high-intent audience data. Amazon DSP can help retailers identify not just who to target, but also who to exclude based on Amazon.com search and purchase data. It is the only programmatic advertising platform that allows advertisers to deliver targeted display ads both on and off Amazon.

The difference between Amazon DSP and Amazon Search Ads

Amazon search ads appear only on Amazon.com, while Amazon DSP display ads are served up to shoppers outside of the Amazon site across websites, social media, mobile apps, and online video channels. Amazon display ads use a variety of remarketing strategies to retarget these high-intent shoppers outside of Amazon.

Amazon DSP High-Intent Audience Segments

Typically, when shoppers search on any website, target audience segments can be created based on their onsite behavior. In addition to regular product search options, Amazon.com offers a set of search features that allows shoppers to sort products by size, brand, style, price, and more. Millions of users leverage these product filters to find what they are looking for. This translates into high-intent data, generated in real-time, that can be used to create custom audience segments based on general behavioral actions or even granular SKU level data. 

These audience segments can become targeted audiences or be used to expand audiences using lookalike targeting. There is really no limit to the number of high-intent custom audiences that can be created, resulting in valuable opportunities for retailers and brands to target these audiences with programmatic ads, both on—and off—amazon.com.


This article was developed in partnership with Fit For Commerce, a leading boutique consultancy that helps online and multichannel brands and retailers make informed digital, ecommerce and omnichannel retail investment decisions.