Austin, Texas was the temporary home for Amazon Ads last week during their fourth annual Amazon unBoxed event. Hundreds of attendees were treated to keynotes, product launches, vendor booths, and a flurry of lightning talks from product managers and partners. The event showcased some of the best work on the platform to date this year. While it’s impossible to capture every detail, this article highlights the most interesting moments from a commerce and brand perspective.
Customer Obsession at the Core
Amazon's well-known principle of customer obsession was front and center throughout the event. The company seems to have taken advertiser feedback to heart over the past year, and this year’s unBoxed keynote reflected that. A LinkedIn comment aptly described it as a "Texas-sized list of Product Announcements"—and indeed, there were fifteen new announcements! For a recap on every launch announced, head to Amazon’s coverage here.
Addressing the Cookieless Future
One of the major issues Amazon seems to be tackling, indirectly, is the future of advertising without cookies. While the term "cookieless world" may no longer be as trendy, privacy concerns and addressing the right audience, remain top of mind. Amazon emphasized how their solutions can deliver better-targeted ads without the need for an Ad ID. (Check out Audience Bid Booster for Sponsored Products and Brands for some cool custom audience building capabilities).The commerce buzzword of late, “interoperability,” was mentioned multiple times in conjunction with Amazon's product announcements. New tools, including those powered by Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC), highlight how data can be seamlessly combined and used for better targeting. Amazon’s DSP (Demand-Side Platform) is also making strides in capturing more market share, with discussions centering on how it facilitates superior targeting.
New Measurement Tools for Enhanced ROI
As media investments in commerce continue to grow, so does the demand for clear ROI. At unBoxed, Amazon introduced several measurement solutions designed to give brands deeper insights into the consumer journey. Some of the highlights include:
Multi-Touch Attribution powered by machine learning, helping brands understand where consumers are converting after ad engagement.
Long-Term Sales Metrics that allow brands to track consumer journeys over a 12-month period.
Conversion Path Reporting with a 60-day window to offer a comprehensive view of full-funnel consumer interactions.
These new tools indicate Amazon’s commitment to helping brands better understand and optimize their marketing spend.
AI-Enabled Creative for Brands
This year, Amazon doubled down on AI-enabled creative tools with a suite of new features. While these tools seem particularly beneficial for long-tail brands just beginning their journey on the platform (such as with the AI Creative Studio), they offer value to all brands. The enhanced capabilities, including a video generator with movement options and an audio generator, allow brands to create or adjust campaigns quickly in real-time. While the audio tool was not fully showcased, the video features are particularly impressive.
New Product Campaigns: A Game Changer
From a brand ownership perspective, the most interesting announcement was Amazon’s New Product Campaigns, a product designed to drive success during the critical first 90 days of a product launch on Amazon. After years in development, this tool gives brands a complete suite of resources for successful launches, including creative recommendations, media placements, and detailed metrics to track progress via AMC. The excitement was palpable—especially from the product manager who brought this to life.
Looking Ahead
It’s been an action-packed week for Amazon, and these announcements are just the beginning. With more details to come as these products roll out, the excitement continues. For those wanting a deeper dive, join Publicis Commerce and Amazon Ads on October 30th for our unBoxing unBoxed Webinar, where we’ll recap key products and offer the opportunity to ask questions.
