Overview

Amazon’s Demand‑Side Platform (DSP) has emerged as a strategic complement to the classic pay‑per‑click ads that most sellers rely on. By granting access to Amazon‑owned sites, apps, and a broad network of external publishers, DSP lets brands deliver display and video messages to shoppers both inside and outside Amazon. Sellers aiming to boost brand visibility, tap new audience segments, and generate incremental revenue should understand how DSP works and where it fits in their advertising mix.

Key Points

• Expanded inventory — DSP places ads on Amazon’s own properties as well as on third‑party sites such as news portals and streaming services, reaching shoppers before they search for a specific product.
• Granular audience layers — Brands can combine purchase history, browsing behavior, and look‑alike models to target high‑intent users, for example women aged 30‑45 who bought premium skincare in the last quarter.
• Real‑time bidding — Inventory is bought programmatically through CPM auctions, allowing advertisers to raise or lower bids instantly based on performance signals.
• Rich creative options — The platform supports static banners, interactive rich media, and short‑form video, enabling storytelling that text‑only Sponsored Products cannot provide.
• Detailed performance data — Dashboards break down impressions, viewable CPM, click‑through rates, and sales attribution, giving sellers a clear picture of brand lift and ROI.
• Higher spend threshold — Access typically requires a monthly commitment that exceeds standard PPC budgets, positioning DSP as a tool for midsize to large‑scale sellers.

How Amazon DSP Works

1. Apply and qualify — A seller submits a request through Amazon Advertising, sharing business details and an estimated budget. Example: A natural‑beauty label planning a $25,000 monthly spend receives a dedicated DSP account manager after approval.
2. Define target audiences — Using Amazon’s shopper data, the seller builds segments such as “recent purchasers of organic supplements,” “high‑value customers who spend over $200 per order,” or “look‑alike users who have never visited the brand page.”