Amazon U: Video Advertising Recap: Best practices for livestreaming and in-search videos

By Sara Jerde

Most people think of Amazon advertising revolving predominantly around search. But the e-commerce giant’s tentacles expand in many other directions.

At the second meeting of Modern Retail’s Amazon U event, we drilled down on the subject of video advertising — which is now an important part of the overall Amazon advertising strategy for many brands. A lineup of experts from agencies and brands — including Feedvisor, Perpetua, Wunderman Thompson Commerce and Bazooka Candy Brands — spoke about what they’re seeing out in the field and the best practices that are guiding their video strategies. Livestreaming host and influencer Katie Sands also talked about Amazon Live and why she thinks streaming is the future.

Some brands still aren’t using video, or limit video spending to their experimental budgets, and that’s perfectly fine — video isn’t necessarily right for every brand, nor is it always the appropriate tool for achieving a given goal or KPI. But the speakers at this Amazon U generally encouraged brands to at least try putting a little video into their ad mix. Put together, they shed light on the dynamics advertisers should consider as they make their own strategic decisions.

Here are the top insights from the event.

The brands’ guide to influencer livestreaming

To understand why brands are getting so excited about livestreaming, look to markets like China, where streaming is now a huge driver of e-commerce and the most influential hosts earn millions of dollars in sponsorships and endorsements. Amazon launched its Amazon Live streaming platform in February 2019. Over the last year it has matured and become more of a priority thanks to celebrity-fronted shows and growing audiences for shoppable streamed content.

Influencer Katie Sands hosts streams on a number of lifestyle and consumer topics on Amazon Live. She said the streams typically blend editorial recommendations — the influencer’s favorite tech accessories or kitchen products, for example — with contextually relevant sponsored elements. To ensure the sponsored content feels like an organic part of the overall piece, the host doesn’t follow a script, instead talking casually about what they like about the product and how they use it.

Audience interactions are a powerful feature of sponsored slots. Sands talked about a segment showcasing a bedding sponsor. “I’m talking about the bedding and then answering their questions, so they can say ‘is that hypoallergenic?’ ‘is it moisture-wicking?’” she said. “I can say absolutely, let me hold it up to the screen so you can really see the fabric up close.”

Influencers like Sands believe that livestreaming’s more informal aesthetic, combined with the genuine rapport hosts can strike up with their audience, make the medium “the way of the future.” She interacts with audience questions in real time, and loops fan feedback on featured products into her streams.

“I can see the numbers while we’re streaming on who’s tuning in, and the numbers just keep going up. So I know more people are tuning in and I think that they love that it’s …read more

Source:: Digiday