LONDON: Big international brands have media assets that tend to include video. As Amazon is poised to become a leading figure in the online ad space, brands such as Pernod Ricard and Heineken, are still holding back until the online giant adds new features.

This is according to a report in Digiday, in which brands say that the lack of rich media options – particularly video – are holding them back from investing more into Amazon’s advertising platform.

Speaking to the publication, Pierre-Yves Calloc’h, Pernod Ricard’s Global Digital Acceleration Director, said “Video is a key part of the content mix for Pernod Ricard’s brands, so when we find the right format on Amazon, then it’s definitely something we’ll consider”. This is not to say, however, that there is no spend on the platform.

Brands are continuing to value and spend on Amazon’s monumental e-commerce offer. Beyond that, said Calloc’h, spend remains mostly in search.

While Amazon does have video advertising capabilities, through Prime live sport programming, Fire TV, Twitch, and IMDB, the sticking point appears to be that much of that inventory cannot be bought through Amazon’s self-serve advertising platform.

Lego, the toy brand, has tested video assets in search results in the US. The company now wants to buy more, said its Head of Emerging Platforms and Partnerships, James Poulter, “especially when 70 percent of all purchase journeys start on Amazon.” The tests reiterated the importance of video advertising in the purchase journey.
For more insight on Amazon, read WARC’s feature:  Trend Snapshot: Amazon's growing advertising empire

Meanwhile, Heineken’s brand director, Nick Casby said that Amazon would be on the media plan in the coming year, with the brand looking to work with some of Amazon’s exclusive titles on Amazon.

Last year, Frank Kochenash, Managing Director, North America at Wunderman – who oversees WPP's new dedicated Amazon practice – (then of POSSIBLE) told WARC that he expects Amazon to begin jostling to rival the duopoly.

“As a media channel, we believe Amazon will grow to rival Facebook and Google in size and importance. The growth in importance is not just due to Amazon's audience size.

“It has exceptionally good data on its audience, knowing important browsing and purchasing activities. As its offerings grow to include more video and music content, Amazon's ability to understand its audience will also grow.”

Sourced from Digiday, WARC