The Amazon Sponsored Brand Video Advertisements

In the dynamic eCommerce landscape, Amazon has introduced a promising advertising avenue for sellers: the Sponsored Brand Video. These video advertisements offer brand-registered Amazon sellers an unparalleled edge in capturing audience attention. While many sellers are still exploring traditional advertising tools, leveraging these video ads can help early adopters establish a strong market presence. These visually immersive ads, strategically placed around the center of Amazon's search results, are automatically played, ensuring instant user engagement. By harmoniously blending engaging video content with an informative product thumbnail, these ads provide a holistic view of key product attributes, from the image and title to reviews, pricing, and shipping.

Operational Dynamics of Sponsored Brands Video Ads

These video advertisements operate within Amazon's established PPC (Pay-Per-Click) framework, sharing the arena with counterparts like Sponsored Display Ads, Sponsored Product Ads, and Sponsored Brands. The essence of these campaigns revolve around strategic keyword bidding, amplifying product visibility amidst the vast Amazon search landscape, thus attracting potential buyers. With a myriad of sellers competing for the spotlight in similar niches, it's imperative to stand out. Amazon's guidance emphasizes succinct, impactful videos — ideally concluding within a 30-second span. To optimize the output, collaborating with professionals adept in Amazon's advertising ecosystem is advisable.

NOTE: YOU MUST BE A PART OF THE AMAZON BRAND REGISTRY OR BE AN AMAZON VENDOR TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SPONSORED BRANDS

In-depth Tutorial: Crafting Your Sponsored Brands Video Ad

1. Alignment with Amazon's Protocols: Prior to initiating the campaign, ensure that the video aligns seamlessly with Amazon's stipulated guidelines.

2. Dashboard Navigation: Commence by accessing the “Advertising” tab within Seller Central and delve into the “Campaign Manager.”

3. Campaign Commencement: Opt for the “Create Campaign” feature, followed by selecting “Sponsored Brands” from the array of campaign type options.

4. Detailing the Campaign: Within “Settings,” articulate the nuances like the campaign's designation, its timeframe, daily budgetary constraints, and the specific brand in the spotlight.

5. Defining the Visual Narrative: Designate "Video" as your ad format of choice. Subsequently, earmark the product meriting the spotlight.

6. Uploading and Previewing: Post video upload, Amazon presents a preview, illustrating the ad’s cross-device appearance.

7. Zeroing in on Keywords: This pivotal phase involves crafting a list of resonating keywords. Once curated, submit your ad for Amazon's review, typically culminating within a 72-hour window.

Crafting Videos that Resonate: Best Practices

• Product-Centric Narratives: Prioritize the product. Illuminate its functionality, intrinsic advantages, and differentiators without any distractions.

• Emphasize Brevity: Aim for a compact video narrative, spanning between 15-30 seconds. This ensures the core product attributes remain front and center.

• Continuity via Looping: Consider designing the video for a seamless looping experience, prolonging viewer engagement.

• Immediate Impact: Eschew elaborate openings. Dive directly into captivating content.

• Mute-friendly Design: Given the default silent playback mode, infuse clear, legible on-screen narratives to bolster your message.

Video Standards and Directives

To guarantee a streamlined viewer experience, it's crucial to adhere to Amazon's video and audio benchmarks. Amazon prohibits:

• Blurry, unclear, or unrecognizable visuals.

• Creative elements that interfere with legibility of ad templates, for example, the Sponsored tag or mute button unless the video is without audio.

• Customer reviews (including star ratings) even if these reviews are on Amazon.

• Deals, discounts, or other savings promotions.

• Distracting images (for example, flashing, spinning, blinking, pulsating objects or text, or high-contrast transitions).

• Distracting, shrill, unexpected or violent, and jarring sounds. This can include sudden changes in volume, uncommonly high-pitched voices, or unexpected or contextually irrelevant sounds.

• Illegible text. The text must be big enough to be readable to the average customer. Ads cannot use the same or similar color for text and background because the text will not be legible (for example, white text on light gray background).

• Poor audio quality such as static, crackling, faint messages or low tone voices, fast paced, inaudible, unclear, or unrecognizable sounds.

• Poor video quality and low resolution.

• Pressuring, combative, or urgent language intended to elicit a click or a sale from the customer.

Navigating Potential Pitfalls

Awareness of Amazon's prohibitions for video ads can prevent inadvertent pitfalls. This encompasses restrictions such as compromised visuals or audio, unauthorized usage of Amazon insignias, mentions of customer testimonials, and high-pressure sales tactics:

Video guidelines:

• 16:9 aspect ratio

• 1280 x 720px, 1920 x 1080px or 3840 x 2160px

• 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 29.98, or 30 fps

• 1 Mbps or higher bit rate

• H.264 or H.265 codec

• 6-45 sec long

• 500 MB or smaller

• MP4 or MOV file

• Main or baseline profile

• Progressive scan type

• 1 video stream only

Audio guidelines:

• 44.1 kHz or higher sample rate

• PCM, AAC or MP3 codec

• 96 kbps or higher bit rate

• Stereo or mono format

• Not more than 1 audio stream

Weighing the Potential of Sponsored Brands Video Ads

The potency of these video ads stems from their dominant presence in search results, potentially overshadowing multiple rivals. Their innate ability to engage, reflected in impressive click-through and conversion metrics, makes them invaluable. These ads enable direct product showcasing within search results, eliminating the intermediate click-through step. As with any advertising strategy on Amazon, empirical experimentation is indispensable. Evaluate its potency for your specific product and audience segment. Given its exclusivity and commanding placement, these video ads certainly emerge as a potent arsenal for any astute Amazon seller.

As the eCommerce ecosystem evolves, Amazon's Sponsored Brands Video Ads stand out as a testament to the platform's commitment to offering innovative tools for sellers. These ads not only accentuate a product's value proposition but also reconfigure the competitive landscape, allowing brand-registered sellers to elevate their market position. The convergence of visual appeal, strategic placement, and immersive engagement makes them an indispensable asset for proactive sellers. As the Amazon marketplace becomes increasingly crowded, embracing these dynamic video ads is more than just a strategic move—it's a forward-thinking approach to captivate audiences and fortify brand presence. Best of luck creating Sponsored Brand Video Ads on Amazon!

Thank you,

Commerce Canal Team

Are you an Amazon seller looking to expand your brand’s reach and influence? If so, click here to learn about how Amazon Sponsored Brands work.

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