Amazon Advertising Updates: November 2024 Highlights

As the holiday season approaches, Amazon Advertising continues to innovate and come up with Amazon features that make it significantly easy for sellers like you to reach your audiences effectively and efficiently. 

Most importantly, these advertising updates offer you fresh opportunities to take your campaigns to the next level. In November 2024, Amazon had 11 major updates and we’ve broken them down for you:

Amazon Advertising November Updates

Here’s a closer look at the latest developments and why they matter for your advertising strategy:

Update 1: Alexa Joins the Video Ad Game

From November 5, Alexa has become a new supply source for online video ads through Amazon DSP. Alexa now being an inventory option for video ads has majorly changed the ad game for sellers. With voice shopping at an all-time high, these ads can help you drive considerations and boost brand awareness. Specifically, Alexa has been automatically included in video line items in DSP.

If your customer clicks on an auto-playing ad on Alexa’s home screen, the video launches in full screen, enhancing engagement.

Why it matters?

Alexa is Amazon’s first device placement integrated seamlessly with standard video templates. Advertisers can now extend their reach effortlessly without modifying video creatives, reaching new audiences on Echo Show devices.

Where it’s available?

United States.

Update 2: Smarter Audience Targeting with Dynamic Segments

On November 7, Amazon introduced Dynamic Segments to make audience targeting smarter and more effective. By taking advantage of this feature, you essentially tap into Amazon’s advanced machine learning which shows your ads to audiences who are more likely to engage. By leveraging first-party shopping data and conversation signals from your business, this Dynamic Segments continuously adjusts to maximize relevance and performance. This feature is also open to businesses that sell on Amazon and self-service advertisers.

Why it matters?

This capability ensures greater reach and scale, allowing advertisers to combine Dynamic Segments with other audience types such as Amazon Audiences, Views, and Purchases.

Where it’s available?

United States.

Update 3: Optimize Campaigns with New DSP Guidance API

Launched on November 10, the new Guidance API for Amazon DSP takes campaign optimization to the next level.

This DSP Guidance API enables you to access pre-flight and in-flight recommendations programmatically. From CPM optimizations to viewability targets, it’s now easier to apply Amazon’s machine-learning-driven insights directly to your campaigns. The Quick Action API complements this by allowing advertisers to instantly adopt recommended changes.

Why it matters?

With these tools, advertisers can save time, reduce manual adjustments, and ensure consistent optimization—especially useful for large-scale campaigns.

Where it’s available?

It’s available globally across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific.

Update 4: Better Creative Management with Publisher Moderation

On November 12, Amazon launched Publisher Moderation. This feature is designed to streamline creative approvals for Amazon DSP self-service advertisers.

Publisher Moderation automatically blocks inventory where a creative doesn’t comply with Amazon Ad Policies. Creatives that face restrictions for specific inventory can still run seamlessly on approved placements.

Why it matters?

This update helps advertisers identify and address potential reach limitations caused by policy violations, ensuring smoother campaign delivery without manual intervention.

Where it’s available?

Regions include North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific.

Update 5: Sponsored Brands Ads Expand for Authors

SB Ads is available for authors in Canada, and Australia as of November 13th. If you’re an author in these regions, you can seamlessly create customized images and video ads to showcase your books and connect with readers. These ads can highlight a specific series, a collection, or even a compelling storyline.

Why it matters? 

Sponsored Brands ads allow authors to build their personal brand and engage readers at the right moment. Ads using custom images have shown significantly higher click-through rates, making this a powerful tool for increasing visibility and driving sales. 

Most importantly, only authors with three or more books under a single pen name claimed in Author Central can use these features.

Where it’s available?

Canada, Australia, and several other regions across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

Update 6: Enhanced Reporting: More Transparency and Multilingual Support

We personally love this update quite a bit. Amazon’s Ads Status platform just became super powerful with two significant updates designed to help advertisers stay informed and in control:

• The History Page: Introduced on November 13, this tool provides six months of detailed incident and status updates for services like Sponsored Ads, Amazon DSP, and Amazon Marketing Stream. Advertisers no longer need to worry about missing a critical update—they can now review everything they need, whenever they need it.

• Language Switcher: A new dropdown menu makes it possible to view the platform in the language you’re most comfortable with. This change makes the tool more inclusive and easier to use for advertisers around the globe.

Why it matters?

These features take the guesswork out of campaign planning and troubleshooting, especially during crucial moments like seasonal peaks. With access to historical data and multilingual support, you’re better equipped to make informed decisions wherever you are.

Where it’s available?

Those across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific can access this feature.

Update 7: Contextual Keyword Targeting: Speak Directly to Your Audience

Amazon has recently introduced several changes on the DSP side of things. For example, the contextual keyword targeting feature brings a new level of precision and creativity to your targeting. You can now:

• Use custom keywords or phrases to target content with pinpoint accuracy.
• Move beyond standard category or product-based targeting, opening up new possibilities.

With this feature, you can effectively align your ads with trending seasonal themes like “Black Friday deals” or even “spring travel” and reach your audience exactly when they’re where they’re looking for this information. When leveraged correctly, this could potentially, help you overcome marketplace saturation and scale consistently.

Why it matters?

This incredible level of targeting allows you to connect with audiences in more meaningful and relevant ways, enhancing both engagement and campaign performance.

Where it’s available? 

Currently, those of you in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia can access this feature. Of course, both self-service and managed-service advertisers.

Update 8: Forecasting for Sponsored Brands: Predict Success Before It Starts

Amazon Ads now offers real-time forecasting for impressions and clicks, using advanced machine-learning models. This essentially takes the planning process of SB brands to a whole new level. You can specifically gain insights into:

• Your budget’s potential impact.
• The effect of your targeting choices.
• How your bidding strategy may shape results.

Why it matters?

No more trial-and-error. With these forecasts, you can confidently make adjustments before you launch, maximizing ROI and saving time.

Where it’s available? 

Globally, across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific.

Update 9: Pre-Flight Recommendations: Smarter Campaign Launches

Launching a campaign is often a mix of art and science—but Amazon DSP’s new pre-flight recommendations make it easier than ever. Using machine learning, this feature offers:

• Suggestions for optimizing CPM and frequency caps.
• Alerts in the guidance panel for immediate insights.

Why it matters?

This update ensures your campaigns are set up for success from the very beginning, reducing potential delivery hiccups and improving performance.

Where it’s available?

Globally, for self-service advertisers in Amazon DSP.

Update 10: Short-Flight Campaign Optimization: Perfect for Big Shopping Events

Short campaigns for events like Prime Day or Black Friday come with unique challenges. However, with Amazon DSP’s new recommendation system, any of your campaigns lasting seven days or less can help you:

• Address pacing issues early.
• Get the most out of high-demand periods with optimized performance.

Why it matters?

Time-sensitive campaigns will always require immediate attention to detail. This update helps you make every moment count without spending extra time on manual adjustments.

Where it’s available? 

Globally, through Amazon DSP and its recommendations API.

Update 11: Dynamic Traffic Engine Beta: Smarter Programmatic Advertising

Amazon is switching up programmatic advertising with the Dynamic Traffic Engine. However, this is currently in beta. This new tool works with supply-side platforms (SSPs) to:

• Prioritize high-value inventory.
• Reduce low-value ad requests, making the system more efficient.

What’s the impact of these features so far? According to early results from Amazon, there is a 40% reduction in low-demand ad requests and better fill rates for SSPs like Yieldmo and TripleLift.

Why is this feature important?

This update reduces infrastructure costs while boosting campaign performance by addressing inefficiencies. It’s a win-win for advertisers and platforms alike.

Where it’s available?

This feature is currently in beta, with plans for broader rollouts. However, we recommend experimenting with this feature during holiday sales.

Final Thoughts

November’s updates have absolutely demonstrated Amazon’s continued commitment to empowering advertisers with tools that simplify campaign management and enhance audience engagement. 

Whether it’s taking advantage of Alexa’s DSP reach, tapping into smarter audience segments, or optimizing campaigns with API integrations, these innovations offer something for every advertiser. We highly recommend you use these new features and set your campaigns up for success during this holiday season.

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