Before you dive deep into building high-performing campaigns, it’s crucial to understand the types of Amazon Ads available — each with their own goals, placements, and targeting capabilities. This post breaks down every Amazon campaign type, so you know when and why to use each one.
1. Sponsored Products (SP)
These are the most commonly used ads — product-focused and keyword- or product-targeted. They appear in search results and on product detail pages.
Use Cases:
- Drive conversions on retail-ready ASINs
- Launch new products or push best sellers
- Defend branded terms from competitors
Targeting:
- Automatic (Amazon chooses keywords/ASINs)
- Manual – Keyword targeting
- Manual – Product targeting (ASINs & categories)
2. Sponsored Brands (SB)
Headline ads that feature your brand logo, a custom message, and up to 3 ASINs. They show up above search results and help build brand awareness.
Types:
- Product Collection
- Video
- Store Spotlight
Use Cases:
- Protect your brand keywords
- Drive traffic to your Store or landing page
- Increase visibility for premium or new ASINs
3. Sponsored Display (SD)
Display ads that appear both on and off Amazon. Useful for retargeting and audience-based strategies.
Targeting Options:
- Views remarketing
- Purchase remarketing
- Similar product targeting
- Contextual targeting
Use Cases:
- Cross-sell complementary products
- Retarget shoppers who didn’t purchase
- Build top-of-funnel visibility
4. Amazon DSP (Demand Side Platform)
A fully programmatic ad solution that enables brands to run display and video ads both on and off Amazon — even to audiences who haven’t visited your product pages.
Use Cases:
- NTB (new-to-brand) acquisition
- High-funnel brand awareness
- Audience targeting via 1P/3P signals
Note: DSP requires either a managed-service contract with Amazon or use of an approved DSP partner/platform.
5. Sponsored TV
Emerging ad format to deliver your message via streaming platforms (Fire TV, Prime Video, Freevee, Twitch, etc.).
Use Cases:
- Boost awareness for new products or categories
- Deliver storytelling-driven brand messaging
- Reach high-impact OTT audiences
🧭 When to Use Each Campaign Type
Simple Rule of Thumb:
- SP → Always-on for direct sales
- SB → Brand awareness + store traffic
- SD → Retargeting + mid-funnel coverage
- DSP → Full-funnel + external remarketing
- TV → Brand lift + storytelling
🔗 Related Reads
→ Missed the foundations? Read Amazon Ads Foundations
→ Next up: Structuring Sponsored Products for ROAS
→ See our Ad Glossary for term definitions
