There’s a change coming soon to Amazon Advertising! Sponsored Brand ads will require custom images starting January 31, 2024. Standard Sponsored Brand ads appear at the top of search results and look like this without a custom image: Sponsored Brand ads with a custom image take up more real estate at the top of search results: Advertisers can use lifestyle images for these ads to boost engagement with the ad and increase brand awareness. Why is Amazon doing this? As you may have seen in your ad console, Amazon posted an announcement, “Starting January 31, 2024, all new and edited product collection ads will need a custom image. Ads without a custom image won’t deliver and won’t receive impressions after May 31, 2024. On average, Sponsored Brands ads with branded creative, such as a custom image, generate a 50% increase in CTR and 60% increase in branded search than ads with only product images (Amazon internal data, 2022).” A 50% increase in an ad’s click-through rate (CTR) and taking up the full space available at the top of search results are appealing reasons to make this change. It is also a helpful way to review your existing ads to see what other aspects of those campaigns could be spruced up. Adding images to advertisements increases customer engagement during the crucial moment your ad is visible. Ensuring that your current and upcoming ads have custom images will help prevent an interruption in your ad delivery ahead of the May 31, 2024, deadline. Editing Sponsored Brand Ads Classic Sponsored Brand ads do not have ad groups, while newer Sponsored Brand ads (labeled in Amazon Advertising reports as “SB2”) have ad groups. Here is how to review and edit each type to add a custom image. For your classic Sponsored Brand ads, select the campaign you wish to edit. Click on “Creative.” If you are editing an existing Sponsored Brand 2 ad, select the campaign you wish to edit, and click on the ad group. Then, click on “Manage Creative.” From here on out, editing both Sponsored Brand types is the same process. Click on “Edit creative.” Click on “Custom images.” After you click on “Custom images,” you have the option to add an image from your computer or from creative assets already stored in your Amazon Advertising account. When you are done adding your custom images, click on “Submit for review.” Amazon takes one to three business days to review your images while the previously accepted version of the ad continues to run. Any new ads should be built with a custom image from here on out, not only to comply with Amazon’s new requirements but also to take advantage of better click-through rates and tell your brand story to shoppers. While advertisers have until May 31, 2024, before their Sponsored Brand ads without a custom image stop delivering, get ahead of the deadline and start now!
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