03
Holdout-based measurement
Holdout audiences built in AMC so we can compare exposed vs. unexposed cohorts. Real incrementality reporting, not last-touch ROAS. Monthly readouts with new-to-brand rate and lift.
Amazon · DSP & AMC
Amazon DSP and AMC, run by operators who measure it honestly.
Programmatic display, video, and audio across Amazon's owned and operated surfaces, measured through AMC with holdout testing, not vanity dashboards.
Trusted by Amazon sellers and aggregators
The problem
Most brands run DSP without ever proving it works.
DSP dashboards show ROAS that includes every sale from a shopper who saw an ad, regardless of whether the ad caused it. Real incrementality lives in AMC, and most agencies never build the holdout audiences needed to measure it. The result: brands spend $50K a month on retargeting people who would have bought anyway.
- DSP campaigns running on default frequency caps, hammering the same shoppers 40+ times a month
- Retargeting audiences built only on 'all PDP viewers' instead of high-intent segments
- No AMC instance, so you can't measure new-to-brand or incrementality
- Creative rotation never set up, so a single tired banner runs for 90 days
- DSP attribution credit overlapping with Sponsored Ads, double-counting sales
- No holdout audiences, so 'incremental' ROAS is a guess
Our approach
Build audiences in AMC, activate in DSP, measure with holdouts.
DSP is only as good as the audiences it targets and the measurement behind it. We build both before we spend.
01
AMC-first audience strategy
Custom audiences built from event-level data: high-intent PDP viewers, lapsed subscribers, repeat buyers, lookalikes off purchasers. Activated into DSP rather than relying on Amazon's default audience packages.
02
Disciplined creative rotation
Three creative variants minimum per audience. Rotation every 14 days based on CTR and frequency. Sponsored Brands video creative re-cut for DSP placements to keep the funnel coherent.
What you get
What's included in DSP & AMC management.
- AMC instance setup and event-mapping
- Custom audience builds (PDP viewers, cart abandon, repeat, lapsed, lookalikes)
- DSP campaign structure across prospecting, retargeting, and loyalty
- Frequency cap and pacing strategy
- Creative brief, rotation cadence, and refresh schedule
- Sponsored Brands video re-cut for DSP placements
- Twitch, Fire TV, and STV (streaming TV) buys where applicable
- Open-web programmatic via Amazon's exchange partners
- Holdout audience setup and incrementality reporting
- Monthly AMC readout: new-to-brand, lift, frequency, reach
- Quarterly strategy review with category benchmarks
- DSP and AMC dashboards in Looker or Hex
How we work
Our DSP & AMC engagement.
Month 1
Foundation
AMC live, baseline audiences built, first campaigns launched on conservative budgets.
- AMC instance and event mapping
- First custom audiences: PDP viewers, repeat, lapsed
- DSP retargeting live with 3-creative rotation
- Frequency caps and pacing rules in place
- Holdout audience for measurement
Months 2-3
Scale & layer
Prospecting, STV, and Twitch come online as audiences validate.
- Prospecting audiences (in-market, lookalikes)
- STV and Twitch buys for awareness
- Sponsored Brands video extended to DSP
- Open-web programmatic where unit economics support
- First incrementality readout in AMC
Ongoing
Measure & iterate
AMC drives every spend decision.
- Monthly AMC readout with new-to-brand and lift
- Creative refresh every 14 days
- Audience iteration based on holdout performance
- Budget reallocation across funnel stages
- Quarterly strategy review
Proof
What we measure honestly.
+22%
Average new-to-brand rate lift after AMC audience rebuild
−38%
Average DSP frequency reduction with no reach loss
1.6×
Incremental ROAS measured via AMC holdout vs. last-touch reporting
FAQ
Questions executives actually ask.
What is Amazon DSP and how is it different from Sponsored Ads?
Amazon DSP (Demand-Side Platform) is programmatic display and video advertising that runs on and off Amazon, including Twitch, Fire TV, IMDb, and the open web. Unlike Sponsored Ads, which are auction-based and keyword-targeted, DSP is audience-based and lets you reach shoppers throughout the funnel, including those who haven't searched yet.
What's the minimum spend for Amazon DSP?
Amazon's documented self-serve minimum is $35K per month, though most brands need closer to $50-75K monthly to run efficiently across prospecting and retargeting. Below that, you're better off concentrating spend in Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display.
What is AMC and do I need it?
Amazon Marketing Cloud is a clean-room analytics environment where you can query event-level data across Sponsored Ads, DSP, and your own first-party signals. It's how we measure incrementality, run new-to-brand analysis, and build custom audiences (PDP viewers, lapsed subscribers, repeat buyers) that DSP can then activate.
Do I need an agency to access DSP, or can I run it myself?
Amazon offers both self-serve and managed-service DSP. Most brands under $200K monthly DSP spend run it through an agency or Amazon-managed service. Self-serve is viable but the platform is dense, minimum effective team is 1-2 full-time traders.
What audiences work best for DSP retargeting?
PDP viewers who didn't purchase (24-hour and 7-day windows), cart abandoners, repeat buyers for upsell, and lapsed subscribers for win-back. Lookalikes off your purchaser audience are strong for prospecting. We build all of these through AMC and activate them in DSP.
How do you measure DSP incrementality?
Through AMC. We build holdout audiences, measure incremental new-to-brand rate, and compare DSP-exposed cohorts against unexposed control groups. This is the only honest way to know whether DSP is adding sales or just retargeting people who would have bought anyway.
Want a free DSP and AMC audit?
Send us read access to your DSP account. We'll send back a written audit with audience leakage, frequency issues, creative fatigue, and the top changes to improve incremental ROAS.