Amazon to End Amazon Product Ads Program…Now What?

By August 11, 2015March 9th, 2021Amazon

Amazon is Discontinuing The Amazon Product Ads Program.

Amazon is shutting down its widely popular Amazon Product Ads program, with Oct. 31st being the official day the lights go out. Tuesday, August 11, 2015, marks the start of this phase-out, as no new accounts will be accepted into the program.

What Will Take The Place of the Shuttered Product Ads Program?

There’ll be a new Text Ads program that will be launched in place of Product Ads. Currently, the Text Ads program is in beta and there is no word of when the rollout will be made available to the general public, however, it should be available to existing Product Ads users.

What You Should Know About Amazon Text Ads

According to Amazon, Text Ads function much like Google AdWords. In fact, Amazon suggests merchants begin their venture with Text Ads by uploading their AdWords PPC campaign .csv files. Ads will appear in the widgets on areas of Amazon.com that display Sponsored Links (such as search and browse pages, product detail pages, and mobile searchers performed on browsers).

Amazon Text Ads will perform like PPC ads, in that merchants are only charged when ads are clicked. It’s a 2nd-price auction with no set PPC rates, other than a .10 minimum CPC bid.

 Amazon Text Ads Beta Program is Being Discontinued - Click Here For More Info.

Going Against The Grain? Why Amazon Would Disband A Program That’s So Successful Elsewhere

The news of the disbanding of Amazon’s Product Ads program comes as a shock to many online merchants, as well as to us over here at Operation ROI.

Simply put, the data couldn’t be any clearer: Google, Bing, and Facebook are all thriving with the use of “Product Ads.” And, as these product ads continue to provide success for merchants, traditional PPC is on the decline for e-commerce sites.

Why, then would Amazon choose to move in the opposite direction and remove its product ads, in favor of the declining PPC text ad?

What Amazon Says “Text Ads” Will Do For Merchants

According to the online merchant giant, text ads help Amazon shoppers easily discover products and services while simultaneously driving traffic to merchants’ websites. As Amazon states, the “text ad format is a quick path for publishing campaigns and driving traffic to any part of your site, not just the detail pages.”

But there has to be more behind such a drastic and unorthodox change as the departure from Product Ads, which have proven their worth across multiple channels. It’s possible that Amazon is looking to formulate a way to keep more sales within. It’s also possible they’re looking for a way to build upon their established Sponsored Products program.

If deciding between Text Ads or Sponsored Products, understand that Sponsored Products are similar to Product Ads, but they link-in to products being sold on Amazon vs. linking out. Text Ads are PPC ads, where you are only charged when ads are clicked.

Sponsored Products are designed to put your products in a range of prominent places (such as on page 1 of a searcher’s journey). Winning this coveted ad space requires you to pick keywords and place a bid. Amazon then picks a winner based on the bid and relevance of the ad. But, unlike Amazon Product Ads, which lead to an external website, these ads go to products on Amazon.

What Can Ecommerce Merchants Do To Prepare For This Shift To Amazon Text Ads?

Until the program is rolled out to the masses, there’s not too much you can do except prepare yourself for the shift. This includes reviewing your AdWords .csv files so that when you’re granted access to Text Ads, you can hit the ground running.

OperationROI remains vigilant on uncovering the news surrounding this shift and will work steadfastly to help our clients navigate through the confusion sure to be associated with the eventual demise of the Amazon Product Ads program.

Learn more about how we can help you prepare for the new landscape at Amazon by calling us at 1-888-277-5429 or by filling out our contact form.

Advertise on Amazon

Not sure how to get started or how to advertise on Amazon? Below are three links with more information for getting started with Amazon, selling on Amazon, and Amazon Marketplace Management with OperationROI.

Amazon Marketplace Management Sell on Amazon How to Sell on Amazon

HERE IS THE MESSAGE FROM AMAZON WHEN LOGGED INTO SELLER CENTRAL

Discontinuation of Product Ads FAQ

What is happening with Product Ads?

As of October 31, 2015, we will no longer show Amazon Product Ads on Amazon.com. We value your business and regret any inconvenience this may cause.  We have chosen October 31, 2015, as the discontinuation date so that advertisers have time to prepare for the change.

What are my options given the discontinuation of Product Ads?

If you are not already an Amazon Seller and you are interested in selling your products on Amazon, we encourage you to consider Selling on Amazon, with the opportunity to advertise using Sponsored Products.

If you are seeking a solution to drive traffic to your website, consider Amazon Text Ads, our newest pay-per-click (PPC) advertising solution for running text ads on Amazon and driving traffic to your website. Amazon Text Ads is currently in beta and available only in the United States to a select group of advertisers, including all existing Product Ads advertisers. Learn more about Amazon Text Ads

  • Amazon Text Ads is the only platform that shows your text ads exclusively on Amazon pages, which can be viewed by millions of shoppers.
  • Sign in to your existing advertising account and go to Campaign Manager.
  • The discontinuation of Product Ads will NOT affect your Amazon Text Ads campaigns or any other Amazon account.

How much longer can I run my product ads?

Your Product Ads service will remain available through October 30, 2015.

Will I need to do something in my account to stop my Product Ads advertising?

No, you do not need to do anything to your account or product ads.

When will I receive my final Product Ads invoice?

The final invoice for October charges should be posted in early November. You may continue to access to your Product Ads invoice history through December 31, 2015.

What happens to my Product Ads unused promotional ad credits?

Any promotional Product Ads credits applied to your account will expire on October 31, 2015.

Will the discontinuation of Product Ads affect my other Amazon accounts (e.g. FBA, Sponsored Products, Amazon Text Ads)?

No, it will not affect your other Amazon accounts or advertising campaigns.

I have more questions, who can I contact?

Please contact Seller Support for further questions.

HERE IS THE EMAIL SENT TO EXISTING AMAZON PRODUCT ADS USERS

Amazon Product Ads Feed Management

Dear Amazon Product Ads Advertiser,

Effective October 31, 2015, we will be discontinuing Amazon Product Ads. While your ads will no longer be visible on Amazon as of that date, you may access your performance reports through December 31, 2015. We know this may be a disruption and we value your business, which is why we would like to recommend you explore these options:

  • Selling on Amazon: If you are not already an Amazon Seller and you are interested in selling your products on Amazon, we encourage you to consider Selling on Amazon, with the opportunity to advertise usingSponsored Products.
  • Amazon Text Ads: If driving traffic to your own website is important to your business, we would like to introduce you to Amazon Text Ads*, our newest Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising solution that enables you to run text ads on Amazon. Amazon Text Ads is already enabled in your account. Simply sign in to your existing Product Ads account (login required) to learn how to get started.

From all of us at Product Ads, we thank you for your business and regret any inconvenience this transition may cause. Our Seller Support team is on hand to answer your questions about Product Ads and help you transition to Text Ads.

Sincerely,

The Amazon Product Ads Team

Questions about Product Ads?

Learn more about Amazon Text Ads

* Amazon Text Ads is in Beta and currently available only in the U.S. to a select group of advertisers, including all existing Product Ads advertisers.

 

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