Tom:
Welcome to the Clear Ads Podcast: Highway to Sell. As usual, you’re listening to me, Tom Hor, and this week we’re joined by a very special guest — our Head of Marketing at Clear Ads, Sarah Lamb.
Sarah:
Hi Tom, thanks for having me. It’s great to be here.
Tom:
This week we’re taking a step back from our usual deep dive into Amazon advertising. We’re still in that world, but today we’re going up a level to look at omnichannel advertising and marketing — which is why I’m so glad you’re here, Sarah.
I don’t think we’ve even mentioned the term omnichannel on the podcast before, so let’s start right at the top. What exactly is omnichannel advertising, and how can it be used effectively alongside Amazon advertising?
Sarah:
Good question! Most people know what advertising and marketing are, so let’s jump straight to the “omni” part.
Omnichannel is all about delivering a consistent message across multiple channels. The idea is that your brand presents one unified story — the same look, feel, and tone — no matter where people see you.
That consistency helps people recognise your brand and move naturally from awareness to consideration to purchase.
Tom:
I think consistency is key. A lot of agencies struggle with that because we tend to live in our own little bubbles — I handle Amazon ads, another agency handles Facebook or Google.
But what I like to do is reach out to those other teams and agree on the core messaging: the mission statement, the taglines, the buzzwords. Otherwise, everything can look disconnected, like it’s run by totally different people.
Sarah:
Exactly. And that’s actually the difference between multichannel and omnichannel marketing.
With multichannel, you might have different agencies running different platforms — Amazon, social media, email — each with its own strategy and tone. Omnichannel, on the other hand, brings everything together under one comprehensive strategy.
It means you have a single, consistent message that’s adapted slightly for each medium, but always aligns with the same brand identity.
Tom:
Got it. So why would a brand choose omnichannel instead of multichannel?
Sarah:
If you want to truly understand how your message performs across platforms — and how your audiences interact with it — omnichannel is the way to go.
Multichannel might work if you already know what resonates on each platform. For example, maybe humour works on Facebook, but professionalism works on LinkedIn.
Omnichannel goes beyond that. It builds a story that flows between channels. You might introduce your brand on Facebook, continue the narrative on LinkedIn, and lead the customer to purchase on Amazon. Each platform is a different “chapter” in the same story.
Tom:
That’s a great way to think about it — telling one continuous story through different channels.
Now, does omnichannel include physical stores as well, or is it just digital marketing?
Sarah:
It’s both. You can absolutely include brick-and-mortar elements — window displays, billboards, in-store experiences.
Some of the best examples are big UK brands like Topshop. They make sure their in-store visuals, online ads, and social media content all look and feel the same. You see it on the high street, and then you see the same tone and colours online — it’s seamless.
Tom:
That makes total sense. It’s not just about messaging, but imagery too — colours, fonts, design.
Even subconsciously, people start recognising the brand. Like when you see a Coke ad on a bus and then suddenly crave a Coke in the shop — it sticks.
Sarah:
Exactly! That’s brand recall at work.
Even here at Clear Ads, we do the same thing. Our event stands, our social posts, our website — they all have the same colour palette and tone. That visual consistency builds recognition and trust.
Tom:
So for our listeners — especially those who may have been doing multichannel marketing up to now — how can they start moving towards a more omnichannel approach?
Sarah:
Start with analysis. Work out who your audiences are, which channels perform best, and which aren’t worth your time.
A lot of businesses spread themselves too thin because they think they “have to be everywhere.” Focus instead on the channels that actually bring in sales.
Next, look at your brand identity — your colours, tone, and key messages. Do some audience testing to see what resonates, then roll it out consistently across your chosen platforms.
And finally, test and tweak. Small changes at the top of the funnel can have a big impact further down.
Tom:
If you wanted to test something like a colour change — say moving from purple to green — would you roll that out everywhere at once, or test it in one channel first?
Sarah:
I’d test it across all your channels at once, but using different ad formats — video, image, audio. That way, you gather insights faster and understand how the change performs across different mediums.
Tom:
Brilliant. Okay, I think we’ve got a great overview of what omnichannel marketing is and how it differs from multichannel. But let’s bring Amazon into this — since that’s what we live and breathe here.
How can advertisers integrate Amazon advertising into their omnichannel strategy?
Sarah:
Well, Amazon should absolutely be part of your omnichannel plan.
Tom:
Agreed. I’d say the first step is your product listing. Make sure your product imagery, packaging, and copy reflect your brand’s visual identity and tone.
Even the bullet points and description should tie into your wider brand story. Apple’s a great example — clean, minimal, white backgrounds, sharp product photos. You instantly know it’s Apple.
Your Amazon listings should do the same for your brand.
Then, as advertisers, we can carry that consistency into Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display, and DSP campaigns. That’s where we have the freedom to use branded imagery and tailored headlines.
But communication is key — sellers should tell their agencies what their mission statement and brand message are, so we can incorporate that into their ads.
Sarah:
Exactly. And don’t forget the psychology behind your ads.
People respond to emotion. If an image or headline makes them feel something — joy, nostalgia, excitement — they’re far more likely to engage.
That’s why colour choices and creative direction are so important.
Tom:
I’ve seen that too. One of my clients started experimenting with bright block colours — pinks, oranges, blues — and it completely transformed their performance. It started as a Valentine’s campaign, and even after Valentine’s ended, the creatives were still performing because people connected with the feeling.
Sarah:
That’s the emotional pull. When customers associate your product with a positive emotion, they’re more likely to buy — and remember you.
And with omnichannel, you can tailor that emotion throughout the customer journey. Your top-of-funnel ads might focus on awareness and storytelling, while your lower-funnel ads focus on urgency, loyalty, or cross-selling.
Tom:
That ties in perfectly with how we use Amazon DSP. Off-Amazon ads can help us retarget or re-engage people who’ve already interacted with the brand elsewhere.
Sarah:
Exactly. And don’t forget — omnichannel doesn’t stop at digital. If your product’s in stores, your packaging, POS displays, and in-store ads should still mirror the same messaging and design your customers see online.
Tom:
Good point. And speaking of advertising across multiple channels — what about budgeting? How do you recommend brands allocate their spend across different platforms?
Sarah:
I’d start at the top of the funnel. You need to cast the net wide first to see which channels perform best.
Once you’ve gathered enough data, you can start shifting budgets towards the channels and creatives that convert the most.
But don’t switch off top-of-funnel ads completely — they keep feeding awareness and brand discovery. Turning them off can damage long-term growth.
And always keep an experimental budget aside. You should have funds set aside purely for testing new ideas or channels.
Tom:
Yes! We often see advertisers taking money away from their best-performing channels to test new ones — which can backfire.
Sarah:
Exactly. You can test new ideas without compromising your core performance channels.
Tom:
Let’s talk about AI for a moment — because I know we both use ChatGPT a lot. How do you think AI fits into omnichannel marketing?
Sarah:
AI can be an incredible tool for generating brand messaging across every stage of the customer journey.
You can ask it to create messaging for awareness, consideration, and conversion — or even to outline an entire customer journey.
It’s great for inspiration and structure. It can also help with creative ideas — colour psychology, emotional triggers, tone of voice — anything you can think of.
Tom:
Exactly. Even this podcast outline was written by ChatGPT! It’s definitely changed how we brainstorm.
Sarah:
Same here. It’s not about replacing creativity — it’s about enhancing it.
Tom:
Absolutely. Okay, bringing it back to Amazon — what tools can we use to measure omnichannel performance?
Sarah:
Well, measurement is everything. You need to plan your tracking and KPIs from the start.
If you can’t prove where sales are coming from, it’s hard to justify the spend.
Tom:
Completely agree. On Amazon, the Attribution Platform is key. It tracks where traffic originated — whether it came from Facebook, Google, or an external landing page — and shows how it converts on Amazon.
We can also use pixels and tags for tracking off-Amazon performance, and hashed audiences to retarget existing customer lists.
Sarah:
That’s great. And attribution is becoming more and more important, especially with data privacy changes.
Tom:
Definitely. And through DSP, we can go even further — pixel tracking, lookalike audiences, interest-based targeting, and even reaching users through Twitch or Prime Video.
Sarah:
It’s fascinating, especially as streaming platforms like Prime Video start introducing more ad placements. It opens up a whole new layer for advertisers.
Tom:
It’ll be interesting to see how customers respond. I’d personally prefer ads before or after the content, not in the middle!
Sarah:
Same here! But it’s definitely a sign that omnichannel is expanding into new territory.
Tom:
Exactly. So, before we wrap up — what’s your key takeaway for listeners when it comes to omnichannel marketing?
Sarah:
Start at the end. Define your goals, KPIs, and success metrics first — then work backwards.
Understand your branding, your core messaging, and your target audience. Check your data regularly, and don’t waste budget on channels that don’t perform.
Tom:
Perfect advice. Sarah, thank you so much for joining us — this has been a fantastic discussion.
Sarah:
Thanks, Tom. It’s been great — and yes, I think we need a Part Two!
Tom:
Absolutely. And to our listeners — if you enjoyed this episode or have questions about omnichannel or multichannel marketing, reach out to us on our social channels or at clearadsagency.com.
We’re always happy to chat, audit your account, and see how we can help you grow.
Until next time — don’t forget to like, subscribe, and we’ll see you on the next episode.
Sarah:
Bye, everyone!
Tom:
Bye!
