Join us for a virtual event where we will dive deep into the world of digital advertising on Amazon DSP. This event is for experienced marketers who use paid advertising but may or may not have had exposure to Amazon’s DSP platform, this event is packed with valuable insights and strategies to help you understand the benefits of Amazon DSP and also to help you succeed with your advertising goals.During this online event, you’ll learn from industry experts who have mastered the art of Amazon DSP. They will share their knowledge, experience and best practices to help you optimize your campaigns and drive better results.Discover the latest trends, techniques, and tools to leverage Amazon DSP effectively. From audience targeting to creative optimization, we’ll cover everything you need to know to maximize your advertising success on Amazon.Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a competitive edge and take your digital advertising skills to the next level. We are fortunate to have one of the most experienced set of panellists for this session:HostTom Waghorn – Head of Training at ClearAdsTom has a career full of Amazon advertising experience and trains the Account Managers at Clear Ads. He also hosts our podcast series over on Spotify – Highway to Sell and has kindly stepped in to host this webinar for us. GuestsDave Vermeulen: Director of DSP at Buy Box ExpertsDave Vermeulen is the Director of DSP at Buy Box Experts. In 2001 he founded Seattle Ad Force, Inc. a full service agency located in the Seattle area, where for the last ten years, he supported mid to large advertisers with their DSP advertising strategies. In August of 2019 he joined Egility.co (which later combined with Buy Box Experts)where he built out their DSP efforts.Anne Harrell: Product Solutions Director, DSPDue to my love of marketing and innovation, I’ve been working in retail media for the better part of the last eight years helping enterprise brands grow their online presence. Over the last three years, I’ve followed the trends of the industry and shifted my focus to display media, which I wholeheartedly believe is the future of innovative digital advertising. During this time, I’ve helped countless brands build effective DSP strategies while utilizing advanced measurement tactics (i.e. AMC) to ensure we’re accurately measuring success. Now my focus is to better enable brands and sellers alike to utilize these tactics by applying my learnings to the development of Pacvue’s features and functionality.Jack Lindberg: Director of Analytics at Mars AgencyBased in New York, Jack Lindberg leads the Amazon/ Amazon Marketing Cloud Analytics and the Data Clean Room Practices at The Mars Agency.Jack is passionate about and grounded in using data and technology to accelerate commerce marketing. Prior to joining The Mars Agency, Jack spent time building Pacvue’s advertising product. He is also a founding member of Puntalytics, the leading sports analytics Twitter account about NFL punting. He’s been cited in renowned publications such as ESPN, The New York Times, and The Athletic.In addition to his professional accomplishments, Jack is a semi-retired professional opera singer with a passion for the arts. He holds degrees in music from Yale College and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
Podcast Episode
Webinar: Mastering Amazon DSP – A Deep Dive into Digital Advertising Success
Podcast Description
Webinar: Mastering Amazon DSP – A Deep Dive into Digital Advertising Success
Tom Wco (Host):
Hey everyone, welcome to another edition of the Clear Ads webinars. Quick note before we start: unfortunately, Matt Altman can’t join us today due to unforeseen circumstances, so I’ll be stepping in as host. My name is Tom Wco, Head of Training and Development here at Clear Ads, and also host of our bi-weekly podcast.
Even without Matt, we’ve got three fantastic DSP experts with us: Dave Ver Mullen, Ann Harrell, and Jack Lindberg. Let’s do some quick introductions.
Dave Ver Mullen:
Thanks, Tom. I’m Dave Ver Mullen, Director of DSP Growth and Strategy at Buy Box Experts. I’ve been in digital media since 2001, moved into programmatic about 11 years ago, and eventually focused on Amazon DSP because of its walled-garden data and efficiency.
Ann Harrell:
Hi everyone, I’m Ann Harrell, Product Solutions Director for DSP at Pacvue. I’ve been in the industry about eight years, nearly four of them at Pacvue. I’ve worked across execution and strategy, and now focus on DSP product growth. I also have background in PPC and paid search.
Jack Lindberg:
Thanks, Tom. I’m Jack Lindberg, Director of Media Insights and Analytics at the Mars Agency. I lead Amazon analytics and data clean room practices. I used to work with Ann at Pacvue on their DSP and AMC products, and Dave was actually one of our first clients—so it’s great to be here with both of them.
Tom:
Brilliant, thank you all. Quick reminder to our audience: this event is being recorded, will be available on YouTube, and will also be published as a podcast episode.
Let’s dive in. First question for the group: how does Amazon DSP integrate with other elements of Amazon’s advertising ecosystem, and how can those integrations be maximized?
Integrating DSP with the Amazon Ecosystem
Ann:
Until recently, it was hard to connect DSP results with the rest of Amazon advertising. Now with Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC), you can see performance across your entire portfolio—how display and DSP influence sponsored ads, for example. You can also connect off-Amazon efforts through Amazon Attribution, which feeds into AMC for a complete picture.
Tom:
So AMC is essential?
Ann:
Absolutely. Everyone should be using AMC—whether you’re new to DSP or experienced. Tools like Pacvue (shameless plug!) make it more user-friendly, but even Amazon itself has improved accessibility. It allows for advanced measurement and strategy you just can’t get otherwise.
Dave:
I agree. AMC turned DSP conversations from “trust us” into data-driven discussions. It proves DSP’s role in paths to purchase and new-to-brand growth. If you’re not learning AMC now, you’ll get left behind.
Jack:
I’d go even further: you must use AMC. Without it, you’re flying blind. It’s the only way to connect the dots between all your ad activity on Amazon.
AMC Audiences and Targeting
Tom:
Let’s talk audiences. How do AMC audiences differ from standard DSP audiences?
Jack:
With DSP you have maybe 25 signals. With AMC, you’ve got thousands. You can target users based on incredibly specific behaviors—like those who saw Ad A but not Ad B, or Prime Day buyers who haven’t purchased since.
Ann:
Right, and you can zoom in much deeper. For example, instead of just “viewed a PDP,” you can retarget based on how they got there—via Sponsored Products, Sponsored Display, or DSP. You can factor in frequency, or build keyword-based audiences that weren’t possible before.
Dave:
Strategy is key. You can use AMC to create audiences for new-to-brand targeting, cart abandoners, or organic engagers. It’s powerful, but you need clear goals.
Cross-Device and Cross-Platform
Tom:
How do you ensure seamless cross-device and cross-platform campaigns with DSP?
Ann:
Always think holistically. Don’t silo search and display, or Amazon versus other retailers. And don’t ignore desktop—it may be smaller, but with display you get unique placements and formats.
Dave:
Break everything out by device and supply source from the start. That way you can see performance clearly, manage exclusions, and avoid “ROAS jail” where everything looks efficient but you’re not growing new-to-brand sales.
Jack:
Also: be strict about viewability. Too many advertisers optimize against impressions that may never have been seen. Use viewable impressions in reporting, and be wary of offsite contextual placements where measurement gets messy.
Privacy and Compliance
Tom:
Given the evolving privacy landscape, how do you ensure compliance while staying effective?
Ann:
Contextual targeting is part of the answer—relevant ads without relying on user data. First-party CRM data is another, used through AMC to build lookalikes.
Dave:
Amazon itself is very strict—minimum reporting thresholds and privacy protections are baked in.
Jack:
Protect your own first-party data. Don’t send raw CRM files to agencies. Make sure data is anonymized and uploaded securely. And always align with what your customers agreed to when they shared their data.
Success Stories
Tom:
Can you share examples of success with DSP and AMC?
Ann:
A common one is rebalancing campaigns. Many brands overspend on retargeting and underspend on upper funnel. By activating full-funnel tactics simultaneously, sales grow sustainably and efficiency improves.
Dave:
We saw over 100% YoY uplift for a children’s clothing client by aligning DSP and PPC strategies, using audience insights, streaming TV, and AMC data for optimization.
Jack:
One example: by analyzing frequency, we found a client was overspending on impressions beyond the point of diminishing returns. By capping frequency, we cut 25% of spend with minimal sales impact—freeing up budget while improving efficiency.
Future of DSP
Tom:
What trends do you see for the future of Amazon DSP?
Jack:
More social integrations like Pinterest. Amazon’s data is its biggest asset, so expect them to monetize it across broader inventory.
Dave:
More tools for brands to engage directly with customers—Posts, Buy With Prime, etc.
Ann:
DSP will evolve into a true programmatic platform across the web, not just retail media. We’ll also see more non-endemic advertisers using Amazon data.
Dave:
And don’t overlook Sponsored Display—it’s becoming a “DSP Lite” and a good entry point for smaller brands before scaling into full DSP.
Closing
Tom:
We’re nearly out of time, but thank you so much to our guests. Before we wrap, where can people find you?
Ann:
Find me on LinkedIn (Ann Harrell) or at pacvue.com.
Jack:
I post a lot about AMC on LinkedIn. You can also find me via the Mars Agency—and I’ll be at Amazon Unboxed in New York.
Dave:
LinkedIn (Dave Ver Mullen) and buyboxexperts.com. And yes, I’ll also be at Unboxed.
Tom:
Fantastic. Thank you again to Dave, Ann, and Jack. And thanks to everyone who joined us live. This session will be on YouTube and also released as a podcast episode of Highway to Sell. Until next time—take care and goodbye!