Selling on Amazon is more competitive than ever. If your ads only show up when shoppers are ready to buy, you’re missing most of the journey. A full-funnel Amazon PPC strategy helps you reach people from the moment they discover your brand to the moment they check out…and even after.
By combining Sponsored Brands Video with Amazon DSP overlays, you can tell your story, stay top of mind, and drive conversions across every stage of the funnel. Sponsored Brands Video builds awareness and trust right on Amazon search results. DSP overlays expand your reach off-Amazon, retargeting interested shoppers and bringing them back to purchase.
In this guide, we’ll break down how these two ad types work together, why they’re the backbone of a full-funnel strategy, and how to build a campaign that grows your brand efficiently and profitably.
If you’re interested in seeing how Trellis has helped brands achieve measurable growth on Amazon and Walmart, explore our Success Stories. You’ll find real examples of how AI-powered advertising and data-driven strategy deliver stronger ROAS, higher visibility, and sustained eCommerce success.
Key Insights
- Sponsored Brands Video + DSP overlays = full-funnel success. Together, they connect brand storytelling and performance marketing, helping you engage shoppers from awareness to conversion.
- Data alignment drives profitability. Integrating PPC and DSP data gives you clearer visibility into performance, making your ad spend more efficient and impactful.
- Automation and analytics are non-negotiable.
Why Does a Full-Funnel Amazon PPC Strategy Matter?
Most Amazon advertisers focus their energy on bottom-funnel tactics—bidding on high-intent keywords, chasing conversions, and fighting for limited ad space. That works for short-term wins, but it doesn’t build a lasting brand. A full-funnel Amazon PPC strategy changes that. It connects awareness, consideration, and conversion into one seamless system that keeps shoppers engaged from start to finish.
Reaching Shoppers Before They Search
At the top of the funnel, your goal isn’t just to sell…it’s to be seen. Shoppers can’t buy what they don’t know exists. With formats like Sponsored Brands Video and Amazon DSP video ads, brands can reach audiences who haven’t yet searched for their products. These ads create awareness and plant the seed for future intent, using visuals and storytelling that static Sponsored Products ads can’t match.
Guiding Shoppers Through the Decision Stage
Once shoppers show interest, mid-funnel strategies keep them engaged. This is where brand trust and recognition start to matter. Sponsored Brands Video ads showcase your product’s value while keeping your logo and brand message front and center. At the same time, DSP overlays can retarget audiences who watched your videos or viewed your product pages, keeping your products visible as they compare options. That continuity helps your brand stay top of mind when buyers are ready to decide.
Driving Measurable Conversions
Bottom-funnel campaigns close the loop. By combining PPC and DSP data, you can track every touchpoint, from a first impression to a final purchase. This lets you see which ads drive the most detail page views (DPV), add-to-carts, and new-to-brand sales, not just clicks. The result is a clearer picture of what’s actually moving the needle on revenue and profitability.
Building Long-Term Growth
Full-funnel advertising isn’t just about running more ads, it’s about creating a system that scales. When you connect awareness and conversion efforts, your campaigns learn faster, reach broader audiences, and deliver stronger ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) over time. You’re not only capturing demand…you’re creating it.
With a complete funnel strategy, you can stop reacting to sales trends and start driving them. It’s the foundation for sustainable, data-driven growth, and the first step toward building a smarter, more profitable Amazon business.
Understanding the Amazon Advertising Ecosystem
Amazon’s advertising ecosystem is built to serve shoppers at every stage of the buying journey. From discovery to checkout, each ad type plays a specific role in helping brands connect with customers and drive measurable growth. To build a true full-funnel Amazon PPC strategy, you need to understand how these ad solutions work together, and how to use them strategically.
Sponsored Ads
Amazon’s Sponsored Ads are the entry point for most advertisers. They operate on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, meaning you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. Each format targets shoppers differently and serves distinct purposes within the funnel:
- Sponsored Products: Appear within search results and on product detail pages. These are high-intent, bottom-funnel ads designed to capture ready-to-buy shoppers.
- Sponsored Brands: Feature your logo, headline, and products to build brand awareness. These drive mid-funnel discovery and help shoppers explore your catalog or Brand Store.
- Sponsored Brands Video: A video format that stands out in search results. It’s ideal for storytelling, highlighting product benefits, and engaging shoppers during the discovery phase.
- Sponsored Display: Reaches shoppers both on and off Amazon, using audience-based targeting. It’s great for retargeting and mid- to bottom-funnel engagement.
Expanding reach with Amazon DSP
While Sponsored Ads focus on in-market shoppers actively browsing Amazon, Amazon DSP (Demand-Side Platform) helps you reach audiences beyond search results. DSP lets you run programmatic display and video ads both on Amazon properties (like IMDb, Twitch, and Fire TV) and across third-party websites and apps.
The key difference? Targeting. Instead of bidding on keywords, DSP uses Amazon’s first-party data—like purchase history, product views, and shopping behavior—to reach relevant audiences. That means you can:
- Re-engage shoppers who viewed your product but didn’t convert.
- Reach new audiences similar to your best customers.
- Drive awareness among shoppers browsing complementary categories.
DSP fills the top and mid-funnel gaps that Sponsored Ads can’t reach, creating a continuous experience from discovery to conversion.
Why Sponsored Brands Video and DSP Work Better Together
When you combine Sponsored Brands Video with DSP overlays, you get full-funnel coverage. Sponsored Brands Video introduces your product within Amazon’s search experience, while DSP keeps your brand visible as shoppers continue browsing the web or streaming content.
This multi-touch approach does more than increase impressions—it builds familiarity and trust. Shoppers exposed to both formats are more likely to recall your brand and convert when they’re ready to buy.
The 4 Stages of the Funnel in Amazon Advertising
Each ad type supports a specific stage of the customer journey. When you align campaigns this way, your strategy becomes more efficient and measurable:
- Awareness: DSP video and display ads create brand recognition across Amazon’s network.
- Consideration: Sponsored Brands Video engages in-market audiences who are exploring options.
- Conversion: Sponsored Products and DSP retargeting ads capture purchase-ready shoppers.
- Loyalty: DSP remarketing campaigns nurture existing customers and encourage repeat purchases.
Read more: 4Ps Evolution in eCommerce Merchandising
Spotlight on Sponsored Brands Video
Sponsored Brands Video has quickly become one of the most effective tools for capturing attention on Amazon. In a sea of static listings, motion stands out, and Amazon shoppers respond to it. This ad format lets brands tell a story, show a product in action, and connect with shoppers on a deeper level, all within the search experience.
What is Sponsored Brands Video and Where Does it Appear?
Sponsored Brands Video is a cost-per-click (CPC) ad format that features an auto-playing video, a product title, pricing, and customer rating. When shoppers scroll through search results, these videos play automatically (without sound) and link directly to the product detail page or Brand Store.
You’ll most often see Sponsored Brands Videos:
- In Amazon search results, typically halfway down the first page.
- On mobile and desktop placements where visual engagement is high.
- Occasionally on product detail pages or in custom placements during events or seasonal pushes.
Because these videos show up next to competing listings, they grab attention and instantly communicate why your product is worth a click.
Why Does Sponsored Brands Video Matter for Full-Funnel PPC?
Sponsored Brands Video bridges the gap between discovery and decision. Unlike Sponsored Products, which rely on text and static images, video gives brands room to demonstrate use cases, benefits, and personality.
Here’s how it fits into the funnel:
- Top-funnel (Awareness): Introduce your brand to new audiences with visually rich storytelling.
- Mid-funnel (Consideration): Show how your product solves specific needs and reinforces brand trust.
- Bottom-funnel (Conversion): Reinforce decision-making with reviews, feature highlights, and proof points.
When paired with Amazon DSP overlays, Sponsored Brands Video becomes even more powerful—building awareness inside Amazon and following shoppers beyond it.
What Are Some Creative Tips for Sponsored Brands Video?
Amazon recommends keeping your videos short, focused, and clear. Remember, shoppers often scroll fast—your ad has to make an impact within seconds.
Best practices for Sponsored Brands Video:
- Show the product within the first 5 seconds. Don’t wait to reveal what you’re selling.
- Use clear visuals and minimal text. Rely on clean backgrounds and direct product demonstrations.
- Include your logo and brand name early. Build recognition for future retargeting.
- Design for sound-off viewing. Add captions or on-screen text so key points don’t rely on audio.
- Optimize for mobile. Keep visuals simple and ensure text is readable on small screens.
- Test variations. Small creative changes, like color or camera angle, can meaningfully affect CTR and conversions.
Brands following these guidelines often see higher Click-Through Rates (CTR) and Detail Page Views (DPV) compared to static ads.
What Are the Metrics That Matter?
To evaluate performance, focus on metrics that tie directly to engagement and conversion potential:
- CTR (Click-Through Rate): CTR measures how often shoppers click after viewing your video.
- DPV (Detail Page Views): Shows how effectively your video drives shoppers to your product page.
- New-to-Brand Sales: Indicates how many purchases came from first-time customers.
- ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): ROAS reveals the profitability of your campaigns over time.
When analyzed together, these metrics help you understand where your videos are performing best—and where you can refine your creative or targeting.
What Are Amazon DSP Overlays and How Do They Work?
Amazon DSP (Demand-Side Platform) is Amazon’s programmatic advertising solution. It allows brands to buy display, video, and audio ads both on and off Amazon, using Amazon’s rich first-party data to reach the right audiences at the right time. When combined with Sponsored Brands Video, DSP overlays give you the ability to follow shoppers across their entire buying journey, keeping your brand visible even after they leave Amazon.
Understanding Amazon DSP
Unlike Sponsored Ads, which rely on keyword-based targeting, Amazon DSP uses audience-based targeting. It taps into Amazon’s massive shopper data, purchase history, browsing behavior, and product interactions, to serve ads to the most relevant users.
With DSP, you can:
- Retarget shoppers who viewed your products or similar items but didn’t purchase.
- Reach new audiences who show interest in related categories or competitor products.
- Expand beyond Amazon, serving ads on third-party websites, apps, and Amazon-owned platforms like IMDb, Twitch, and Fire TV.
Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Amazon Retargeting Ads
What Does “DSP overlays” Mean?
In a full-funnel Amazon PPC strategy, a DSP overlay refers to layering DSP campaigns on top of (or alongside) your Sponsored Ads strategy. It’s about creating multiple touchpoints across the web and within Amazon’s ecosystem so shoppers continually see your brand as they move closer to purchase.
Here’s what this looks like in practice:
- A shopper sees your Sponsored Brands Video in Amazon search results.
- They click through to your detail page but don’t buy.
- Later, that same shopper sees a DSP display ad while reading a recipe blog or streaming on Fire TV.
- The ad reminds them of your product, pulling them back to Amazon to complete the purchase.
This is the “overlay” effect…your DSP ads extend the life and reach of your PPC campaigns, reinforcing brand recognition and driving incremental conversions.
Types of Amazon DSP Ad Formats
Amazon DSP offers a mix of formats to support different funnel stages:
- Display Ads: Static or dynamic creatives that appear across Amazon.com, Fire devices, and third-party websites. Ideal for mid- to bottom-funnel retargeting.
- Video Ads: In-stream or out-stream video placements that build awareness and brand recall. These can appear on Amazon properties like Twitch and IMDb or within streaming TV (OTT).
- Dynamic eCommerce Ads (DEA): Automatically populated display creatives that feature your product image, price, and star rating—perfect for reminding shoppers what they viewed.
- Streaming TV (OTT) Ads: Full-screen, non-skippable video placements across Fire TV and other connected platforms for top-funnel reach.
How Does DSP Fits Into the Full-Funnel Strategy?
Amazon DSP supports every stage of the funnel:
- Awareness: Use DSP video and OTT placements to reach new audiences and introduce your brand beyond Amazon search.
- Consideration: Target in-market segments and lookalike audiences based on engagement data from Sponsored Ads.
- Conversion: Retarget shoppers who viewed or added your product to their cart with dynamic display ads.
- Loyalty: Re-engage past customers with ads for complementary products or seasonal promotions.
Best Practices for Using DSP Overlays Effectively
- Unify creative messaging. Keep your visuals and copy consistent between DSP and Sponsored Ads.
- Segment audiences by intent. Separate new prospects from retargeting pools to avoid overlap and wasted spend.
- Use frequency caps. Limit how often your ads appear to avoid ad fatigue.
- Leverage performance data. Combine DSP metrics (reach, frequency, new-to-brand) with PPC data (CTR, ROAS) for a unified performance view.
- Automate where possible. Use AI-driven platforms like Trellis to optimize bids, pacing, and creative rotation automatically.
What is the Advantage of DSP Overlays?
When executed correctly, DSP overlays give you omnichannel visibility and measurable lift. Shoppers who see both Sponsored Ads and DSP campaigns are more likely to convert because they’ve interacted with your brand multiple times in multiple contexts.
It’s not just about showing up in more places…it’s about building recognition, trust, and continuity. With DSP overlays, your Amazon PPC strategy doesn’t stop when shoppers leave the site; it follows them wherever they browse, stream, and shop.
How to Build a Full-Funnel Strategy with Sponsored Brands Video + DSP
Building a full-funnel Amazon PPC strategy that combines Sponsored Brands Video and Amazon DSP overlays takes planning and structure. The goal is to align your ad formats, creative messaging, and audience targeting so each campaign supports the next, moving shoppers from discovery to conversion and beyond.
Here’s how to do it step by step:
1. Define Your Funnel Goals
Every stage of the funnel serves a different purpose, so start by defining what success looks like at each level.
- Awareness: Increase brand visibility and reach new audiences.
- Consideration: Educate and re-engage shoppers who have shown interest.
- Conversion: Drive purchases and improve ROAS.
- Loyalty: Retain existing customers and promote repeat sales.
2. Segment audiences by intent
Amazon’s first-party data is a goldmine for audience segmentation. Use it to structure your campaigns based on shopper intent and behavior.
- Prospecting audiences: Shoppers who have not yet interacted with your brand but are in-market for your category.
- Remarketing audiences: Shoppers who viewed your product pages, videos, or added items to their cart but didn’t purchase.
- Lookalike audiences: Users who share behaviors and interests with your existing customers.
- Existing customers: Past buyers who may be ready for repeat purchases or upsells.
3. Align ad formats with funnel stages
Now, connect your ad types to the right funnel stage. This is where Sponsored Brands Video and DSP overlays complement each other perfectly.
Top-Funnel (Awareness)
Use DSP video or OTT placements to reach new audiences who match your target shopper profile. Introduce your brand story and showcase your product visually.
Mid-Funnel (Consideration)
Deploy Sponsored Brands Video ads in Amazon search results. Here, your goal is to capture attention and demonstrate value. Pair these with DSP display ads targeting viewers who watched your video or visited your Brand Store.
Bottom-Funnel (Conversion)
Retarget shoppers through DSP dynamic display ads that feature your product image, price, and rating. Reinforce urgency with limited-time offers or social proof.
Post-Purchase (Loyalty)
Use DSP to re-engage past customers, cross-sell complementary products, or promote seasonal campaigns.
This layering approach ensures consistent visibility and messaging throughout the buyer journey.
4. Build cohesive creative messaging
Consistency is key. Your videos and display ads should look and feel connected—same logo, tone, and product focus. This creates familiarity, which strengthens brand recall and trust.
Creative best practices:
- Keep product visuals clear and prominent.
- Use short, direct headlines that highlight benefits, not features.
- Maintain consistent colors, fonts, and design across assets.
- Adapt the same core message for each format (e.g., 20-second video, static display, OTT).
5. Set smart budgets and pacing
Budget allocation depends on your goals, but here’s a reliable framework for balanced funnel investment:
- Awareness (DSP Video): 30–40%
- Consideration (Sponsored Brands Video): 30%
- Conversion and Retargeting (DSP Display): 30-40%
6. Measure performance across the funnel
Tracking and optimization make the difference between an average campaign and a profitable one. Measure KPIs that match your funnel goals:
- Top-funnel: Reach, impressions, video completion rate, brand lift.
- Mid-funnel: CTR, DPV, engagement rate.
- Bottom-funnel: ROAS, ACoS, conversions, new-to-brand sales.
- Post-purchase: Repeat purchase rate, cross-sell performance.
Use Amazon’s Brand Metrics and DSP reporting to connect these insights. Platforms like Trellis make it easier by combining PPC and DSP data in one place—so you can see how every touchpoint contributes to your growth.
7. Automate and optimize
Manual campaign management becomes time-consuming as your funnel grows. Automation tools can help you optimize bids, pacing, and creative rotation without losing control.
Trellis, for example, uses AI precision + human intuition to identify trends, adjust bids, and allocate budgets dynamically across your funnel. This ensures every dollar drives impact—whether you’re scaling awareness or tightening conversion efficiency.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Even experienced advertisers run into challenges when building a full-funnel Amazon PPC strategy. The combination of Sponsored Brands Video and Amazon DSP overlays is powerful—but only when executed with structure, consistent messaging, and accurate data. Here are the most common mistakes brands make, and how to avoid them.
Treating Campaigns as Separate Silos
The problem: Many advertisers run Sponsored Ads and DSP campaigns independently, often managed by different teams or agencies. This leads to disjointed messaging, duplicate targeting, and inefficient spend.
How to avoid it: Build campaigns around a shared funnel framework. Align creative themes, audiences, and KPIs across all ad types. For example, if your Sponsored Brands Video highlights a key product feature, your DSP retargeting ads should echo the same message and visual. This consistency reinforces brand recall and helps shoppers recognize your product wherever they see it.
Targeting Everyone Instead of the Right Audience
The problem: A broad targeting strategy might increase impressions but rarely improves performance. Casting too wide a net means wasting spend on audiences with low intent.
How to avoid it: Use Amazon’s first-party audience data to target based on behavior, not assumptions. Segment shoppers by funnel stage—new prospects, product viewers, cart abandoners, and repeat customers—and tailor messaging for each. DSP lets you reach in-market audiences, lifestyle segments, and lookalikes with precision. The more relevant the audience, the higher your CTR and ROAS.
Ignoring Creative Consistency
The problem: When your Sponsored Brands Video and DSP overlays look and feel different, shoppers may not connect them to the same brand. Inconsistent visuals and tone weaken recognition and trust.
How to avoid it: Develop a unified creative strategy. Use the same logo placement, color palette, and message hierarchy across all assets. Keep your visuals simple and your messaging focused on one benefit per ad. When viewers see consistent branding through multiple touchpoints, they’re more likely to remember you—and convert later.
Overlapping or Under-Segmenting Audiences
The problem: Overlap between DSP and Sponsored Ads audiences can cause your campaigns to compete against each other, inflating CPCs and reducing efficiency.
How to avoid it: Regularly review your audience segments and apply negative targeting where necessary. Exclude recent purchasers or those who’ve already converted. Create separate campaigns for prospecting and retargeting to avoid duplication. Using frequency caps in DSP also helps limit overexposure, reducing wasted impressions and improving ad recall.
Measuring Success With the Wrong KPIs
The problem: Many brands still evaluate every campaign on ACoS or ROAS alone. While important, those metrics don’t tell the whole story—especially in a full-funnel model where upper-funnel ads may not drive immediate conversions.
How to avoid it: Measure performance by funnel stage:
- Top-funnel: Focus on reach, impressions, and brand lift.
- Mid-funnel: Track CTR, video completion rate, and Detail Page Views (DPV).
- Bottom-funnel: Evaluate conversion rate, ROAS, and New-to-Brand (NTB) metrics.
Neglecting Post-Purchase Engagement
The problem: Many advertisers stop once the sale happens. Ignoring existing customers means missing out on high-value repeat buyers.
How to avoid it: Use DSP to re-engage past customers with complementary products, accessories, or loyalty campaigns. You already know these shoppers trust your brand—nurturing them costs less and builds lifetime value.
Managing Everything Manually
The problem: As campaigns scale, manual bid adjustments, pacing, and creative testing become unmanageable. This leads to delays in optimization and missed opportunities.
How to avoid it: Automate wherever possible. Platforms like Trellis use AI precision + human intuition to monitor performance in real time, optimize bids dynamically, and balance spend across the funnel. Automation doesn’t replace strategy—it amplifies it, allowing you to focus on creative direction and business goals.
How Can Trellis Help With Full-Funnel Amazon PPC?
Trellis helps brands simplify and scale their Amazon advertising through AI-powered automation, dynamic pricing, and actionable analytics. You can manage Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands Video, Sponsored Display, and DSP campaigns in one platform—no silos, no guesswork.
Our technology continuously adjusts bids, pacing, and budgets in real time to maximize ROAS while minimizing wasted spend. Whether you manage campaigns in-house or partner with our strategic team, Trellis gives you everything you need to execute a connected, data-driven, full-funnel strategy that grows your brand profitably.
Book a Demo to see how Trellis can help your Amazon campaigns reach their full potential.
In Summary
A full-funnel Amazon PPC strategy powered by Sponsored Brands Video and DSP overlays helps brands reach, engage, and convert customers across the entire buyer journey. When you align awareness, consideration, and conversion tactics, your ads work together—not separately—to build long-term growth.
With Trellis, you can connect PPC and DSP campaigns in one place, automate optimizations with AI precision + human intuition, and measure performance across every funnel stage. The result? Higher visibility, stronger ROAS, and scalable success on Amazon.
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