Amazon Fire TV Advertising + YouTube: A Match Made In Heaven For Independent Agencies

• Connected TV viewing is through the roof
• YouTube and Amazon Fire TV ad strategies complement each other perfectly
• Independent agencies can gain first-mover advantage by bringing their YouTube strategies to Amazon, and leverage the deep retail insights and strong viewership on Fire TV screens

As someone who recently led growth for an independent agency, and someone who is now working with these agencies every day, I know what they’re facing.

For many marketers, cracking Connected TV is super top-of-mind. But it’s a challenge that few are getting completely right, as rapid change in the industry makes it difficult to figure out exactly the best place to put their media dollars. In fact, I’m often asked where agencies should start layering in Connected TV into their client campaign strategies. So let’s break it down.

What do marketers need to know about Connected TV?

At the highest level, Connected TV is TV without the cable cord, satellite dish, bunny ears… you get the picture. From streaming sticks to smart TV screens, there are tons of ways that consumers are tuning into digital video in the living room.

Do you know what the number one streaming device is in the living room? Most people don’t know it’s Amazon Fire TV. eMarketer estimates that more than 34M users are watching content — and video ads — through premium apps on their Fire TV devices, with more than 7B hours streamed in Q4 2018.

And Google and Amazon recently launched YouTube on Amazon Fire TV — highlighting an opportunity that independent agencies need to seize.

Where should agencies start with Connected TV?
Amazon and Google may be competitors, but their ad platforms complement each other nearly perfectly.

Here’s the secret: Independent agencies are super well-versed in YouTube — and they can apply the same audiences, personas, and targeting strategies to reaching consumers on Amazon Fire TV with minimal friction.

That’s a game-changer for independent agencies. Now, the YouTube-savvy marketers can bring their strategy to Amazon, extending their reach to a massive audience and uncovering deep retail insights. We’re talking behaviors, retargeting, measuring impact on Amazon.com purchases and page visits, and more audience insights. For example, if a CPG brand had a strategy of reaching its consumers around their behavior on YouTube, that brand could efficiently bring that behavioral targeting strategy to Amazon Fire TV to extend its reach.

Independent agencies have an advantage in this new space, too — by moving quickly, independent agencies can jump into Fire TV’s brand-safe and premium content before bigger holding companies move into the field, and increasing costs.

More reach? Check.
Brand-safe content? Check.
Deep retail insights? Also check.

So what are independent agencies waiting for? The time is right to reach Connected TV audiences, and complement YouTube strategies by diving into Amazon Fire TV.

If you’d like to learn more about how we’re able to help independent agencies by uniting YouTube and Amazon Fire TV campaigns, let’s connect to share learnings and campaign strategies.