- Amazon is increasingly building out an advertising business that's powered by reams of valuable data across search, display, and video.
- The company made $2 billion in what it calls "other revenues" during the first quarter, largely from advertising.
- Marketers say they're looking for alternatives beyond the duopoly of Facebook and Google to spend their ad dollars with, and Amazon is emerging as a contender.
Amazon may be one of the world's most mysterious brands, but advertisers are still enamored of the company's wealth of data and its potential ability to challenge Facebook and Google's dominance in online advertising.
Amazon's ad placements span valuable search ads on its site that zero in on products that people are looking for, in video advertising and in a growing programmatic business that places targeted ads across the web — all of which is powered by data on what consumers buy.
Amazon also helps brands develop e-commerce strategies for the platform, including helping retailers create pages, merchandise, and set prices.
"In the first quarter, Amazon spend increased 96% year-over-year, and that's just on sponsored product ads, which are most similar to Google Shopping listings," Andy Taylor, an associate director of research at performance marketing shop Merkle, told Business Insider.
"Amazon also has another ad product called headline search ads, which are carousel banner ads that are shown at the very top of Amazon — those increased 90% year-over-year in ad spend during Q1."
Amazon made $2 billion in "other revenues" during the first quarter of this year, largely from advertising.
Behind the scenes are advertising execs who rarely make public appearances but who agencies say are crucial in helping them navigate the ins and outs of Amazon.
Here are six top advertising execs you should know: