Willie Pang.
The AdNews end of year Perspectives, looking back at 2024 and forward to next year.
Willie Pang, General Manager, Amazon Ads ANZ
With the year drawing to a close, no doubt everyone’s attention is moving towards Christmas and a well-deserved summer break before we dive into 2025. I know I’ll be spending at least a little of my time off catching up on the cricket on Amazon Prime Video. Or maybe I’ll just binge watch the whole series of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power again.
But before we all contemplate kicking back it’s worth reflecting on what’s been a pretty eventful 12 months for our industry. For the Amazon Ads team, 2024 saw the Australian launch of advertising on Prime Video this past July, which we introduced to enable a continual investment in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time.
Customer appetite for streaming content continues to grow. Prime Video viewers worldwide now watch an average of 14 hours per month on the service, engaging with just under two hours of total content per day and approximately 40 minutes of content per viewing session. Clearly, a few people will be joining me for a bit of streaming action into the New Year.
And that’s something that really stood out to me in 2024, when I think back on the major through lines across conversations I’ve had with my industry peers and customers: having the ability to appear alongside a bedrock of compelling content will hold any marketer in good stead for the year ahead. That’s why in 2025 I’m expecting more brands to be on the lookout for innovative new ways to connect with their audiences when they’re tuning into their favourite series, blockbuster movies, or can’t-miss sporting events.
I don’t see that changing anytime soon. The ability to tap into a destination for exclusive and broad streaming video content allows the marketers and brands we work with an exciting opportunity to meet people where they are, in an environment where they’re highly engaged and, above all, enjoying themselves. Casting a quick look over the shoulder, this year we saw major household names take this approach with us in Australia, including McDonald’s and Suncorp Bank, who were some of the first brands to try advertising with Prime Video from the time the service launched.
What else have I learned? Well, the evergreen power of a great creative idea isn’t going to lose any lustre in 2025, that’s for sure. And if you’ll excuse another look into our own backyard, this year I got a real kick out of an industry-first campaign put together with Mars and EssenceMediacom where customers do a ‘thing’ to receive a code to claim a free Mars chocolate bar.
With Generative AI the arbiter of whether said ‘thing’ was worthy, it made the campaign very 2024. Did you finish a series on Prime Video? Or support a local Australian business through a purchase at Amazon.com.au? That’s a Mars Bar for you.
Looking ahead to 2025, I have a few predictions. Firstly, I think it’s a safe bet that marketers will be trying to do even more with the same resources. On that score, the march of technological innovation is definitely on their side.
To achieve the gains they’re seeking, I expect there will be an increasing push to find full funnel advertising solutions that enable them to tie marketing investment and campaign performance back to smarter measurement and business outcomes.
Being able to genuinely attribute marketing spend has always been something of a Holy Grail, and as our adtech continues to evolve based on direct feedback from what our industry customers and partners tell us they want and need, marketers now have some compelling options right at their fingertips.
The rise of retail media will also continue unabated, as more brands look to integrate content and commerce. Access to rich signals will be absolutely integral here.
I’m fascinated to see how we can continue to support our industry customers and partners, providing them with insights borne from trillions of first-party streaming, browsing, and purchasing signals, to help them achieve their business objectives. And that’s that not just for those who sell on Amazon, but for any brand that is interested in creating meaningful connections with the audiences they’re looking to reach.
Stitching all of this together, my number one prediction is that a critical success factor for any business looking to advertise will be found in the ability to connect content to commerce, tying awareness and brand objectives directly to sales outcomes and category growth, and creating impactful customer experiences that deliver the right message to the right customer, at the right time.
So on that point, in 2025 I’m especially excited to lean in further to support Australian brands to reach their customers through our entertainment and shopping experiences as we connect brands, audiences, insights, and media. But first, I need to catch up on the cricket.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.