Amazon Ads vs Criteo

Attention Data Challenges 'Reach of One' Media Planning Rule

Mark Ritson examines a new study by Lumen and Amazon Ads that analyzed 270 campaigns with brand lift studies and nearly 200,000 survey respondents. The study found that frequency explained almost none of the movement in brand metrics, while cumulative attention (total seconds viewed) explained eight times as much. Campaigns with identical reach could deliver wildly different attention levels: one delivered nine seconds of attention per person, another 71. A Prime Video ad on TV was viewed 92% of the time for nearly 18 seconds, while the same ad on the open internet was viewed only 42% of the time for about 3.5 seconds. The study suggests setting attention targets (about 20 seconds for awareness, 50 for purchase intent) and scheduling TV spots before digital ads for greater lift. The findings challenge the industry's default 'reach of one' planning and highlight the importance of media context.

• Lumen and Amazon Ads analyzed 270 campaigns from six countries with brand lift studies and nearly 200,000 respondents.
• Frequency explained almost none of the movement in brand metrics; cumulative attention explained eight times as much.
• A Prime Video ad on TV was viewed 92% of the time for nearly 18 seconds, versus 42% for about 3.5 seconds on the open internet.

IAB Europe Launches CTV Measurement Framework & Transparency Principles

IAB Europe has launched its final 'CTV Measurement Framework' to standardize connected TV measurement across platforms, vendors, and measurement providers. The framework addresses fragmentation and lack of transparency in CTV ad delivery, providing a unified approach for campaign measurement, viewability, and brand safety. It defines a dependency of metrics starting with valid ad impressions (filtering invalid traffic and TV-off impressions), followed by reach and exposure metrics like Video Completion Rate, and ultimately outcome metrics such as conversions and brand lift. The framework distinguishes between household, device, and person-level reach, requiring providers to disclose whether person-level values are observed or modeled. Five transparency principles include unified definitions, disclosure of methodological limits, and granular reporting. Developed with Amazon Ads, Freewheel, ProSiebenSat.1, Samsung Ads, and IAB UK, it aligns with privacy regulations to improve trust and accountability for advertisers and publishers.

• IAB Europe published its final 'CTV Measurement Framework' to standardize CTV measurement.
• The framework defines common definitions and transparency requirements for CTV campaign reporting.
• It distinguishes between household, device, and person-level reach metrics, requiring disclosure of observed vs. modeled person-level values.

Attribution Remains Key to AI-Driven Ad Measurement

Article discusses the evolving role of AI in ad measurement, emphasizing that attribution remains essential. It features insights from Paula Despins, VP of measurement at Amazon Ads, who argues that AI insights should complement, not replace, traditional measurement. Despins highlights new metrics like 'long-term sales' and 'accumulated sales' in Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC), which forecast and track customer lifetime value. She notes that while AI reporting is more accessible, it cannot replace the need for deterministic measurement and control. The piece warns against over-reliance on AI insights, using Albertsons' adoption of lifetime value forecasts as an example of storytelling metrics rather than hard financial data. The core message: treat attribution as an auditor and guide for AI models, ensuring accountability and transparency.

• Amazon Ads VP of Measurement Paula Despins argues attribution remains critical for AI-driven analytics.
• Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) released a 'long-term sales' metric forecasting new-to-brand customer value.
• Amazon introduced 'accumulated sales' benchmark to track actual purchases from forecasted cohorts.

German consumers prefer AI advice over AI advertising

A new study by Criteo, based on commerce data from hundreds of CPG brands and a survey of over 6,300 consumers across six markets, reveals that ChatGPT is increasingly driving traffic to product pages, with its share of entries averaging 60% higher than traditional search engines from January to July. In July, 86% of these clients recorded at least one transaction mediated by ChatGPT. However, German consumers are hesitant about automated reordering, with 39% rejecting AI assistants for this task, compared to a 32% average across markets. A separate survey by Censuswide for Verve among 2,000 German adults found that about two-thirds are open to purchasing based on AI chatbot recommendations, especially for travel, food, and fashion. Yet, reactions to AI-generated ads are polarized: 35% lose trust in the brand, while about 19% view such ads more positively. Younger consumers (18-24) are more critical, with 45% losing trust, but 30% responding positively.

• Criteo's CPG Pulse 2026 found that ChatGPT's share of product page entries averaged 60% higher than traditional search engines from January to July.
• In July, 86% of Criteo's CPG clients recorded at least one transaction mediated by ChatGPT.
• 39% of German consumers would not allow an AI assistant to automatically reorder everyday products, exceeding the 32% average across six markets.

Criteo SSP Recognized by Frost & Sullivan for Commerce Media Innovation

Criteo's SSP has been recognized by Frost & Sullivan for innovation in commerce media, as announced in a new press release dated October 5, 2026.

OpenAI's Path to $25B Ad Revenue: Five Key Hurdles

OpenAI's advertising business, launched seven months ago, is reportedly achieving a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate, with projections of $25 billion in ad revenue by end of this year and $100 billion by 2030. However, advertisers cite significant barriers to scaling spend beyond test budgets. Key challenges include inadequate measurement and attribution, rigid contract terms causing data and liability concerns, insufficient inventory, and the need to expand the advertiser base to include SMBs via integrations like Shopify. To support this growth, OpenAI is partnering with ad tech firms like Criteo and Kargo to broaden reach. Infrastructure development is also critical to meet demand. Industry observers note that OpenAI must address these issues to compete with established platforms like Google and Meta, especially given rising AI safety and privacy concerns.

• OpenAI's ad business has reached a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate seven months after launch.
• OpenAI projects $25 billion in ad revenue by end of this year and $100 billion by 2030.
• Advertisers report insufficient inventory to spend committed budgets.