Amazon Ads vs Xapads

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.

Amazon Ads pushes long-term measurement to prove sales value

Amazon Ads is promoting its long-term sales metric, which tracks shoppers new to a brand and estimates sales over a 12-month period, arguing that roughly 20% of a brand's value on Amazon is realized after the standard 7-30 day attribution window. This finding comes from a study of over 2 million campaigns in June. Amazon has expanded this with full-funnel campaigns, extended clean room look-back windows, and an omnichannel metrics tool built with partners to measure off-Amazon sales. While some agencies see value, others remain skeptical, citing discrepancies in uplift measurement and data access. Amazon aims to become the central base of media plans by proving its ads drive sales beyond its platform.

• Amazon Ads studied over 2 million campaigns in June and found that approximately 20% of a brand's sales value is realized after the standard 7-30 day attribution window.
• Amazon unveiled a long-term sales metric in closed beta in October 2024, tracking new-to-brand shoppers and estimating sales over 12 months.
• Amazon expanded measurement with full-funnel campaigns (announced last November) and extended look-back windows in its clean room this spring.

Amazon Ads Rebrands DSP to DVA, Launches Agentic Assistant

At its unBoxed event in San Francisco on September 29, 2026, Amazon Ads announced a major overhaul, renaming its DSP to DVA (Display, Video, and Audio) and merging the console into 'The Amazon Ads Agent.' This AI-powered platform simplifies campaign setup with DVA+ (including Performance Plus and Brand Plus) and Full-Funnel Campaigns, unifying Sponsored Display, Sponsored TV, and programmatic buying. The Agent offers natural language targeting, analytics, and AI guidance, with US tests showing a 25% increase in unique customers and over 10% lower cost per impression. Rollout continues in coming months, including Germany. In other industry news, Goalhanger is bringing ad sales in-house, a US judge allowed $3.2B damages suit against Google, IAB Europe finalized CTV standards, Apple's iOS 27 blocked The Trade Desk on Safari, and Dailymotion, Google DV360, and GVTLabs launched new products. Meanwhile, Walt Disney is planning a major restructuring of its television operations, shifting focus from legacy cable and broadcast channels toward streaming-centered organization, led by Debra O'Connell, chairman of Disney Entertainment Television. The plan consolidates divisions like ABC Entertainment, 20th Television, Hulu Originals, and aims to reduce duplicated roles and align budgets with streaming metrics, following declining affiliate fees and cord-cutting. Hundreds of layoffs are expected, with further cuts in legal, HR, and tech departments, reflecting an industry-wide trend toward streaming-first strategies.

• Amazon Ads renamed DSP to DVA and merged the console into 'The Amazon Ads Agent' at unBoxed event on Sept 29, 2026.
• DVA+ unifies Sponsored Display, Sponsored TV, and programmatic campaigns into one buying experience, with AI-powered guidance; US tests showed 25% increase in unique customers and >10% lower cost per impression.
• IAB Europe released final CTV Measurement Framework and Transparency Principles; Apple's iOS 27 blocked The Trade Desk on Safari.

China Joy 2026

Xapads to exhibit at China Joy 2026, the largest digital entertainment expo in China, from July 31 to August 2, 2026.