Amazon’s Full-Funnel Marketing Power: leveraging Video Advertising with Prime Video

(from the right) Amazon Japan LLC Amazon Ads Japan Country Manager Tetsu Ishii,Video research Co., Ltd. Executive Officer Metropolitan Area Unit manager Yoshihide Ikeda

Amazon will launch Prime Video advertising in Japan from April 2025. What are the strengths of the company’s full-funnel marketing utilizing video advertising? video research’s Ikeda welcomed Mr. Tetsu Ishii,who oversees the advertising business in Japan as the Japan Country Manager of Amazon Japan LLC Amazon Ads,too discuss the latest initiatives and future prospects.

Full-funnel marketing is possible only with Amazon,which has touch points in every aspect of daily life.

Mr. Ishii began by providing an overview of Amazon Ads. beyond its shopping site, Amazon offers voice devices like Alexa, video distribution services like Prime Video, and Amazon Music. There are points of contact in every scene of daily life. He explained that the mission of Amazon Ads is to deliver advertisements to the right peopel at the right time and in the right form.

He then addressed the April 2025 launch of Prime Video advertising in Japan, explaining the advancement of advertising products that link everything from awareness to purchase through video advertising. This, he stated, is something only our company can do: full-funnel marketing with video ads.

first,Prime Video,Fire TV,and Twitch – a live streaming service popular among young people – function to expand reach and awareness at the top of the marketing funnel. For the “encourage consideration” mid-funnel stage, Amazon DSP, a service for purchasing and distributing advertisements on websites and apps both inside and outside of Amazon, and Alexa deliver deeper messages from advertisers. the “lead to purchase” stage utilizes promotional video advertisements on Amazon Live, where influencers introduce products on the Amazon store.”Amazon ads uses video to create points of contact between advertisers and customers,from awareness to purchase,” Mr.Ishii emphasized.

Ikeda then used Japan’s largest marketing data, “ACR/ex” provided by Video Research, to present data on “the points of contact between Amazon and consumers.” He showed data comparing the monthly usage rate of Amazon’s store between 2019 and 2025, before and after the coronavirus pandemic. The monthly usage rate was 38.2% in 2019, increasing to 53.9% in 2025. He explained that,despite the general tendency for usage frequency to decrease as usage rate increases,the frequency of use remained relatively stable between 2019 and 2025. Ikeda concluded, “From this result, how the amazon store has penetrated our lives is clear.”

It is effective even for companies that do not sell on Amazon’s store. What is Prime Video advertising?

Mr. Ishii reiterated the details of Prime Video advertising. Launching in Japan in April 2025,Prime Video itself is deployed in 15 countries around the world,and the average monthly reach of global advertising is approximately 200 million people. Prime Video is a video distribution service offering a wide variety of content in genres like movies, dramas, and live sports, including both original works and popular TV content. He explained that Prime Video ads deliver advertisements in two optimal patterns for this content: pre-roll (before playback) and mid-roll (during playback).

What kind of clients are utilizing Prime Video ads? Mr. Ishii revealed that in addition to advertisers who list items on Amazon’s store, there are also many advertisers who do not list items on Amazon’s store. Examples include industries such as automotive, distribution, and finance.

Prime video advertising: New Ad formats and Future Data Collaboration

It’s been a year since Prime Video launched advertising in Japan. What’s next for the platform? Mr. Ishii recently introduced three new ad formats planned for future implementation.

First up is “FITO (First Impression Takeover).” This service exclusively delivers ads to the pre-roll ad space when a viewer starts watching content on Prime Video for the first time that day. Mr. Ishii explained it’s perfect for reaching a large audience on a new product launch day – a feature many advertisers have requested. It addresses a common issue in digital advertising: knowing exactly when and where your ads will appear.

The second format is “interactive video ads.” These ads display a clickable button above the video, allowing viewers to add items to their amazon cart using their remote control. If an item isn’t available, they can send information to their smartphone. The key is driving purchasing behaviour without disrupting the viewing experience. plus, you can analyze product interest and purchase consideration later, without needing surveys.

The third is “interactive pause ads.” These ads appear when a viewer pauses video content. Like interactive video ads, viewers can add products to their Amazon cart with their remote. It’s an attempt to connect with viewers during those paused moments, according to Mr. Ishii.

Commenting on these new formats, Ikeda said, “They’re user-pleasant ads, and they’re also great features for advertisers looking to drive purchases.” he believes Prime Video advertising will continue to grow.

Thinking about the possibilities of data collaboration that will be required in the future