Podcast Summary

Behind the Numbers: an EMARKETER Podcast

Episode: A Blueprint for Better Measurement (Part 1) with Amazon Ads
Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Sky Canavis (Principal Retail Analyst, EMARKETER)
Guest: Colby Capilouto (Head of Sales for Durables, Amazon Ads)

Episode Overview

In Part 1 of EMARKETER's miniseries, "A Blueprint for Better Measurement," Sky Canavis sits down with Colby Capilouto from Amazon Ads to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of omnichannel advertising. The conversation dives deeply into Amazon's shift from a focus on on-platform sales to a broader role as a measurement and advertising powerhouse. Special attention is given to the development and impact of Amazon's Omnichannel Metrics (OCM), particularly how these tools now allow advertisers to see, in detail, how their campaigns not only influence purchases on Amazon but across the entire retail ecosystem—including competitors and brick-and-mortar locations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Amazon’s Expansion Beyond Its Own Platform

(00:57 - 02:14)

• Sky highlights the transformation of Amazon Ads—moving from a strictly Amazon.com-centric offering to a robust advertising platform with off-site and full-funnel capabilities via channels like Prime Video Ads, publisher partnerships, and prominent streaming service deals.
• Quote:

  “...how Amazon has expanded its reach for its advanced audience building and targeting capabilities and, and the potential pool of advertisers. ... How you see where Amazon stands not just as a sales channel, but as an increasingly important advertising channel for advertisers, even those that don't necessarily sell that much on Amazon or even sell at all.”
  — Sky Canavis (01:34)

2. Amazon’s Unique Value Proposition: Audiences, Inventory, and Measurement

(02:14 - 05:03)

• Colby reflects on his decade with Amazon Ads, charting the evolution from simple on-site campaign goals to today's focus on “driving omnichannel business outcomes.”
• Key points of differentiation:
  • Rich Audience Signals: Combining Amazon shopping and content signals (streaming TV, Prime Video, Whole Foods, etc.) with advertisers' own data.
  • Comprehensive Supply Access: Placement on Amazon platforms plus open internet and partner inventory (e.g., Netflix, Roku, Disney, Peacock).
  • Measurement Innovations: Investment in proprietary tools like Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) and cutting-edge omnichannel metrics, enabling holistic attribution and campaign optimization.
• Quote:

  “Our innovation several years ago in Amazon Marketing Cloud or AMC, which is our data clean room, it really allows for clear fidelity of all media ran through the ADSP to understand what's happening ... driving conversions.”
  — Colby Capilouto (04:11)

3. Defining Omnichannel Metrics and Why They Matter

(05:03 - 07:44)

• OCM is described as a game-changer for advertisers facing increasingly complex and fragmented consumer journeys.
• OCM tracks performance across all campaign types and inventory sources (streaming TV, audio, display, etc.)—not just on Amazon, but wherever the sale ultimately takes place.
• Analogy:

  “Omnichannel metrics are like turning the lights on in a room that you've walked through for years. Like the customer path hasn't changed, but now we can actually see the business outcomes outside of the Amazon store after exposure.”
  — Colby Capilouto (06:31)

• Empowers advertisers to quantify and optimize campaign impact mid-flight, improving efficiency and decision-making.

4. How Omnichannel Metrics Work: Data and Technical Foundations

(07:44 - 09:49)

• Previously, closed-loop measurement was largely limited to fast-moving consumer goods due to abundant point of sale (POS) data.
• Amazon’s innovation for durables and clothing:
  • Built a unified shopping panel leveraging its first-party data, the Amazon Shopper Panel, and partnerships with Fetch and Numerator.
  • Monthly active panel of 10 million+—enabling anonymized cross-channel attribution by linking media exposure with both on- and off-Amazon purchase behaviors (including via receipt data for brick-and-mortar and non-Amazon ecommerce).
• Quote:

  “What that allowed us to do is create a unified panel that has 10 million active customers per month. ... We’re able to anonymously match that data with our customer IDs to then extrapolate how those sales are happening off Amazon, whether it be through brick and mortar, online channels or whatever it may be.”
  — Colby Capilouto (09:05)

5. Real Brand Campaign Results & Case Studies

(09:49 - 15:29)

• OCM is not about ‘good’ or ‘bad’ results—it objectively reveals what's been happening in the dark.
• Category insights:
  • Electronics: 59% of ad-exposed purchases occur off Amazon.
  • Home Improvement: 53% off Amazon.
  • Lawn and Garden: Up to 87% off Amazon.
• Actionability: CMOs, CROs, and CFOs can directly inform campaign set-up and budget allocation, optimizing spend across platforms and channels.
• Memorable Example — Spectrum Brands:
  • Owns pet and lawn/garden brands (Smart Bones, Spectracide).
  • For every ad dollar on Amazon DSP, $0.90 of subsequent sales occurred off Amazon (Walmart, PetSmart, Petco).
  • Smart Bones campaign: 46% of purchases traced off Amazon—nearly doubling observable ROI vs. previous reporting.
  • Spectracide campaign: 67% off Amazon.
  • Quote:

    “Now they could shine a light on it. So that was really beneficial for them. ... It allowed them to invest more on the DSP. ... They essentially took what they were doing on other DSPs and then chose to transact it on the Amazon DSP based on this fidelity of measurement.”
    — Colby Capilouto (13:41)

• New Capability Highlight: Advertisers can now run DSP campaigns targeting non-Amazon retailers—using Amazon shopper signals, sending traffic (via creative and clickthrough) directly to Home Depot, Target, Lowe’s, etc.

6. Implications for Retail & The Future of Measurement

(15:29 - 16:13)

• Sky emphasizes that, even as stores still account for 80%+ of US retail, digital activations (like Amazon Ads) drive awareness and consideration far beyond ecommerce.
• Quote:

  “E commerce channels, digital channels are so important at driving the awareness and building the brand and even helping in the consideration phase.”
  — Sky Canavis (15:39)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Amazon’s Broadened Role:

  “We've shifted from Amazon Only sales to being hyper focused on driving Omnichannel business outcomes because we understand ... customers ... don't just purchase on Amazon, they purchase where it's convenient for them.”
  — Colby Capilouto (02:49)

• On Solving the Durables Data Gap:

  “So I went out and we partnered with several folks internally across our analytics and Insights team. ... The third real critical component that didn't exist in the marketplace until we created it was the fact that we have an Amazon Shopper panel.”
  — Colby Capilouto (08:13)

• Realization from Spectrum Brands Case:

  “The results are important but it's like what you're able to do from this that I think is most important. The actionability—the so what?”
  — Colby Capilouto (14:09)

Key Timestamps

• 00:57 — Introduction to the context: Amazon’s off-platform evolution
• 02:14 — Amazon Ads’ three pillars: audience, supply, measurement
• 05:03 — OCM: Definition, benefits, why it was needed
• 07:49 — Technical behind-the-scenes: panels, partnerships, ‘tiger squad’
• 10:27 — Case studies & early results across retail categories
• 13:00 — Spectrum Brands case, impact on planning and DSP investment
• 15:29 — Broader retail implications and future possibilities

Final Thoughts

This episode provides a deep, practical look at Amazon Ads’ omnichannel vision, touting both their technical innovations in measurement and the tangible impact for advertisers operating in an increasingly multichannel world. Advertisers now have visibility into the total impact of their media investment—long a “black box”—and can make smarter decisions, whether or not the final sale occurs on Amazon.

Stay tuned for part two of this miniseries, airing December 16, 2025.