Amazon sellers who have reached a certain level of success usually reach a “tipping point” in their advertising: they are ready to explore advertising beyond Amazon’s standard ad offerings.
You can build a successful company using Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display, but to market like a mega-brand means considering options like Amazon DSP.
Related Article: What is Amazon DSP
If you’re ready to work with an agency that can handle Amazon DSP for you, you’re likely wondering…
In this article, we’ll compare three agencies: OMGCommerce, NuancedMedia, and our own Entourage Management Services.
As always, we believe in full transparency, and this will be an honest evaluation. We know that, for many sellers, Entourage is the perfect fit for their unique needs. But sometimes we’re not, and that’s okay, too. This article will endeavor to point you toward the agency best suited for your brand.
We’ll be comparing the three agencies by three categories:
Let’s dig in…
Being able to speak with someone live to address your questions and to discuss your brand’s needs is an absolute necessity. The agencies that don’t make this a standard part of their process didn’t even make the list to be evaluated in this article. The bottom line is that you should have a meaningful conversation with any agency before you trust them with your Amazon DSP needs.
All three of the agencies being evaluated offer free consultation or exploratory calls, though they call them by different names. The end result is that, by going with any of these agencies, you’ll be able to speak with someone directly and ascertain their level of knowledge before ever signing an agreement.
The Results: Three Way Tie.
On the note of exploratory calls… You shouldn’t have to take time out of your day to speak with someone before even knowing if they are within your price range.
How much a service costs is very basic information, and anyone making that information difficult to find might be overpriced or looking to use pressure sales. If nothing else, they’re making life more difficult for a brand leader, and entrepreneurs are busy enough.
At the time of this article, Nuanced Media didn’t have any clear pricing available regarding DSP management, however they did provide background information on why working with them (or any agency in Amazon’s partner network) is less expensive than having Amazon manage it for you. Their statement regarding Amazon’s minimum ad spend is true, though that doesn’t tell us anything about what Nuanced themselves would cost.
OMG didn’t have any clear pricing readily available either, however they did have a live chat feature, which connects you to their Support department. The Support department was able to provide information on pricing, though it took an extraordinarily long time to get a response.
Entourage Management Services provides clear pricing directly on the main page of the service’s website. There’s even a little slider tool, so you can see a quick calculation of your actual costs based on ad spend. The amount you see on that slide is the same amount you’d be billed if the ad spend were the same. Nothing hidden, and you don’t have to dig for the information.
The Results: Entourage wins, as they were the only agency to provide plain, clear pricing. $750/mo + 4.5 of ad spend covers all Amazon advertising, including DSP. Easily calculated, easily tracked, and no hidden fees.
Nuanced Media has excellent snapshots of results. While they do have testimonials available, they aren’t specifically related to their DSP services. Some of them aren’t even related to Amazon.
At the time of writing this article, OMG didn’t have any DSP case studies. They had testimonials for other services, but nothing for Amazon or DSP was readily available.
Entourage also has excellent snapshots of results, and while their results are stellar, there are not as many publicly available as on Nuanced Media’s site. On the other hand, Entourage has a plethora of both text based and video testimonials, some of which include top Amazon sellers recommending them.
The Results: Tie between Nuanced Media and Entourage. Nuanced Media had more snapshots of results they’ve gotten. Entourage only has two A/B studies on their site, though they provide additional case studies by request. Nuanced Media fell far short on testimonials featuring clients actually praising the results themselves. Client testimonials is where Entourage pulled ahead - there is video after video of Entourage clients touting the service.
Amazon brands are unique, and anyone managing the day to day DSP advertising for your brand should have a deep understanding of Amazon, even if your ads are going to appear off-site.
While Nuanced Media has an excellent leadership team in terms of general e-commerce experience, we were unable to find anything related to their background specifically in Amazon DSP. It is very possible that they have the experience, but it wasn’t readily available.
OMG’s leadership doesn’t come from an Amazon specific background either (at least, not based on their bios), but they staff several account managers who specialize in Amazon and DSP, which is more important.
Entourage is founded by a longtime Amazon seller, and staffed by account managers who all come from Amazon backgrounds. The entire management services division is made up of people who live and breathe Amazon, Sponsored Ads, and DSP. The company does Amazon and Amazon only.
The Results: Entourage wins by a slight margin. Because Entourage is entirely focused on Amazon, their entire staff is dedicated only to learning cutting edge tactics related to Sponsored Ads and DSP. As such, their experience specific to Amazon is slightly more robust. However, OMG is a close second, as they had the foresight to recognize this distinction and to staff specialists who can dedicate themselves solely to Amazon.
Choosing the right Amazon DSP Agency means figuring out exactly what matters most to your brand. Entourage brings transparency, effortless communication, and a deep, deep knowledge of all things Amazon to the table. A holistic approach to Amazon advertising is what Entourage is dedicated to, and if that matches the needs and priorities of your Amazon brand, reach out to us to discuss having Entourage manage your Sponsored Ads and DSP.
Entourage: Software to Scale Amazon Ads and Results Driven Management.