Yes, you can absolutely use Amazon ads to target users who have viewed competitors’ products, and doing so is one of the most strategic moves in e-commerce advertising. Amazon’s advertising platform offers several powerful targeting methods that allow you to reach shoppers actively comparing options-often when they’re closest to making a purchase decision. Let’s dive into the specific tools and approaches that make this possible, so you can turn competitor research into your own growth engine.
Key Amazon Ad Targeting Options for Competitor Audiences
Sponsored Products – Product Targeting
The most direct way to target competitor viewers is through Sponsored Products’ Product Targeting feature. This allows you to select individual ASINs (Amazon Standard Identification Numbers) that are direct competitors to your own products. When a shopper views one of those competitor product detail pages, your ad can appear in prominent positions-such as the “Sponsored” slots on the product page, search results, and even the “Customers who viewed this also viewed” carousel. You’re essentially intercepting high-intent shoppers the moment they’re evaluating alternatives.
Sponsored Brands – Product Targeting and Custom Audiences
With Sponsored Brands ads, you can use product targeting to appear alongside competitor listings, but this format also supports custom audience segmentation. While you cannot directly target individual competitor ASINs with a custom audience list from third-party data, you can use Amazon Audiences to create a lookalike or interest-based audience that mirrors the behavior of people who view competitor products. This is less precise than ASIN targeting but broadens your reach to similar shoppers who haven’t yet landed on a specific competitor page.
Sponsored Display – Remarketing and Audience Targeting
Sponsored Display offers one of the most sophisticated tools for competitor targeting. Through its “Audience Targeting” option, you can reach users in-market for products similar to yours. Amazon’s algorithm identifies shoppers who have recently viewed products in a specific category-including competitor items-and serves your ad to them. Additionally, Sponsored Display’s Views Remarketing feature lets you retarget users who have viewed your own product pages, but you can also pair this with product targeting to create a layered strategy: target competitor viewers first, then retarget those who click through.
Display Ads (Amazon DSP)
For more advanced campaigns, Amazon DSP (Demand-Side Platform) provides programmatic access to Amazon’s vast audience data. With DSP, you can build custom audience segments based on purchase behavior, search queries, and product views. You can target users who have viewed specific competitor brands or product categories, and even exclude your own customers to avoid wasteful spend. This is a premium solution, typically requiring a minimum spend threshold (often $10,000-$35,000 per month), but it offers granular control and scale beyond standard Amazon Ads.
How to Set Up Competitor Targeting in Practice
Here’s a step-by-step approach to launching a competitor-targeted campaign that minimizes risk and maximizes impact:
- Identify Your True Competitors: Use Amazon’s search bar and category analysis to find ASINs that solve the same problem as your product, are in a similar price range, and have strong reviews. Avoid targeting your own ASINs or low-quality listings that could tarnish your brand.
- Structure Your Campaign: Create separate ad groups for each competitor or cluster of similar competitors. This lets you monitor performance at a granular level and adjust bids based on which competitor audiences convert best.
- Set Competitive Bids: Start with bids at or above the recommended range for product targeting, as competitor audiences are high-intent but also competitive. Use dynamic bidding strategies like “down only” to control costs.
- Craft Compelling Creative: Your ad copy and images should highlight your unique advantages-better reviews, lower price, faster shipping, or unique features. A/B test value propositions that directly address competitor weaknesses.
- Monitor and Optimize: Track click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates (CVR) for each targeted ASIN. Pause underperforming targets and increase bids on those driving sales. Look for patterns-some competitors’ audiences may convert better than others based on product fit.
Important Considerations and Limitations
- Amazon’s Policies: While targeting competitor ASINs is fully allowed, you cannot use trademarked competitor brand names in your ad copy or images. The targeting is based on behavioral data, not brand mentions.
- Budget Efficiency: Competitor targeting can be cost-effective because you’re reaching shoppers who are already in a buying mindset, but bids can be higher than for generic keywords. Start with a modest daily budget and scale up based on return on ad spend (ROAS).
- Audience Overlap: Be aware that your own customers may also view competitor products. Use negative targeting features (e.g., exclude your own brand’s ASINs or past purchasers) to avoid paying for clicks from people who are already loyal to you.
- Data Lag: With Sponsored Display and DSP, audience segments may have a slight lag (hours to days) as Amazon’s algorithms update user behavior. For real-time targeting, Sponsored Products’ ASIN targeting is the fastest and most direct.
Why Competitor Targeting Works for Business Leaders
If you’re a business leader or innovator focused on efficient growth, competitor targeting aligns perfectly with a lean, data-first approach. It allows you to capitalize on existing demand rather than building brand awareness from scratch. As Sagum emphasizes in our own methodology, understanding your customer’s journey-including their research on competitors-enables you to place your message exactly where it matters most. By strategically intercepting these high-intent shoppers, you accelerate traction in your first 90 days and build a scalable acquisition channel that compounds over time.
In short, Amazon ads offer robust, proven tools for targeting users who have viewed competitor products. Start with Sponsored Products’ ASIN targeting for immediate results, layer in Sponsored Display for broader audience reach, and consider Amazon DSP for advanced, programmatic control. Test, measure, and optimize-and you’ll turn competitor traffic into your own growth fuel.
