In this article you will find an explanation of how to set up Store Spotlight Sponsored Brands:
Store Spotlight Sponsored Brands allow you to promote store sub-pages of your Brand Store with Sponsored Brands. You can feature store sub-pages in your creative, helping shoppers to more easily discover different product categories within your store. You can showcase up to three store sub-pages.
Go to https://ad-optimizer.metoda.com/
For the onboarding of Sponsord Brands, click "Campaigns". This leads you to the campaigns section.
You can either:
Case 1: add SB campaigns for new products manually by clicking “New campaign” or
Case 2: import several new campaigns at once using “Import” and our onboarding template (the Excel template can be downloaded by clicking "Import", "Download example Excel")
In both cases, you need to fill in all mandatory information:
*According to our best practice, the keywords will be integrated with phrase as match type. The ads can be shown according to the phrase and close variations of it. This allows us to reach a lot of customers, while still keeping the targeting of shoppers precise.
** There are three Targeting Types for Sponsored Brands:
Keyword: we include suitable keywords from our database and optimize them automatically. Additionally, well-working keywords from the auto campaigns will be added continuously.
Product: Select ASINs on whose product pages the SBs should be displayed.
Category: With category targeting feature, you can target your own product categories and brands on Amazon.
Case 1: Generation of new campaigns using "New campaign" leads you to the following screen
There are 5 major steps you need to complete one by one to set up your campaign. Once you filled in all mandatory fields, you will be directed to the Launchpad, where you can make some last adjustments before creating the campaign(s).
Step 1: Campaign selection
Select Sponsored Brands (Ad format: Store spotlight).
Step 2: Campaign settings
Define the start date (end date optionally)
Select the right portfolio (use the drop-down list to select an existing portfolio or create a new portfolio via "+ New portfolio")
Set a TACOS
optional - Choose a metoda campaign category (the existing categories are displayed in the selection list after entering. Select one of them or create a new category)
optional - Choose one or several metoda campaign tags
Step 3: Items to advertise
Enter the Brand store link (Main page)
Step 4: Targeting
Keyword, product and category targeting can be selected. It is also possible to select multiple targeting methods.
Step 4.1: Keyword
Click on "Customize" to add positive or negative keywords.
"Allow metoda target harvesting" - Please make sure that you have added manual targets, if you deactivate "metoda target harvesting". Otherwise, the campaign will be "incomplete" and cannot be shown.
Important note: If you disable automatic target harvesting after creation, the targets already added by the system will remain. However, no new targets will be added by our target harvesting logic.
Step 5: Creative
Add the Brand name.
Select a headline (max. 50 characters) and a logo.
Upload a logo if it is not included in the asset library.
Logo specs:
Image size: 400 x 400 px or larger
File size: 1 MB or smaller
File format: PNG or JPG
Content: Logo must fill the image or have a white or transparent background
Store Pages
Add the links to the store page, the display name (which will be shown as headline of the section in the creative) and one ASIN from each store sub page.
When everything is set, click on "Create" and the campaign will be created.
It is always possible to go back to the individual steps and change something there.
If everything has worked, the following message will appear. Then refresh the page to see the created campaigns in AdOptimizer.
If something didn't work, you can download an Excel with the error report, correct the errors, and upload the corrected file.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Sponsored Brands are moderated by Amazon and might be rejected in case they are not compliant to Amazon's policies. Please check your campaigns on the day after creation to verify if they were approved or not.
IMPORTANT NOTE: setting a budget period is the necessary requirement for your campaigns to be displayed. Only if a budget period for the selected portfolio exists, will your campaigns be running.
Set a budget: make sure to set a budget in Ad Optimizer (ideally within separated/dedicated portfolios, e.g. "m_sb"). The Ad Optimizer will take over the budget management. Setting a budget period in the respective portfolio is the necessary requirement for your campaigns to be delivering. Otherwise, the campaign does not have any budget to be spent and will be paused accordingly.
Case 2: Generation of new campaigns using "Import"
Step 1: Download the Excel template and fill in all mandatory information
Open the "SB (store spotlight)" spreadsheet.
The Excel template has instructions on how to fill in the cells.
Step 2: Save the Excel and drag it into the "Import campaigns" screen
If the bulk template contains numerous targets/keywords, consider selecting "Remove invalid targets/keywords and only add valid ones." However, for a more cautious approach, opt for "Refuse creation/update and provide issue report" to ensure any potential issues with the campaigns are identified and not overlooked or left uncreated.
Download error report if it fails, correct your input and upload the corrected file. This is only available if you choose the import setting "Refuse creation/update and provide issue report".
In case something is not filled in properly, you will receive error messages in an Excel report, indicating in which row adjustments are necessary (Column U).
Common mistakes: e.g. not all mandatory fields were filled, start date in the past, wrong formatting of the cells. Please read the instructions in the template carefully and follow the guidelines. Do not add or delete any columns or change the order of the columns!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Sponsored Brands are moderated by Amazon and might be rejected in case they are not compliant to Amazon's policies. Please check your campaigns on the day after creation to verify if they were approved or not.