Amazon Takes Over Microsoft’s DSP — The Biggest AdTech Shift Yet

Welcome to our weekly newsletter, Hunter's Insights!

In this special edition, we bring you essential Amazon updates and industry insights to keep you ahead in the fast-paced world of e-commerce:

💻 Amazon Partners with Microsoft to Redefine Full-Funnel Advertising

📢 Amazon Extends Authenticity Claims to Third-Party Sellers

⏰️ Amazon DSP Rolls Out Real-Time Forecasting Experience for Advertisers

🇨🇳 Amazon Just Made Chinese Sellers Pay Up — What It Means for You

🆕 Amazon Marketing Cloud Adds NCS CPG Insights Stream

📲 Amazon Introduces “Seller Challenge” for Fairer Enforcement Reviews

🔎 Amazon Rolls Out Smarter Brand Recognition and Search Reporting

💻 Amazon Partners with Microsoft to Redefine Full-Funnel Advertising

Microsoft Advertising has retired Microsoft Invest and is transitioning advertisers to Amazon DSP as its preferred partner. This collaboration utilizes Amazon’s first-party audience data and Microsoft’s premium ad inventory for digital advertising.

Key Updates:

• Advertisers will migrate to Amazon DSP for campaign management.

• Access to Microsoft’s premium inventory (MSN, Outlook, Xbox) will soon be available via Amazon DSP through Microsoft’s SSP, Monetize.

• Advertisers can run full-funnel campaigns using Amazon's data and Microsoft’s broad reach.

Benefits of the Partnership:

• Enhanced visibility and performance insights.

• Streamlined transition from brand awareness to direct sales.

This partnership strategically blends Amazon’s performance data with Microsoft’s digital real estate, aiming to redefine full-funnel advertising by 2025.

📢 Amazon Extends Authenticity Claims to Third-Party Sellers

Amazon has expanded its authenticity and sourcing claims feature to include third-party (3P) sellers, enhancing consumer trust and brand accountability in its marketplace.

Key Updates:

• 3P sellers can now display authenticity sourcing claims.

• This may affect Buy Box ownership, brand control, and unauthorized reseller activities.

• Compliance issues arise, including how sellers verify sourcing and document requirements, such as proof of purchase or Letters of Authorization (LOA).

• Brands may need to update distribution contracts to prevent unauthorized reselling on Amazon.

This change boosts transparency for customers but complicates issues for brands and marketplace managers, raising concerns about enforcement. Amazon aims to enhance authenticity and redefine brand governance in a shifting marketplace.

⏰️ Amazon DSP Rolls Out Real-Time Forecasting Experience for Advertisers

Amazon has released a significant update to its Demand-Side Platform (DSP), making campaign planning and adjustments more efficient. 

The new features include:

• New Forecast Card: Shows expected supply, delivery, and performance projections during the setup process.

• In-Line Editing: Enables users to adjust budgets and dates directly on the order line page.

• Real-Time Updates: Provides instant refreshes of forecasts as changes are made.

• Impact Summary: Offers insights into how performance may be affected before saving any edits.

This update is being rolled out in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, improving efficiency in campaign management by integrating forecasting into users' workflows.

🇨🇳 Amazon Just Made Chinese Sellers Pay Up — What It Means for You

Amazon will start quarterly tax reporting to China's State Taxation Administration for all Chinese-based accounts on October 31, 2025, including seller identity, transaction volumes, total revenue, and platform fees.

Key points include:

• Amazon began sharing detailed financial data with Chinese tax authorities from July to September 2025.  

• This follows a June 2025 directive mandating all platforms to report tax data for Chinese sellers, eliminating the previous "gray zone" of minimal oversight.  

• Compliance will be mandatory, ensuring transparency of seller earnings to authorities.

Why this matters for U.S. and Western sellers:

• Previously untaxed Chinese sellers may face new tax burdens, narrowing price gaps.

• The competitive landscape may favor compliant Western brands.

• Marketplace transparency is likely to improve, with platforms required to ensure accurate earnings reporting.

This development signals a shift toward greater accountability in e-commerce, with potential ripple effects on compliance and marketplace fees globally. For honest sellers, this brings overdue relief, while those exploiting loopholes may face challenges ahead.

🆕 Amazon Marketing Cloud Adds NCS CPG Insights Stream

Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) launched the NCS CPG Insights Stream on October 1, 2025, featuring modeled transaction data from over 127 million U.S. households. 

Key updates include:

• Targeting offline shoppers who are not currently purchasing on Amazon.

• Precise audience segmentation to reach buyers of competitors' products.

• Re-engaging high-value customers using verified purchase data.

• Connecting offline and online sales for refined targeting and comprehensive performance measurement through Amazon DSP.

This exclusive update for U.S. Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) advertisers enhance the ability to plan, activate, and measure campaigns more accurately, solidifying Amazon's role in retail media analytics.

📲 Amazon Introduces “Seller Challenge” for Fairer Enforcement Reviews

Amazon has launched a new feature called Seller Challenge for sellers in the Account Health Assurance (AHA) program, allowing them to formally contest enforcement decisions after failed appeals, with a guaranteed 48-hour internal review.

Key updates:

• Three challenges are available every six months, with new challenges every 180 days.

• Challenges for eligible listing-level enforcements, marked by a Seller Challenge icon.

• Cases escalated for a higher-level reassessment during review, rather than being stuck in automated appeal loops.

This initiative enhances due process and transparency at Amazon, promoting fairness and accountability. The Seller Challenge program allows sellers to address concerns in a typically one-sided system, setting a new standard for marketplace fairness.

🔎 Amazon Rolls Out Smarter Brand Recognition and Search Reporting

Amazon Ads has launched an update on October 1, 2025, to enhance tracking and attribution of branded searches, offering advertisers better insights into brand discovery and shopper intent.

Key updates include:

• Improved Recognition: Better identification of brand names, abbreviations, and common misspellings enhances attribution quality.

• New Metrics: Advertisers can now access metrics like Total Branded Searches, Branded Search Rate, and Cost per Branded Search for in-depth performance analysis.

• Expanded Access: These metrics are available across Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display, Sponsored TV, and DSP campaigns in major marketplaces.

• Better Intent Tracking: New reporting illustrates how ads impact branded searches and long-term shopper engagement.

This update strengthens the connection between brand awareness and performance, enabling advertisers to understand better how their campaigns enhance brand visibility, influence consumer consideration, and drive measurable sales momentum across Amazon.

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