Benchmark Blitz: Prime Day | Big Deal Days Recap

Episode Overview:

In this episode of Human in the Loop, Cameron Yoder interviews Laura about Amazon’s “Prime Big Deal Days,” exploring the event’s overall performance compared to previous years. The conversation dives into consumer behavior, advertising trends, and external events like Hurricane Milton and the upcoming election that affected shopper activity. The episode offers detailed insights into advertising metrics such as traffic, cost per click (CPC), and conversion rates, and provides strategic recommendations for future sales events, especially during Cyber Weekend and Q4.

Episode Outline with Timestamps:

0:08 - 0:45: Introduction and Overview of Prime Big Deal Days.

0:45 - 1:35: Key Product Categories and External Events Affecting Sales.

2:25 - 3:11: Click and Traffic Data Analysis.

3:11 - 5:37: Cost Per Click (CPC) and Advertising Trends.

7:03 - 9:02: Ad Sales and Conversion Rates Discussion.

11:41 - 13:39: Predictions for Cyber Weekend and Q4.

14:35 - 16:00: Historical Perspective and Impact of Societal Events.

17:23 - 18:26: Amazon’s Recent Announcements and Future Impacts.

Key Takeaways:

1. Impact of External Events: Hurricane Milton and the election cycle significantly reduced consumer attention during Prime Big Deal Days, leading to softer sales.

2. Year-Over-Year Trends: Clicks were down by 6%, while CPC increased by 16%, showing increased competition despite lower traffic.

3. Pre-Event Advertising Strategy: Brands can benefit from advertising during the lead-up to events when CPC is lower, even though conversion rates may not peak until the actual event days.

4. Cyber Weekend Outlook: Laura predicts that Cyber Weekend will still be strong year-over-year, but rising CPC will reduce advertising efficiency.

5. Amazon’s Evolving Tools: Recent announcements, like audience bid modifiers, offer new ways for brands to target more qualified traffic before and during major sales events.