Gigi: Riding the Wave of Amazon’s Streaming Advertising Boom

Hey all you cool cats and kittens, let’s talk about advertising. I know, I know, about as exciting as watching paint dry, right? But hold your horses! This ain’t your grandpappy’s Mad Men era advertising – we’re diving into the wild world of streaming and Amazon, where a new player named Gigi is making waves.

Gigi, a fresh-faced ad startup, is all about helping brands navigate the sometimes-confusing labyrinth of Amazon’s advertising universe. Their mission? To make it easier than ever for brands to get their message in front of the right eyeballs, specifically on Amazon Prime Video. Think of them as the cool older sibling who helps you sneak into the exclusive club – everyone wins!

The Rise of Amazon’s Ad-Supported Streaming

Now, you might be thinking, “Amazon and advertising? Don’t they just want me to buy more stuff?” Well, you’re not wrong, but there’s more to it than that. Remember when Amazon Prime Video introduced their ad-supported tier back in January ? Yeah, that was kind of a big deal. It shook up the TV ad market like a snow globe full of glitter, and Wall Street is predicting this new ad haven will rake in a cool billion this year alone. Ka-ching!

Gigi’s Value Proposition

So, where does Gigi fit into all of this? Imagine you’re a brand with a big ol’ TV ad budget. You’re seeing the writing on the wall – traditional TV viewership is on the decline, and streaming services are where it’s at. But navigating Amazon’s advertising ecosystem can feel like trying to assemble furniture without instructions. That’s where Gigi swoops in, cape billowing in the wind (metaphorically speaking, of course).

Gigi helps brands shift those hefty TV ad budgets towards Amazon, specifically by focusing on “programmatic buying” of Prime Video ads. Think of it as automated ad buying, but way smarter. Gigi leverages Amazon’s treasure trove of data on consumer behavior to make sure your ads are seen by the people most likely to actually care about your product. No more throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping it sticks – this is targeted advertising at its finest.

Simplifying Amazon’s Ad Tech for Brands

Now, let’s get a little techy for a sec. Gigi’s secret sauce lies in its ability to simplify Amazon’s advertising technology for us mere mortals. They’ve built their platform on top of two of Amazon’s big guns: the demand-side platform (DSP) and the Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC). Think of them as the dynamic duo of Amazon advertising.

One of the biggest challenges with streaming TV ads is tracking whether they actually lead to sales. Unlike Amazon’s search ads, which are all about that “last-click attribution” (meaning you know exactly which ad led to the purchase), streaming ads are a bit trickier to measure. Gigi’s platform aims to solve this conundrum by encouraging brands to use both the DSP (for that sweet last-click data) and the AMC (for measuring brand awareness). It’s like having your cake and eating it too, but with fewer calories and more data-driven insights.

Overcoming Technical Barriers

Okay, let’s be real – navigating the world of ad tech can feel like trying to decipher ancient hieroglyphics sometimes. Amazon’s Marketing Cloud (AMC), while powerful, isn’t exactly known for its user-friendliness. It’s like that super-fancy espresso machine you got as a gift – impressive, sure, but you need an engineering degree to operate it.

That’s where Gigi comes in, wielding its trusty API like a magic wand. This API acts as a translator between brands and the AMC, making it way easier to create “lookalike audiences” (groups of people similar to your existing customers) and access those juicy, granular metrics without needing to be a SQL query wizard. Think of it as the Rosetta Stone of Amazon advertising – unlocking the secrets to success for everyone, not just the tech-savvy few.

Leveraging First-Party Data for Effective Targeting

With third-party cookies going the way of the dodo bird (RIP, little trackers), first-party data is the name of the game in the advertising world these days. For the uninitiated, first-party data is the information a brand collects directly from its own customers – think website visits, purchase history, that kind of thing. It’s like having a direct line to your target audience, no middleman needed.

Gigi gets this. They understand that in a world of increasing privacy concerns, leveraging a brand’s own first-party data is key to delivering relevant and effective ads. One of the ways they do this is by tracking “new to brand” metrics. This basically means they can tell which customers made their very first purchase after seeing one of your ads. Pretty cool, right?

But wait, there’s more! Gigi takes things a step further by incorporating purchases made on other platforms, like a brand’s own website, into the mix. This gives brands a more holistic view of their ad impact, going beyond what Amazon’s data alone can provide. It’s like having a bird’s-eye view of the entire customer journey, from that initial ad impression all the way to the checkout page.

Targeting TV Ad Budgets

Let’s be real, folks – the days of gathering around the ol’ boob tube to watch whatever show happened to be on are fading fast. Streaming is king, and Gigi knows it. That’s why they’re laser-focused on targeting those big, juicy TV ad budgets. Think of them as the ad industry’s answer to Robin Hood, but instead of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, they’re helping brands shift their dollars from traditional TV to the land of streaming, where the real action is.

While Gigi is playing it coy about their specific clients (a little mystery keeps things interesting, right?), word on the street is they’re working with some major agencies that handle those massive TV ad buys. You know the ones – the ones with more money than they know what to do with. But hey, we’re not here to judge. We’re just here to report the facts – and the fact is, Gigi is making moves in the streaming ad space.

Gigi’s Team and Funding

Behind every successful startup is a team of brilliant minds, and Gigi is no exception. Leading the charge is none other than Adam Epstein, a former exec at Perpetua, an adtech company that knows a thing or two about all things Amazon. Talk about street cred!

But a great team needs fuel to fire on all cylinders, and that’s where Gigi’s investors come in. They’ve secured backing from some heavy hitters in the venture capital world, including Golden Ventures, AperiamVentures, and Heracles Capital. And let’s not forget about those angel investors – Mike Baker and Rosco Hill, we’re looking at you! While the exact amount of funding Gigi has raked in is still under wraps, we can only imagine it’s enough to make Scrooge McDuck jealous.

With a rockstar team, a boatload of funding, and a killer value proposition, Gigi is poised to make a real splash in the world of streaming advertising. They’re simplifying the complex, leveraging data like nobody’s business, and helping brands connect with their target audience in a meaningful way. Keep an eye on these guys – they’re going places.

Conclusion

As the streaming advertising landscape continues to evolve at warp speed, Gigi is emerging as a force to be reckoned with. By simplifying Amazon’s advertising ecosystem, empowering brands with the power of first-party data, and capitalizing on the shift from traditional TV to streaming, Gigi is riding the wave of change and coming out on top. So buckle up, folks – the future of advertising is here, and it’s streaming straight to your device, courtesy of Gigi.