Amazon is bringing its new ad types to Prime Video

Amazon announced a set of new ad formats for Amazon Prime Video to help watchers learn and shop more.

• Shoppable carousel ads: During commercial breaks, these ads will showcase multiple products you can scroll through using your remote control. Like something? Just click "add to cart" right there.

• Interactive pause ads: Hitting pause won't be a complete break from ads anymore (they’ll just be see-through). They'll display brand info and images with clickable options like "add to cart" and "learn more."

• Interactive brand trivia ads: Brand trivia ads test your knowledge about a brand. Answer correctly and you can get rewards discounts or Amazon credits.

The new formats are based on the idea that interactive ads are more engaging for viewers.

• In a study by Amazon, interactive ads led to 10x more product page views compared to regular ads.

With 200 million viewers watching Prime Video with ads every month, this is a big move for Amazon especially since Hulu, Netflix, and HBO Max have all introduced similar features in recent years.

Purple Dot gets $10M in funding to manage your pre-orders for you

Pre-ordering allows you to snag an item before it's even in stock (where you usually pay for it upfront or when it ships).

• This lets stores measure demand early on, while loyal customers don't miss out on new products.

But managing pre-orders can be a logistical nightmare. Purple Dot aims to solve this by making the entire process simpler to manage both for customers and stores.

The Problem: The traditional model forces businesses to wait for stock before making sales. This can lead to missed sales and too many unsold items.

Purple Dot's Solution: Why wait for stock? Their platform lets stores start selling items even before they physically arrive.

• This reduces inventory risk and storage costs, freeing up the manpower to do other tasks

Here's how Purple Dot does it:

• Purple Dot keeps pre-orders separate from existing inventory, making sure everything runs smoothly once the actual stock arrives.

• They can handle complex orders that have different shipping dates for different items.

• Keeping customers informed is key. Purple Dot automates post-purchase emails and has a self-service portal where customers can track and even modify their pre-orders.

• They also keep clear communication about pre-order policies and cancellation rights, especially when upfront payment is involved (this is done to build trust with buyers)

Purple Dot's recent $10 million funding round, led by OpenOcean, shows the potential of their idea: To eliminate the problem of unsold inventory.

Why did Shopify, Google Cloud and Cognizant partner up?

Tech (and ecommerce) leaders Cognizant, Shopify, and Google Cloud have joined forces to create a one-stop shop for businesses that want their online operations to keep up with the tech boom.

The collab combines the strengths of each company:

• Shopify: One of the leading commerce platforms for small businesses with 4.8 million online stores.

• Google Cloud: Google’s cloud infrastructure that can handle even the most demanding online stores.

• Cognizant: A team of retail experts who can advise businesses on the best way to use technology for ecommerce.

According to Cognizant, the trio is looking to address three major challenges faced by retailers today:

1. Personalization: Today's shoppers expect a customized experience, with recommendations and offers based on what they find interesting. The partnership helps retailers use technologies like AI to deliver that 1-on-1 feel.

2. Go Global: If you can't sell internationally, you're missing out on a huge market. The collab gives tools that stores need to grow their operations and reach new customers globally

3. Modernization: The online world moves fast, and stores need to keep up. The collab will help businesses upgrade their existing platforms to make sure they're using the latest technology and delivering the best shopping experience.

The three companies aim to make it easier for even small and medium-sized merchants to compete with giants like Amazon.