As Amazon’s October Prime Day kicks off, it’s no longer just about flash deals or fleeting discounts — it’s the unofficial start of the retail “Golden Quarter,” where brands fight for consumer attention across every screen, speaker, and street corner. This year, the rules of engagement have changed: fragmentation, data, and AI are redefining what effective marketing looks like.
We gathered insights from industry experts across the digital advertising landscape to understand how brands can win this Prime Day — and sustain that momentum through the festive season.
The Measurement Moment
Anna Forbes, RVP Northern Europe at DoubleVerify, believes this season is all about proving value.
“With Prime Day marking the start of the retail ‘Golden Quarter’, measurable performance is everything for marketers this season. Brands need solutions that can not only prove outcomes but also continuously optimise their media plans in quality environments where users are engaged.
“Today, these touchpoints span Connected TV (CTV), commerce media, social media, and beyond. Competition for attention in these fragmented environments is fierce. They’re also developing rapidly, and marketers need to keep up. For example, social media platforms are increasingly integrating programmatic-like capabilities, which provide a range of signals marketers can use to maximise their campaigns.
“Having the essential tools to analyse this data and optimise media investments on these channels should be considered the priority. Thanks to the advancement of AI, there are tools that can enhance campaign effectiveness and drive tailored, brand-specific outcomes, and adoption of these is accelerating. Recent research has found that the use of such algorithms has increased around 40% among technology, retail, and fashion brands this year. Marketers who embrace these solutions will be best placed to drive outcomes on Prime Day and throughout the festive season.”
Forbes’ comments highlight a recurring theme: the need for smarter measurement. It’s not enough to run media — brands need to know exactly what works, when, and why.
Beyond the Spike
Maor Sadra, CEO & Co-founder of INCRMNTAL, warns that Prime Day’s headline success stories can mask deeper inefficiencies.
“Prime Day gives marketers what looks like a win, but often it’s just noise. Just because conversion rates spike, doesn’t mean your campaign was the cause. At INCRMNTAL, we’ve seen brands pour millions into Prime Day media, only to learn after the fact that much of the uplift would’ve happened anyway.
“What’s different this year is how fragmented the media mix has become. Spend is spread across CTV, retail media, DOOH, influencers – you name it. That creates more chances to win, but also more room for misattribution. Brands need to stop chasing the spike and start understanding what actually drives it.
“The hard truth? Prime Day can make your numbers look great while hiding major inefficiencies. If you’re not measuring incrementality, you’re not optimising – you’re just spending louder.”
Sadra’s point underscores a maturing industry grappling with attribution and accountability. As the media ecosystem splinters, the challenge of separating genuine impact from background noise grows more complex — and more critical.
The Omnichannel Imperative
For Philip Acton, Country Manager UK at Adform, omnichannel is no longer an aspiration — it’s a necessity.
“Prime Day is the unofficial kick-off of the ‘golden quarter’. Shoppers will already be hunting down Halloween costumes, snapping up early Christmas gifts, or just looking for a good deal. They move quickly, and they don’t stick to one channel. To keep up, brands need to be as omnichannel as their audiences.
“CTV can grab attention in the living room, while audio and DOOH connect with people on the move. Used together, these touchpoints tell a consistent story – ensuring brands stay front of mind as shoppers search for deals this Prime Day.
“These channels were once difficult to bring together, but programmatic has changed this. Even DOOH, once considered siloed, is now flexible, measurable, and part of a seamless omnichannel mix, helping brands reach the right shoppers at the right moment—whether that’s bargain hunters, festive shoppers, tech enthusiasts, or others.”
Acton’s comments point to the evolution of programmatic technology — from digital-only to real-world impact, where channels like DOOH now integrate seamlessly into data-driven campaigns.
Real-World Reach
Charmaine Tavassoly Moss, Business Development Lead, Europe at Bauer Media Outdoor, emphasises the importance of breaking through digital noise.
“As shoppers gear up for the holiday season, Amazon’s October Prime Day gives consumers the chance to secure early savings and spread the cost of Christmas, with 94% of UK adults intending to make a purchase for the holidays this year. But with online promotions flooding inboxes and feeds, brands face the challenge of cutting through digital noise at one of the most competitive times of the year. Out of Home (OOH) advertising offers a powerful way to connect in the real world, delivering high-impact, trusted brand moments that influence both awareness and action.
“Programmatic OOH (prOOH) adds another layer of agility, allowing advertisers to activate data-led, contextually relevant campaigns in real-time. Whether it’s tailoring creative to footfall patterns, weather, or retail hotspots, prOOH ensures brands are visible at the right place and time – and crucially, closer to the point of purchase.
“In an environment where consumers are both value-conscious and time-poor, OOH provides the credibility and cut-through brands need. As retailers vie for attention in the run-up to Christmas, those who integrate prOOH into their media mix will be better placed to drive both consideration and conversion during Prime Day and beyond.”
OOH is reasserting its role as a brand-building powerhouse — but now, with digital precision and real-time adaptability.
From Discounts to Loyalty
Charles Taylor, Marketing Manager at Herdify, takes a behavioural perspective.
“Prime Day is set to generate huge buzz once again, but events like this often mask a deeper challenge for retailers. Discounts might drive spikes in traffic, but they typically attract one-off bargain hunters or reward customers who were already ready to buy. In fact, behavioural evidence shows that while discount framing wins attention on the day, it does little to build preference over time and foster the long-term loyalty that brands really need.
“The real value for retailers lies in building lasting relationships through community influence. Offline networks and word-of-mouth recommendations are far more powerful in shaping consumer behaviour over time than a short period of discounts. By understanding and activating these offline influences, brands can move beyond short-term sales spikes and create lasting customer loyalty.”
Taylor’s view adds a vital counterpoint: sustainable growth comes from community, not coupons.
Winning with Relevance
Thomas Ives, Co-founder of RAAS LAB, stresses that speed and relevance define success in today’s attention economy.
“Prime Day, like all discount-driven Q4 events, is a battle for attention. Shoppers are weighing options fast, and most retailers will match on price. That means the real advantage goes to the brand that gets there first with relevance.
“The retailer who reaches the consumer at the exact point of consideration, with a message tied to the content they’re engaging with, will win. Broad targeting no longer cuts it as success comes from being first with the most relevant ad, aligned to intent-based content. To really make their mark with customers, they should harness enriched, impression-level signals. These empower advertisers to tailor their creative and media in real-time, producing hyper-relevant placements that have the greatest impact.
“Those leveraging relevance will differentiate themselves and unlock the full potential of their Prime Day campaigns, carrying that momentum well into Q4.”
Turning the Spike into Sustained Growth
Finally, Dom Coleridge, Commercial Director at Scale Digital, sums up the challenge — and opportunity — for brands this season.
“Shoppers move effortlessly between Amazon, brand websites, creator content, in-app, and connected TV, which means campaigns confined to a single channel risk being overlooked. Brands that coordinate promotions across multiple touchpoints can more effectively capture attention and turn engagement into meaningful outcomes.
“Achieving success on Prime Day requires more than optimising creative or copy. It depends on careful planning of channel mix, timing, and messaging to reach consumers at the moments that matter. By leveraging partner ecosystems and providing choice and convenience across platforms, brands can strengthen engagement and drive higher conversions.
“Prime Day is both a stress test and an opportunity. Those that adopt a flexible, data-informed, multichannel approach can transform the event into lasting, measurable growth rather than a short-term spike in traffic.”
The convergence of tech and brands 