Amazon's demand-side platform is pulling DTC ad budgets away from Meta and Google by offering purchase-intent data no other platform can match — but its real value depends heavily on whether a brand already sells on Amazon.
Google's AI Overviews are measurably suppressing organic click-through rates, hitting e-commerce brands hardest on upper-funnel informational queries. The industry is split three ways on how to respond — shift budget to Google Ads, diversify to Meta and owned channels, or restructure content for AI citation — while rising paid-media costs put pressure on thin-margin merchants.
Frustrated by stubbornly high Meta CPMs and murky Advantage+ reporting, a growing number of direct-to-consumer brands are diverting performance ad dollars into connected television. Early movers in home goods, fitness equipment, personal care, pet care, and subscription food report measurable lift — but the channel demands a patience and planning discipline that conflicts with how most DTC growth teams are wired.
