August 26, 2025
The news: tvScientific CEO Jason Fairchild wrote in Performance Marketing World that while Amazon’s ad business is surging, its treatment of advertisers reveals deep flaws. Amazon withholds customer data, squeezes margins with fees, competes directly with merchants, and penalizes sellers who don’t play by its rules.
Why this matters: Despite Amazon’s dominance, advertisers don’t actually want to rely on it. Performance marketers — who represent the bulk of U.S. digital ad spend — demand transparency, data access, and ROI-driven models. Amazon doesn’t deliver that, which is why advertisers maintain open web storefronts and invest in alternatives like performance CTV. Global digital ad spend is projected to hit $450 billion by 2028, with CTV alone reaching $45 billion. The real future isn’t walled gardens — it’s an open internet where advertisers, not platforms, come first.