Amazon Display Advertising: vCPM Model Explained for PPC Campaigns

Published on October 20, 2025

About this video

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In this video, I explain Amazon sponsored display campaigns using the vCPM model. Learn what vCPM is, when you should use it, and how to properly analyze your results. Amazon advertising campaigns can use different bidding models, and understanding the difference between CPM and vCPM is crucial for your Amazon ads strategy.

I start by explaining that CPM is cost per mille where you pay for every 1,000 impressions, while vCPM is cost per thousand viewable impressions. The vCPM model is more fair because regular impressions can be served anywhere on a page without being seen, while viewable impressions must be at least 50% visible for more than one second according to industry standards.

The main issue with vCPM campaigns is attribution. When someone views your ad and makes a purchase later, that sale gets attributed to the view rather than a click. This creates overlap with other Amazon advertising campaigns like sponsored products or sponsored display cost per click campaigns. Amazon will double count these conversions, making vCPM campaign results look amazing on paper.

You can use these Amazon display ads campaigns to increase reach and target specific audiences or use contextual targeting. However, don't rely on the sales metrics you see from sponsored display vCPM campaigns. Instead, measure viewable impressions and reach as your primary KPIs.

The key difference is that CPC campaigns charge when someone clicks your ad, while vCPM campaigns attribute sales when someone views your ad and then makes a purchase later, even without clicking. This makes vCPM useful for brand awareness but less reliable for direct sales attribution in your Amazon advertising campaign strategy.

Contents 0:00 Introduction to Amazon sponsored display vCPM campaigns 0:18 What is vCPM vs CPM model explanation 0:52 The attribution problem with vCPM campaigns 1:41 Double counting issue with Amazon advertising 2:07 When and how to use vCPM campaigns effectively 2:34 Key differences between vCPM and CPC attribution 2:57 Final recommendations for vCPM campaign usage

------------------------------------------------------ Some product links are affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase, we'll receive a small commission.

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Transcript

Hi guys, welcome to another video. In this video, I will cover Amazon sponsored display campaigns but with the WCPM model. So, I'll cover what it is, why you should or should not use it, what are some potential use cases, and how to actually look at the results that you're getting. So, first let's define what a vCPM model is. So, there's a CPM and BCPM. CPM is a cost model cost per mill where you are being charged for every 1,000 impressions. And then you have BCPM which is a cost per thousand viewable impressions which is a little bit more fair than just the general CPM model simply because impressions can be anything. Impression on Amazon is defined as when the ad is served not when it's seen. So it's it can be served on the bottom of the page and nobody sees it or it can be served on the second page or third page doesn't matter. So WCPM is a little bit like um more you know honest type of u charging you. So the issue with WCPM campaigns is that the attribution is tied to the impression not to the actual click on the ad. So what it means somebody can scroll through search results page see your ad I mean see your ad will be displayed and considered viewed if it's viewable by at least 50% more than one second that's the industry standard and that is considered as as a viewed it doesn't mean that your potential buyer actually saw the ad their eyes and then maybe considered the price they view or anything so it can be somewhere on the page so That is the issue because even if the campaign sorry if the ad was seen so-called seen it was viewed that can and later on that buyer can go ahead and close everything and come come back again after 8 days and make a purchase that purchase may be attributed to the view and but at the same time there's an overlap with the other campaign types such as sponsored products or sponsor display cost per click based campaigns. And Amazon will actually double count because they will u u assign a portion of the attribution to the vcpm campaign also as well as already attributed as sponsor products. So that's why vcpm uh campaign types tend to have really amazing results at least on paper you know. So you can you can use those campaigns as a way to have big reach and define your reach properly using audiences or if it's a context uh based targeting. So you can use them but don't expect that you're seeing good results with it. So me you can measure the sorry you can measure the view your impressions you can measure the reach but do not measure the actual sales that you're getting if you're getting them with sponsor display PCPM campaigns. So that's the most important distinction. It's not like you cannot or shouldn't be using them but you know if you like to test them you can you can definitely try. So once again, vcpm is viewable impressions and you pay by every thousand of those and CPCs by the actual click. So when somebody clicks the ad, that's when the sale distributes to the ad. And in viewable cost per meal is that when somebody let's sayam for let's say viewed but not not necessarily viewed your ad and then if a purchase is made, it's also attributed to the view of the ad. So, let me know if you have any further questions for this and see you in the next