Starting in January 2027, Amazon will allow brands in the US to pay for inclusion in responses generated by its shopping assistant, Alexa for Shopping. This new advertising format, known as Branded Conversations, was officially announced on September 29 at the unBoxed conference.
Under the Branded Conversations model, brands submit a brief containing product descriptions, features, and usage scenarios. The assistant uses this data to answer customer queries, such as requests for product comparisons or recommendations. These responses will be clearly labeled as sponsored.
Amazon also offers a second format called Sponsored Prompts, which functions as a paid question suggestion appearing below the assistant's response. Previously, brands were limited to paying for placement adjacent to the AI-generated content rather than influencing the response itself.
Amazon maintains control over the process, as it hosts the catalog, reviews, and brand briefs directly within its ecosystem. While brands cannot select which reviews are displayed, Amazon provides feedback in the advertising dashboard if a submitted brief contains inaccurate information.
