Amazon gives special attention to Apple’s product pages, maintaining a relatively ad-free environment as a part of their arrangement, as per Insider reports. Despite the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust lawsuit accusing Amazon of boosting irrelevant ads, Apple’s pages, such as those for “iPhone” and “iPad,” display a clean layout devoid of ads or recommendations. In contrast, rival brands like Samsung Galaxy and Microsoft Surface feature multiple banner ads and sponsored recommendations.
Upon testing, it was evident that Apple’s product pages appear more streamlined. However, Microsoft Surface Pro’s pages showcased sponsored listings, “4 stars and above” carousel, related products, and multiple banner ads. According to Insider, Apple requested Amazon in 2018 to maintain its pages free from ad clutter, a request apparently documented in an email shared by the House Judiciary Committee. Jeff Wilke, Amazon’s former retail CEO, mentioned that Apple aimed to avoid promoting competing brands on search or detail pages.
Apple has confirmed an agreement with Amazon, restricting other companies from advertising for “specific Apple-related brand queries” on Amazon’s platform. Advertisers can still target key phrases with an Apple name, like “iPad keyboard case,” but not for the broader term “iPad.” Apple stated that the agreement aims to enhance the customer experience and address concerns about counterfeit products on the platform, reducing the need for countless take-down notices.
While the nature of any financial exchange between the companies remains unclear, the shared email suggested a potential financial deal. Initially, Amazon purportedly rejected Apple’s request, with Wilke emphasizing that altering the organic search algorithm to favor Apple products would require compensation for lost ad revenue.
