The Power of Non-Branded Strategy

This episode explores a boating brand's successful shift from branded to category-focused advertising on Amazon. Against the backdrop of heavy reliance on branded spend and limited category targeting, the guest, Zach Bican, details how his team implemented a strategy prioritizing non-branded keywords and top-of-search placement. More significantly, the initial result was a decrease in Return on Ad Spend (RoAS), but this was framed as an expected short-term trade-off for long-term growth. For instance, the team invested in sponsored products and videos, leveraging high-quality existing creatives and strong product reviews to build brand visibility and organic ranking. As the discussion pivoted to the client's reaction, Zach highlighted the importance of demonstrating the overall increase in sales and profitability despite the initial RoAS dip. Ultimately, the success of this strategy led to the client's expansion into other advertising avenues, demonstrating the value of a patient, data-driven approach to category-focused advertising. This case study underscores the importance of considering long-term growth and brand building alongside immediate RoAS goals in Amazon advertising.