The 2026 Amazon Ads Blueprint for Subscribe & Save Brands

Riley Bennett


The cheat code to Amazon ads as a consumable brand.

Best Campaign Structure for S&S Brands

If You’re Launching (Brand New)

Focus on simple, search-based campaigns:

1) Sponsored Products – Exact Match SCAGs

  • Pick 5–10 high-volume, high-relevance keywords (use Helium 10/Jungle Scout).

  • Use SCAG (single keyword ad group) for control over bids & placements.

  • Bid for Top of Search only where CPCs make sense.

2) Long-Tail Capture – Broad Buckets

  • Create three “broad” campaigns to sweep profitable long-tail:

    • Unigram: single words (e.g., “door”, “stopper”)

    • Bigram: two words (e.g., “door stopper”)

    • Trigram: three words (e.g., “black door stopper”)

  • Mine search term reports weekly to promote winners into exact.

3) Sponsored Brand Video (SBV)

  • Run alongside Sponsored Products—SBV often outperforms early when reviews are thin.

  • Start with a few tightly matched keywords; expand after initial data.

  • See my Billboard Method below.

Mantra: Test, test, keep what’s best.

If You’re Established

Keep the core, add coverage and remarketing:

  • Budget mix: Majority to Sponsored Products; SBV for result-page dominance; Sponsored Brands (banners) ~5–10% of ad budget.

  • Ranking math: If you’re not organically top-10 for your money keywords, use paid to show Top of Search and close the gap.

  • Retargeting (Display/DSP): Use carefully. Measure business-level profitability (not just attributed ROAS). Look for halo lift on TACOS before/after.

New vs. Established: Sample Campaign Map

New Brand

  • SP – Exact SCAGs (5–10 core terms)

  • SP – Broad (uni/bi/tri) for discovery

  • SBV – 3 headline variants per 3–5 core terms

  • Negative keywords weekly; promote winners bi-weekly

Established Brand

  • SP (majority budget) across core/high-intent clusters

  • SBV for coverage on the same clusters

  • Sponsored Brands (banners) 5–10% budget

  • Display/DSP retargeting; measure halo on TACOS & contribution margin

KPIs to Track

  • Micro (ad level): CTR, CPC, CVR, ACoS/CPA by keyword & placement

  • Macro (business level): TACOS, contribution margin, LTV, subscribe rate, churn

  • Before/After tests for display/DSP/OTT to verify true lift

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Treating Amazon videos like TV ads (too long/slow).

  • Tiny text/no captions; unreadable thumbnail at 5 seconds.

  • Spreading the budget across too many keywords before learning the winners.

  • Over-weighting Sponsored Brands banners vs. higher-intent units.

  • Judging Display/DSP on console ROAS alone (ignores halo).

Ads Checklist

Week 1

  • Choose 5–10 core keywords (intent + volume)

  • Build SP exact SCAGs + broad uni/bi/tri discovery

  • Produce 3–5 SBV billboard variants (split-screen + big headline)

  • Add S&S messaging to images/A+; set base 10–15%

Week 2–3

  • Launch S&S coupon test (30–40% first order if launching)

  • Turn on captions for all videos

  • Start Top of Search placement where CPC/unit economics allow

Week 4–6

  • Promote winning keywords to exact; negate losers

  • Iterate headlines on SBV winners

  • Review TACOS, subscribe rate, payback; adjust discounts

Ongoing

  • Quarterly creative refresh (new headlines/UGC)

  • Incremental Display/DSP with before/after profitability checks

  • Maintain top-5 rank (paid + organic) on money terms

How to Make “Stupid Simple” Video Ads That Can 2X Sales Overnight

Why video ads are critical and a ‘secret weapon’ on Amazon? Because Amazon isn’t a native video platform, so most brands and Amazon experts aren’t great at video ads. This is an opportunity to stand out.

Case study: I’ve seen this method virtually 2X sales OVERNIGHT for multiple brands that we manage. 🔥 Literally the highest ROI thing you can do.

“The Billboard Method”

TL;DR: Save time and just use my Canva Templates

Think of SBV as a billboard that moves:

  • Goal: Get attention → earn the click → let your listing convert.

  • Keep it stupid-simple.

  • Design for the thumbnail and first 3 seconds. Amazon auto-selects a frame near ~5 seconds for the thumbnail.

The 50/50 split-screen method:

  • Left: Product shot or quick UGC clip (close-ups > fluff)

  • Right: Huge headline (your USP, OR “us vs. them” claim, OR something that just PIQUES CURIOSITY to get them to NOTICE and then CLICK)

Some Headlines That I Wrote (feel free to steal)(match them to search terms, AND/OR just capture attention / pique CURIOSITY):

  • “My go-to night cream to reduce wrinkles”

  • “Better than retinol? Meet bakuchiol.”

  • “Not your average brain booster”

  • “Stop with the wipes, dude. Spray instead.” (competitor-steal angle)

SBV Pro Tips

  • Add captions—assume silent autoplay.

  • Keep most videos 6–15 seconds; test longer only if needed.

  • Ensure a clear readable frame ~5s (your de-facto thumbnail).

  • Build 3–5 variants changing only the headline first; then iterate visuals.

  • Produce 3–5 headline variants per key term (e.g., “night cream,” “retinol alternative”).

  • Launch SBV + Sponsored Products; check CTR, CPC, CPA, and rank after 7–14 days.

  • Test, test, test, keep what’s best. Once you have a good ad. Make 3-5 more variations of the winner. Test again. Repeat. Make only one major change at a time so you know what is actually affecting the result. 🧪

  • UGC vs. polished shoots: Start scrappy. UGC/billboard hybrids routinely beat expensive “commercials” in feed environments.

FAQ

“How long should my Amazon video ad be?”

6–15 seconds wins most often. Design the first 3 seconds and 5-second thumbnail first.

“What percent of budget to video?”

Enough to win coverage on your core keywords (often 10–30% of total ads, but let results decide).

“Do I need professional shoots?”

Not to start. UGC + billboard template is the fastest, most testable path.

The Subscribe & Save Coupon Playbook

Keep your base discount at 10% (first) / 15% (repeat).

Use this S&S Coupon Framework

  • Launch/Push: test a 30–40% S&S Coupon. Monitor & adjust.

  • Long-Term: test a 10–20% S&S Coupon. Find your long-term margin/LTV sweet spot.

  • Test a “stair-step” plan (e.g., 40% for first 100 subs → 30% for next 100 → normalize).

Case study: We have seen our consumable brand clients skyrocket to page 1 in a SUPER competitive category with this method after they were experiencing stagnant sales.

S&S Pro tips:

  • Show your “Subscribe & Save” offer in image stack, A+ modules, and bullets. Many shoppers forget to clip coupons—repetition raises opt-in.

  • Test out Brand Tailored Promotions

    • Viewed in 30 days (higher price items)

    • Purchased in 90 days (consumables)

    • Brand followers / repeat customers / high spenders

    Measure lift in repeat rate, CAC payback, and TACOS, not just ad console ROAS.

Get the Ultimate Profit Playbook for Subscribe and Save Brands here.

Hope that helps. Want us to implement everything for you? Get in touch.

Riley