Amazon in 2025 is no longer a place where you can casually "play along." Brands that want to win market share on this marketplace need more than standard campaigns or tools. But which brands actually benefit from an Amazon agency today, and why?
1. Agency Over Tools: When Real Expertise Pays Off
Many brands initially rely on automation: tools like M19, BidX, or Adference offer straightforward solutions for campaign management. For beginners, these systems provide a solid foundation, making first steps efficient and enabling automated optimizations.
But automated systems have limits. They optimize operationally and rule-based along predefined parameters. They react to partial data, often miss the bigger picture, or cannot access it at all, and therefore do not interpret strategically.
A specialized Amazon agency like PCOStudio, on the other hand, brings strategic consulting, deep market knowledge, and operational experience from a multitude of accounts. It's not just about optimizing existing metrics, but about making the right decisions: Which levers are truly relevant? Which measures bring sustainable growth? Which strategies work in comparable accounts?
Agencies have a track record of successfully scaled clients. There is a high probability that similar starting situations have already been successfully addressed. This experiential knowledge flows directly into the client support.
Moreover, the objective differs fundamentally: While tools often optimize isolated metrics like ACoS, an agency pursues a holistic approach focused on maximum profit. KPIs are evaluated in the context of the market, competitive situation, and account history, not in isolation.
A tool has neither sufficient context nor interpretive scope to capture this complexity.
2. Which Brands Benefit the Most?
Based on our experience across hundreds of accounts, we see the greatest potential in three types of brands.
a) D2C Brands With a Working Off-Amazon Structure
Brands that already have Shopify or retail success typically bring strong creatives, clear positioning, and healthy margins. What they lack is Amazon-specific management.
They benefit particularly strongly from an Amazon-first agency. While they master their off-Amazon channels, the agency brings the necessary expertise for the marketplace itself.
Key levers here are:
- strategic consulting and know-how specifically for Amazon,
- dynamic launch and efficiency strategies for existing and new products,
- structured establishment of new and existing products in the marketplace,
- holistic PPC strategies that are not viewed in isolation.
A critical point is the integration of Amazon and D2C: PPC is not managed in isolation, but in relation to existing brand awareness and off-Amazon traffic. This prevents unnecessary budget being spent on awareness that has already been built outside of Amazon.
b) Brands With High Ad Budgets and Inefficient ACoS
The problem with these brands often lies in a simplistic setup: tools automate everything but without real oversight. Agencies that just plug in tools change very little.
A strong Amazon agency untangles this chaos through detailed KPI controlling (TACoS, CTR, CVR, and more), individual rule sets with manual intervention on clusters, and a scaling strategy at the keyword level rather than the budget level.
c) Mid-Size Sellers With Amazon-Specific Growth Ambitions
They want to take the next step but hit scaling ceilings. This requires scaling strategies and a holistic account perspective and optimization that goes beyond classic metrics like ACoS or pure PPC revenue.
What counts here: strategic sparring partners, not gut feeling.
3. Why 2025 Is No Longer 2020
The Amazon marketplace has fundamentally changed: It is no longer a simple sales channel where simple product images and a few keywords are enough.
Today, Amazon is a complex interplay of:
- performance marketing (especially PPC),
- pricing strategies,
- competitive situation,
- data-driven optimizations,
- growth in a price-sensitive market amid rising cost structures.
Particularly relevant for Amazon itself are brands that manage to build organic rankings and relevance for the algorithm as quickly as possible through the efficient use of advertising and defend them long-term through a combination of PPC, SEO, and comprehensive marketplace strategy.
The goal is to identify and optimize the biggest levers, then systematically exploit the remaining potential.
Real example: A seller in the supplements space had been stagnating for months. Through a complete PPC campaign restructuring, segmentation by match type and buyer intent, plus a targeted video strategy on high-converting keywords, we reduced TACoS by 23% while revenue grew by over 40%, all with the same ad budget.
4. Our Approach at PCOStudio
We see ourselves as a strategic partner with deep experience across nearly all niches. Our focus is on:
- setting up SEO and PPC holistically and cleanly,
- analyzing pricing strategies and market dynamics,
- assessing an account's performance within its competitive environment and outperforming the competition long-term,
- being more than just a robot optimizing according to specifications, but proactively leading your products to long-term niche dominance with inputs and optimizations.
We consistently think performance and brand together.
5. Conclusion: Growing on Amazon Today Requires a Real Setup
Amazon in 2025 is no longer a channel where simple setups are enough. Tools plus budget alone are not sufficient.
Winning market share requires:
- a clear marketplace strategy rather than just ads,
- integrated, comprehensive, experienced partners rather than pure tool operation,
- deep know-how,
- experienced A-player teams,
- structured processes,
- strategic inputs.
Because the most important lever in the account, advertising, must not be managed through an interface with a few clicks or a self-proclaimed expert, but must be actively managed to achieve what ultimately matters: sustainable revenue and maximum profit.
Take Action: Grow on Amazon Strategically and Profitably
Want to understand what is possible with your current setup? Have the feeling your account runs "okay" but there is more potential? Then now is the moment to act.
Questions about your Amazon strategy?
We manage brands with over €300 million+ in sales on Amazon. Let's talk.
