Amazon Sponsored Brands & Sponsored Display: Advanced Strategies Beyond Sponsored Products

Using Sponsored Brands and Display strategically: headline optimization, video ads, and audience targeting explained.
Levi Jäger
Feb 2026
8 min

Amazon Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display: Advanced Strategies Beyond Sponsored Products

Why Successful Amazon Sellers Think Beyond Sponsored Products

For most Amazon sellers, Sponsored Products campaigns form the backbone of their advertising strategy, and for good reason. They offer a direct link between search query and product offering, and typically deliver the highest direct conversion rates.

But if you want to truly succeed in the increasingly competitive Amazon landscape of 2025, you need to broaden your advertising horizons. As an Amazon agency, we observe that brands that strategically leverage all available ad formats can gain significant competitive advantages.

In this article, we explore how Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display campaigns, when used correctly, can elevate your Amazon advertising strategy. We focus on concrete use cases and strategic considerations that will help you deploy these often-underestimated formats profitably.

The Complementary Roles of Amazon Ad Formats

Before diving into specific strategies, it is important to understand the different roles each ad format plays in the buying process:

These formats work most effectively when deployed as part of an integrated strategy covering the entire customer decision process, from initial product discovery to final purchase.

Sponsored Brands: The Underrated Brand Builder

Sponsored Brands offer unique capabilities that go far beyond what Sponsored Products alone can achieve.

1. Strategic Headline Optimization

The headline is the central element of your Sponsored Brands ad and largely determines its success.

Best practices:

Example:

Precise, benefit-oriented headlines can significantly improve Sponsored Brands click-through rates.

2. Strategic Product Selection

The products shown in your Sponsored Brands ad should never be left to chance.

Best practices:

Strategic approaches:

3. The Potential of Sponsored Brands Video

Sponsored Brands Video combines the best of visual product demonstration with targeted keyword advertising.

Best practices:

We recommend focusing on Sponsored Brands Video especially for products that require explanation or have visually compelling advantages.

Sponsored Display: The Versatile Targeting Tool

Sponsored Display is Amazon's answer to classic retargeting and offers unique ways to reach customers at different stages of their customer journey.

1. Effective Audience Targeting

Unlike Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display allows you to target customers based on their browsing and purchasing behavior.

Strategic audiences:

Best practices:

Targeting users who have viewed competitor products can be particularly effective.

2. On-Amazon vs. Off-Amazon Placements

A distinctive feature of Sponsored Display is the ability to serve ads both on Amazon and on external websites.

Strategic considerations:

Best practices:

3. Product-Based Targeting for Strategic Cross-Selling

Sponsored Display allows targeted advertising based on specific ASINs, a powerful function for cross-selling and competitive strategies.

Strategic approaches:

Targeted Sponsored Display campaigns are an effective way to gain visibility among highly relevant audiences.

Budget Allocation and Performance Measurement for Advanced Ad Formats

One of the biggest challenges when implementing a multi-format strategy is optimal budget distribution and correct performance evaluation.

1. Budget Distribution Based on Campaign Goals

Recommended starting points:

This allocation should be adjusted based on your specific goals and the performance of each campaign type.

2. Holistic Performance Measurement

A common mistake is evaluating all ad formats by the same criteria. We recommend a differentiated approach:

Sponsored Products: Primary KPI is ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sale). Secondary KPIs include Conversion Rate, CTR, and Impressions.

Sponsored Brands: Primary KPI is New-to-Brand Customer Rate. Secondary KPIs include CTR, ACoS, and Brand Store visits.

Sponsored Display: Primary KPIs are ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) and Reach. Secondary KPIs include CTR and Post-View Conversions.

3. Understanding Attribution and Cross-Format Synergies

Amazon's standard attribution windows can underestimate the true effectiveness of advanced ad formats. A more holistic approach considers:

Regular A/B tests where specific formats are activated or paused help measure their true impact on overall performance.

Integrated Campaign Structure for Maximum Impact

The true power of the different ad formats unfolds only through thoughtful integration into a coherent overall strategy.

1. Keyword Continuity Across Ad Formats

Key keywords should be addressed consistently across all ad formats to ensure seamless coverage of the customer journey.

2. Format-Specific Campaign Structure

A clear campaign structure is critical for transparency and optimization capability.

3. Seasonal and Event-Based Adjustments

The importance and effectiveness of different ad formats varies by season and Amazon events.

We develop dynamic advertising calendars for our clients that systematically plan for these seasonal adjustments.

Conclusion: The Next Level of Your Amazon Advertising Strategy

The full potential of Amazon Advertising unfolds only through the strategic integration of all available ad formats. While Sponsored Products form the foundation, Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display enable additional dimensions of customer engagement and brand building.

The key to success lies in a deep understanding of each format's specific strengths, a structured integration into the overall strategy, and differentiated performance measurement.

By implementing the strategies outlined in this article, you can take your Amazon advertising to the next level and effectively support both short-term performance goals and long-term brand development.

As an Amazon agency, we help brands unlock the full potential of all Amazon ad formats. With specialized teams for PPC management, content optimization, and brand development, we offer a holistic approach for sustainable performance growth.

Questions about your Amazon strategy?

We manage brands with over €300 million+ in sales on Amazon. Let's talk.

Levi Jäger
Co-Founder & Head of Performance