Introduction
Kenton Snyder:
Welcome everyone to today’s Intentwise webinar! I'm your host, Kenton Snyder, and today we’re talking about how to update your Sponsored Ads strategy for 2025. With me are two Amazon advertising veterans—Helen Robinson and Ben Webber.
We'll dive into what’s changing, how to stay competitive, and where the biggest ad opportunities lie for brands heading into 2025.
Why Sponsored Ads Need a Strategy Refresh in 2025
Kenton:
Let’s begin with the big picture—why is it so important for brands to rethink their Sponsored Ads strategy as we approach 2025?
Helen Robinson:
The marketplace is evolving fast. Costs are rising, and competition is heating up. Sponsored Ads are no longer just about setting a few manual keywords. It’s about layering tactics—audiences, placements, and creative variations—to maximize efficiency.
Changes in Amazon Ad Features & Capabilities
Ben Webber:
In 2024, we saw a rise in audience targeting, retail-aware campaigns, and even AI-assisted bidding. Brands that haven't evolved beyond auto campaigns are already behind. 2025 is about dynamic content, non-endemic targeting, and multi-format ad sets.
How to Prioritize Ad Budget in 2025
Helen:
A big mistake is not shifting budgets dynamically. You should allocate budget based on:
- Product lifecycle stage
- Margin contribution
- Inventory health
- Seasonal relevance
Use tools like Amazon Marketing Stream and AMC to stay real-time in your decision-making.
Creative is King: Sponsored Brands & Video
Kenton:
Let’s talk creative. What’s working right now in Sponsored Brands and Video?
Ben:
Short-form video is killing it. Focus on:
- Clear product benefit in the first 3 seconds
- Subtitles (since many users view with no sound)
- Text overlays to reinforce the value prop
Helen:
And don’t underestimate the power of custom imagery and headline A/B testing for Sponsored Brands. It's where you differentiate in a crowded SERP.
What Role Does Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) Play?
Helen:
AMC is central to measuring incrementality and attribution across ad types. Want to know if your upper funnel efforts are working? AMC will tell you. We use it to uncover paths to conversion, audience overlap, and campaign sequencing insights.
Ben:
Brands using AMC are no longer guessing. They're data-driven and proactive in how they optimize Sponsored Ads.
Best Practices for Structuring Campaigns in 2025
Kenton:
What are some campaign structuring best practices heading into 2025?
Helen:
Here’s what we recommend:
- Segment campaigns by objectives (awareness, consideration, conversion)
- Use narrow targeting for high-performing SKUs
- Test ad types and creatives in parallel
- Leverage search term isolation for budget control
Ben:
Also, make sure to use negations smartly and set up clear naming conventions—it helps with scale and reporting.
Final Takeaways
Kenton:
Before we wrap up—what’s one thing you want advertisers to keep in mind as they prepare for 2025?
Helen:
Diversify your approach—don’t rely on one ad type or one tactic.
Ben:
Creative refresh is key. Even the best campaign structure fails if the ad isn’t compelling.
Kenton:
Thank you both for your insights. To everyone watching—start testing now, and be proactive in adjusting your Sponsored Ads strategy. Thanks again for joining us!
We don’t have to tell you that a lot has changed with Sponsored Ads in the last year. So in this webinar, we’re going to lay out the state of play for your Sponsored Ads strategy in 2025.
What are the new trends we’re seeing that brands and agencies should be sure to take note of? How has old advice around, say, auto campaigns changed?
In this webinar, two advertising experts from the agency Clear Ads—Helen Robinson and Ben Webber—will talk through the changing calculus of Sponsored Ads in 2025.
Alongside Intentwise’s Kenton Snyder, Robinson and Webber will discuss:
- The return of auto campaigns: While many advertisers have moved away from auto campaigns, Clear Ads is seeing a lot of value in low-bid auto campaigns as a way to find new terms.
- Expanding keyword lists: Here’s why you need to grow your keyword harvesting strategy.
- Choosing the right match for each campaign: How to strategize between broad vs. exact matches for your ad campaigns.
- Focusing on placement adjustments: Sponsored Ads has more placement adjustment options than ever—it’s time to be proactive about your business and offsite ad placements.
Register now, and join us on April 24 at 10 am PST/1 pm EST.
We don’t have to tell you that a lot has changed with Sponsored Ads in the last year. So in this webinar, we’ve laid out the state of play for your Sponsored Ads strategy in 2025.
What are the new trends we’re seeing that brands and agencies should be sure to take note of? How has old advice around, say, auto campaigns changed?
In this webinar, two advertising experts from the agency Clear Ads—Helen Robinson and Ben Webber—talk through the changing calculus of Sponsored Ads in 2025.
Alongside Intentwise’s Kenton Snyder, Robinson and Webber discuss:
- The return of auto campaigns: While many advertisers have moved away from auto campaigns, Clear Ads is seeing a lot of value in low-bid auto campaigns as a way to find new terms.
- Expanding keyword lists: Here’s why you need to grow your keyword harvesting strategy.
- Choosing the right match for each campaign: How to strategize between broad vs. exact matches for your ad campaigns.
- Focusing on placement adjustments: Sponsored Ads has more placement adjustment options than ever—it’s time to be proactive about your Business and offsite ad placements.
Stream the full webinar now.