At our April webinar, Brandwoven CEO, Chris Gray, and VP of Advertising, Joel Ennis, provided a comprehensive Prime Day advertising strategy framework, equipping brands with the knowledge and tactics necessary to succeed during this pivotal tentpole event. The webinar provided a comprehensive framework for Prime Day 2025, covering key areas such as expectations and changes from last year’s event, logistics & catalog preparation, promotional planning & strategy, and advertising expectations & execution. Explore the key takeaways in this article to guide your planning and watch the entire presentation recording below for even more in-depth analysis.
View Webinar Recording & Download the Slide Deck
What We Covered in the Webinar
- Expectations & Changes for Prime Day 2025
- Schedule & Important Dates
- Planning Amidst Tariff Unknowns
- Prime Day Preparation
- Logistics & Catalog
- Promotional Planning & Strategy
- Prime Day Advertising Planning & Execution
- Determining the Right Strategy for Your Brand
- Prime Day Preparation & Expectations
- Post-event strategy
Prime Day 2025 Expectations and Changes
Prime Day 2025 is expected to be a 4-day event, compared to 2 days in years prior. This new change continues with Amazon’s recent trend towards longer shopping periods (we also saw this in Q4 with an extended “Turkey 12” shopping period). While this concentrates shopper engagement, it also intensifies competition.
Is Prime Day Advertising a “Necessary Evil”?
Prime Day participation is practically mandatory as brands risk significant market share loss by sitting it out. Going into the event, brands should anticipate increasing advertising costs, with prices having risen 20-50% annually depending on the product category.
While Prime Day can be costly for brands with lower repeat purchase frequency, it also delivers an invaluable opportunity for new customer acquisition and product visibility. The decision to participate in Prime Day is also particularly valuable for products with high repeat purchase behavior.
Prime Day 2025 Dates
Here are some important dates to effectively prepare for Prime Day 2025:
- May 6th: Prime Exclusive Discount Submissions Open
- May 23rd: Deal Scheduling for Best Deals & Lightning Deals Close
- May 26th: Ship Product to FBA
- June 9th: FBA Product Receipt Date
- June 15th: Final PDP updates
- Around June 25th: Prime Day 2025 Dates Announced
- July 4th: Advertising Strategy & Changes Set
- 3 Days Before Event: Start PDP Audits
- Mid-Late July: PRIME DAY!
How to Prepare for Prime Day
Effective preparation across logistics, catalog, and promotions is paramount to success.
Logistics & Catalog
It’s critical to begin forecasting product demand far in advance, in addition to planning shipments early. Aim to have all product shipments leave for Amazon’s fulfillment centers by May 26th (at the latest) to avoid any potential delays.
Digital Merchandising
Also, don’t forget the critical role of digital merchandising. All of your product, especially those that will be heavily discounted during Prime Day, should be fully optimized for conversion. Since it will be more expensive to drive traffic during Prime Day, coupled with the urgency of Lightning Deals and enticing competitor discounts, your product detail pages must have clear and compelling content that quickly and accurately educates shoppers. Your catalog and product pages should be easy to shop from a consumer’s perspective, with a focus on your brand’s unique story to differentiate yourself in the crowded marketplace.
Remember to audit your PDPs a few days before the event to ensure everything looks correct.
Promotional Planning & Strategy
Have a clear plan and know what you aim to achieve with your Prime Day deals – whether it’s acquiring new customers, launching new products, or strategically blocking competitors. Remember – you can always pull a scheduled deal if necessary.
Importantly, consider that raising retail prices before Prime Day may exclude participation due to Amazon’s pricing rules. Also keep in mind Amazon’s promotional fee structure, which now includes a fixed fee plus a percentage of sales for some deal types, potentially impacting margin and profitability.
Choosing not to participate in Prime Day carries a significant risk of losing out to competition who will almost certainly be promoting.
Prime Day Advertising Strategy & Execution
Preparing for Prime Day Advertising
- Decide if your primary focus will be running deals or brand awareness campaigns.
- Understand how Amazon prioritizes products, emphasizing deals with Prime badging.
- Strategically choose NTB (New-to-Brand) Gateway ASINs – often lower-cost, high-conversion items – with aggressive discounts to effectively acquire new customers.
- Select a narrow SKU focus with aggressive discounts to maximize new customer acquisition costs.
- Launch promotions and coupons the week prior to Prime Day, capturing interest from active, early shoppers.
Advertising Strategy During Prime Day
- Prioritize Top of Search placements for non-branded category terms, as this is where the majority of New-to-Brand customer acquisition occurs.
- Utilize Sponsored Products Top of Search bid modifiers.
- Leverage Sponsored Brand Impression Share vCPM and Video Top Of Search Bid Adjustments.
Focus Your Budget
Employ a “best offense is a great defense” approach. During Prime Day, pause non-deal ASINs with your primary category-focused campaigns and use Add Budget Rules and Schedule Rules to aggressively increase budgets and bids for your deal-focused campaigns during the event. Continue to defend your branded terms as this yields a strong New-to-Brand percentage. Finally, target your deal ASINs with lesser deal or non-deal ASINs to defend against placement on your deal detail pages.
Maximize Your Prime Day Advertising Investment
- Leverage Amazon DSP for reach, scale, and nuanced targeting capabilities, allowing you to reach shoppers both on and off Amazon.
- Consider Prime Video Ads in the lead-up week to the event for maximum exposure with your target audience, as these are non-skippable ads.
- Utilize AMC (Amazon Marketing Cloud) to target past deal event purchasers more aggressively.
- Adjust bids and budgets of existing campaigns to avoid approval delays.
Post-Event Strategy for Long-Term Success
The work doesn’t end when Prime Day concludes.
- Implement a post-event strategy to capitalize on your advertising efforts and build long-term customer relationships.
- Retarget cart abandoners with Sponsored Display and Custom AMC Audiences or hidden promo codes via DSP.
- Retarget newly acquired customers to drive additional purchases and build loyalty.
- Measure success based on reduced cost per newly acquired customer and glance views gains resulting from organic search rank improvements.
Preparing Your Prime Day Advertising Strategy
Prime Day 2025 represents far more than a sales event—it’s a pivotal opportunity to accelerate your brand’s marketplace trajectory, unlock new customer segments, and establish competitive advantages that extend well beyond the event itself.
At Brandwoven, we are a full-service marketplace management agency dedicated to helping premium brands thrive on Amazon, Walmart, Target, and other online marketplaces. Our specialized team brings deep expertise in catalog optimization, inventory management, promotional strategy, and performance advertising—delivering customized solutions that align with your unique brand objectives and marketplace position. Our proven methodology has empowered brands to not just participate in Prime Day, but to strategically leverage it and focus on measurable outcomes: improved organic rank positions, strategic market share gains, and sustainable post-event momentum.
Get a Marketplace Management Consultation
Don’t navigate the complexities of Prime Day 2025 alone. Partner with Brandwoven’s marketplace specialists to develop a comprehensive strategy that maximizes your brand’s potential during this critical retail moment. Schedule a consultation with a Brandwoven marketplace expert to discuss your Prime Day 2025 advertising strategy and discover how our collaborative approach can elevate your brand’s performance.