Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days marks the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Held on October 8 – 9, the event offers shoppers early access to major discounts before the frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
However, succeeding on Prime Big Deal Days requires a strategic approach that goes beyond offering discounts. It’s about creating a comprehensive marketing plan that includes product visibility, competitive pricing, and powerful advertising to maximize sales and brand exposure.
In this blog, we’ll explore how brands can build the ultimate marketing strategy that delivers results on the day of the event and also sets the stage for success during the entire holiday shopping season.
Prime Big Deal Days vs. Prime Day (and Other Amazon Events)
Prime Big Deal Days stand out from Amazon events like Prime Day and Black Friday in several ways. As noted, Prime Big Deal Days is positioned as an early holiday shopping event that gives customers a head start on finding deals well before the shopping rush of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Another difference is how Prime Big Deal Days targets customers. Prime Day is a broader summer event that encourages a wide range of purchases across all categories. Prime Big Deal Days, on the other hand, focuses more on seasonal and holiday-related products. This influences the types of deals and promotions that will perform the best.
In terms of strategy, you should approach Prime Big Deal Days differently than Prime Day. Since the October event kicks off holiday shopping, it’s important to think about how to build momentum that you can carry throughout the end of the year – not just during the sale.
While Prime Day is a good time to offer deep discounts for high-velocity products, Prime Big Deal Days provides a unique chance for brands to offer early-bird holiday promotions, introduce new products, or create gift sets that drive repeat purchases during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
How Our Clients Performed During Prime Big Deal Days 2023
By all accounts, Prime Big Deal Days 2023 was a success – both for Amazon and Channel Key brand partners. As expected, brands that performed the best were willing to offer competitive discounts on giftable items.
Channel Key clients enjoyed a 97.6% average year-over-year sales lift compared with Prime Early Access Sale, which took place around the same time the previous year. The chart below shows the total sales revenue for several Channel Key clients and the percentage change for Day One of Prime Big Deal Days compared with Prime Early Access Sale.
Another interesting callout from Prime Big Deal Days was that Day One generated more favorable results than Day Two. This data point underscores the importance of ensuring your brand is fully prepared for key sales from the moment the event begins.
Any delay in your marketing strategy can cost you revenue. The chart below shows the total sales revenue for several Channel Key brand partners and the percentage change for Day Two of Prime Big Deal Days compared with Prime Early Access Sale.
Of all the marketing levers and promotions available, Prime Exclusive Discounts consistently performed the best. In one case, Channel Key ran Prime Exclusive Discounts on five products, which generated 75% off all sales for our brand partner during Prime Big Deal Days.
In another, a Channel Key brand partner saw a 56% sales lift from leveraging Prime Exclusive Discounts during Prime Big Deal Days (compared to using only Lightning Deals during the summer Prime Day).
One reason for the success of Prime Exclusive Discounts is Amazon included them as part of the top filter that showed only Big Day Deal Discounts. This provided extra visibility for these products amid a surge in traffic. Amazon also applied a red badge to products promoted with Prime Exclusive Discounts, as seen in the screenshot below.
Planning and Forecasting Inventory for Prime Big Deal Days
The deadline to send inventory for Prime Big Deal Days is September 13, 2024. To forecast your inventory properly, you should review historical sales data from previous events like Prime Day or Black Friday to understand demand trends. Identify your top-selling products, calculate sales velocity, and analyze how much inventory is needed to avoid stockouts. This data will help guide your forecasting for Prime Big Deal Days.
Next, align your inventory planning with your promotional strategy. Promotions such as Lightning Deals or heavy discounts usually lead to higher demand, so adjust your inventory forecasts accordingly. Work closely with your marketing team to ensure your stock levels can support the sales push.
Also, anticipate market trends and broader conditions. Tools like Helium 10 or Jungle Scout can help you gauge current demand in your product category and fine-tune your forecasts. Build in a buffer for your best-selling products to avoid stockouts, while ensuring you don’t overstock slower-moving items that could lead to high storage fees.
Lastly, be ready to adjust. Amazon’s inventory management tools can help you track stock and sales velocity in real-time. If necessary, work with third-party logistics providers to hold extra inventory, allowing for flexible restocking during the event.
Optimizing Product Listings
It’s no secret that product listings are an essential part of attracting and converting shoppers on Amazon. Always make sure this content is fully optimized for visibility and engagement.
Start by refining product titles to be concise, clear, and SEO-friendly. Incorporate relevant keywords while avoiding unnecessary fluff. Keep titles between 80-120 characters and highlight the most important information, such as the product name and features.
Next, focus on the product’s bullet points and description. These should emphasize the key benefits of your product. Rather than just listing features, explain how the product solves customer pain points or enhances their experience. Incorporate well-researched keywords in a natural way to improve search visibility.
For visual content, use high-quality images that showcase your product from multiple angles. Include lifestyle images to help customers imagine using the product. Videos are another effective tool to demonstrate product features and highlight its benefits.
Finally, don’t overlook the importance of backend search terms. Maximize this field by including relevant long-tail keywords and synonyms that might not fit in your title or description. This will help your product appear in more search results.
Optimizing Your Amazon Brand Store
Your Amazon Brand Store acts as a digital storefront. It’s your own mini website on Amazon where your competitors can’t advertise. Always prioritize your Brand Store – especially during high-traffic events like Prime Big Deal Days.
Make sure your Store’s layout is visually appealing and easy to navigate. Use high-quality banners and clear, concise messaging to highlight your deals and promotions. Create a dedicated section for Prime Big Deal Days that features your top deals and best-selling products. Curate collections based on customer interests, such as themed sections like “Top Holiday Gifts” or “Best Deals Under $50.” This helps guide customers quickly to relevant items and encourages larger orders.
Monitor your Store’s performance using Amazon’s Store Insights tool. Track user behavior, such as which sections get the most traffic and how customers engage with different pages. This data will help you continuously optimize and refine the Store’s layout for maximum conversions. Learn more about how to optimize your Amazon Brand Store.
Creating a Competitive Pricing and Promotions Strategy
To maximize sales during Prime Big Deal Days, brands need a thoughtful pricing and promotions strategy that balances competitiveness with profitability. Here’s a simplified approach to developing your strategy.
Begin by researching competitor pricing to identify trends and optimal price points. Assess whether you can compete on price or need to differentiate through unique offers or bundles. Flexible pricing is key. Consider dynamic pricing that adapts to demand and competitor moves, as well as offering limited-time promotions (like Lighting Deals or Best Deals) that create urgency and drive impulse purchases.
Coupons and percentage discounts are powerful tools for attracting attention. Coupons can give shoppers a small discount while increasing visibility in search results. For higher-priced items, offering percentage discounts (e.g., 20% off) works well for driving higher volumes of sales. Be sure to communicate these discounts clearly in your external marketing materials to drive traffic.
Bundles are another effective strategy to boost average order value. You can offer product bundles or multi-buy discounts (like “Buy 2, Get 10% Off”) to encourage customers to purchase more in one transaction. Bundles can also help clear older inventory while promoting new products. Learn more about how to maximize sales with product bundles.
Amazon Deals are a powerful way to drive conversions during Prime Big Deal Days. Unfortunately, the deadline to submit Best Deals, Top Deals, and Lightning Deals was August 23. However, you can still run Prime Exclusive Discounts. These price reductions are available only to Prime members and display a prominent badge on your product listing.
Whatever deals you offer, be sure to promote them externally across email, social media, and other off-Amazon platforms to maximize traffic. Highlight the value of the deals and use countdown timers to create a sense of urgency. It’s also important to maintain adequate inventory levels to support these promotions and avoid stockouts during peak demand.
The Best Amazon Ad Types for Prime Big Deal Days
To succeed during any Amazon sale, you’ll need a strong advertising strategy that leverages Amazon’s most effective tools – including Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display.
Sponsored Products ads are highly effective for driving direct traffic to individual listings, especially when targeting high-intent keywords or using product targeting to compete directly with similar items. These ads should focus on keywords with strong purchase intent and be adjusted dynamically to stay competitive during the sales surge.
Sponsored Brands ads, which display your logo, headline, and multiple products, are excellent for boosting brand awareness. These ads can link to your Amazon Brand Store or curated product collections, making them perfect for promoting bundles or special deals during PBDD.
Sponsored Brands Videos can capture attention quickly and drive conversions by demonstrating the product in action.
Sponsored Display ads are powerful for retargeting customers who have viewed your products or similar items but haven’t purchased anything. These work well both on and off Amazon, reaching customers who have interacted with your listings or competitor products.
To maximize your ROI, adjust bids dynamically and allocate more budget to top-performing keywords and products that are on promotion. Regularly monitor and tweak your campaigns throughout the event to ensure you remain competitive.
How to Differentiate Your Brand Amid Competition
Storytelling and Brand Identity
Maintaining a strong brand identity will help you stand out from competitors during Prime Big Deals Day. Crafting a compelling story that resonates with your target audience is key to differentiating your brand.
Consider how your products solve customer problems or bring value to their lives. Use your product listings, A+ content, and advertising campaigns to tell that story. Shoppers are more likely to choose your brand if they connect with your message – especially when many brands are offering similar products at similar prices.
Customer Loyalty Programs
Prime Big Deal Days isn’t just about securing a one-time sale. The true long-term value lies in turning these shoppers into loyal customers. Consider implementing customer retention strategies such as Subscribe & Save, follow-up emails with personalized offers, and loyalty programs. Offering additional discounts or exclusive deals for repeat customers can help build a long-term relationship with buyers who discover your brand during Prime Big Deal Days.
Influencer Marketing
Another way to boost your brand’s visibility is by partnering with influencers to generate buzz leading up to and during Prime Big Deal Days. Influencers can help build excitement around your brand and products, reaching a wider audience and creating a sense of urgency to purchase. Consider working with influencers who align with your brand’s values and have a following that matches your target audience. Learn how to use Amazon’s Creator Connections program to connect with popular social media influencers.
Channel Key Takeaway
Prime Big Deal Days is an opportunity to maximize visibility, boost sales, and build customer loyalty. However, success requires more than just deep discounts. By focusing on product visibility, competitive pricing, and strategic advertising, brands can leverage this event to drive sales and build momentum for the months ahead. Remember that Prime Big Deal Days will set the stage for how your brand performs during the busy holiday season.
