Sponsored Brands vs. Sponsored Products: Which Amazon Ad Type Should You Use?

If you're wondering which Amazon ad type is best for your business — Sponsored Brands or Sponsored Products — you're not alone. Most sellers hit this question once they start running ads or want to scale their campaigns beyond the basics.

In this post, we’ll break down the difference, when to use each one, and how to make the right call depending on your goals and budget.

What’s the difference between Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Products?

Sponsored Products are ads that promote individual products. They show up in search results and on product detail pages. These are the most commonly used ads on Amazon — they’re simple to launch and often drive direct sales.

Sponsored Brands promote your brand as a whole. They appear at the top of search results and let you feature your logo, a custom headline, and multiple products. You need to be brand-registered to use them.

When to use Sponsored Products

• You're launching a new product and need visibility fast

• You want to rank for specific keywords

• You’re optimizing for conversions, not just clicks

• You don’t have Brand Registry

• You want to scale with automation (SPs work well with rule-based tools)

Sponsored Products are ideal for direct-response advertising. They match buyer intent closely and can be highly efficient, especially when you're focused on sales and profitability.

When to use Sponsored Brands

• You're already seeing success with Sponsored Products

• You want to showcase your product line, not just one item

• You’re focused on brand awareness or repeat purchases

• You have strong visuals, brand story, and a custom Store page

• You want to test headline A/B variations

Sponsored Brands help build long-term brand equity. They're not always the best for immediate ROAS, but they can improve brand recall, drive cross-sells, and support your Amazon Store traffic.

Pros and cons of each ad type

Sponsored Products — Pros:

• High conversion rates

• Lower CPC

• Easy to set up and scale

• Great for keyword testing

Sponsored Products — Cons:

• No creative control

• Limited branding

• Can get expensive in competitive niches

Sponsored Brands — Pros:

• Better branding and awareness

• Custom creatives (logo, headline, multiple ASINs)

• Drives traffic to Stores and product groups

Sponsored Brands — Cons:

• Higher CPCs

• May not convert as well if buyers aren’t ready

• Requires more setup and testing

What most sellers get wrong

• Jumping into Sponsored Brands too early, before their listings or brand presence are solid

• Not tracking TACoS by ad type, making it hard to judge impact

• Using Sponsored Brands without a compelling brand message

• Neglecting Sponsored Products, even though they still drive the majority of ad-attributed sales

Sponsored Products are still the backbone of most successful ad accounts. Don’t skip them just because they’re less flashy.

How to decide what’s right for your brand

Here’s a simple way to decide where to start:

Start with Sponsored Products if:

• You’re launching a product

• You’re focused on ROI

• You haven’t hit $10k/month in revenue yet

Add Sponsored Brands when:

• You’re ready to scale

• You have multiple ASINs and a Store

• Your creative and brand messaging are strong

📊 Suggested split for growing sellers:

• 70–80% Sponsored Products

• 20–30% Sponsored Brands (once ready)

Get expert help with your Amazon Ads

Still not sure which ad type fits your strategy — or how to structure your campaigns for growth?

That’s exactly what we do at Atlisco Ads.

We manage Amazon PPC for sellers who are ready to scale, without wasting spend on the wrong tactics. We’ll help you build a strategy that fits your goals, your margins, and your brand — and manage everything so you can focus on growing your business.

👉 Book a free call with us to see if we’re a fit.