An Manual Product Targeting (Category vs. Individual ASIN) tactic that targets competitor ASINs specifically chosen for having a lower star rating than the advertiser's own listing, on the logic that shoppers already comparing products in a niche are more persuadable to "switch" away from a visibly worse-rated option than from a well-reviewed one. Distinct from general Offensive Competitor-Brand Targeting ("Sniping") (which targets on brand/keyword terms) in that the selection criterion is the star-rating differential itself, not competitor identity or spend level.
Used alongside a shift away from broad-match/autopilot campaigns toward exact-match "right to win" keywords and Product Targeting Sub-Types (Refined, High-Volume ASIN, Missing-Feature ASIN, Self-Targeting) (PAT), on an account previously running mostly-broad automatic campaigns "on autopilot" with little manual restructuring.
Related: spend on the brand's own branded keywords was flagged as "not incremental" during this overhaul — shoppers already searching the brand name would likely have purchased regardless — a judgment consistent with Ad Console New-to-Brand Reporting (LACoS-Justified NTB Spend)'s new-to-brand framing of what ad spend actually creates versus merely captures.
Essential Candy (Helium 10 Scale Stories) — proposed as one of the ASIN-targeting angles inside the brand's new Manual Product Targeting (Category vs. Individual ASIN) (PAT) campaign, deliberately targeting competitor ASINs with lower star ratings to intercept shoppers already inclined to switch.
In addition to targeting on star-rating gaps alone, the switchers tactic can be layered with category-level Product Attribute Targeting: manually targeting a category plus specific competitor ASIN attributes — price, Prime eligibility, and star rating — to surface shoppers actively comparing options and likely to switch. Recommended as a replacement for broad auto-targeting spend once winnable keywords are separately exhausted. See Category Targeting Refine Filters (Price, Rating, Brand, Shipping), Manual Product Targeting (Category vs. Individual ASIN).
For a plateaued candy brand, PAT-based switcher targeting selected competitor ASINs with worse star ratings or higher prices than the brand's own listing, aiming to pull those customers over — explicitly 'finding switchers.' Set up via Manual Product Targeting (Category vs. Individual ASIN) and scaled with Helium 10 Ads Automation.
Из тем: PPC Campaign Structure & Bidding