Reclaiming Position in a Crowded Beverage Market: A Straight Up Growth Case Study

How a 9-Figure Brand Stumbled on Amazon (and How We Helped Fix It)

This leading beverage brand was heavily reliant on a narrow promotional toolset, its ad funnel was inefficient, and retention was trending down. Straight Up Growth helped diagnose the core issues and rebuild a scalable growth engine through the Vendor Central (1P) channel.

In this blog, we outline the four most impactful levers that led to: +30% year-to-date growth, new launches in the top 5 categories, and 15 months of repeat customer growth.

II. Unlocking Promotional Power Beyond VPCs

Vendor-Powered Coupons are not enough to scale on 1P. Here’s what worked.

The brand had limited promotional tools, primarily Vendor-Powered Coupons (VPCs), which capped performance potential. Our team leveraged our Amazon partnerships to unlock additional promo mechanics, allowing us to test and optimize more aggressively.

What SUG changed:

• Established a direct working relationship with Amazon to unlock access to all available promotional vehicles.
• Resolved eligibility issues, making the whole product catalog eligible for Best Deals and other promos.
• Conducted extensive testing across promo types and discount levels to identify optimal combinations by product type and lifecycle stage.

This wider promo mix helped lift both conversion and category rank across multiple SKUs.

III. Making Every Ad Dollar Count

We identified two significant advertising inefficiencies:

• Top-performing ad strategies were underfunded
• Ad spend was spread too thinly across too many products

Our optimization approach refocused the budget on high-impact SKUs and campaigns, utilizing real-time data to optimize spend.

This approach reversed a -19% YoY decline to +33% growth, turning an underperformer into the #2 product in its category for the first time in a year.

IV. Turning New Products Into Category Stars

Product launches aren’t guesswork; they need a full-funnel strategy from day one to drive real, lasting growth.

Most brands underestimate the effort required to launch and rank new products on Amazon in competitive categories. We implemented a structured launch framework that adapts over time and prioritizes both visibility and conversion.

Our approach:

• Launched five new products with tailored strategies
• Started broad, then narrowed ad targeting based on performance
• Paired with strong promotions and adaptive content based on customer feedback

This approach drove standout results:

✅ One product rose from #80 to #5 in six months

✅ Another hit #4 just one month post-launch.

V. Turning One-Time Shoppers Into Lifelong Customers

A strong Subscribe & Save program is only one piece of the retention puzzle.

The brand was seeing a decline in repeat customers and subscription enrollments. Rather than focusing solely on net new growth, we worked to build a sustainable repeat engine using a combination of marketing and merchandising tactics.

Key tactics implemented:

• Retargeting campaigns to re-engage lapsed customers and high-intent site visitors
• Reorder-focused incentives (reorder coupons + limited-time loyalty offers)
• Expanded Subscribe & Save eligibility across top SKUs to capture replenishment
• Enhanced PDP content with A+ modules, bundling suggestions, and cross-sells
• Introduced Brand Story sections to build emotional connection and brand trust

This led to 15 months of consistent repeat growth and a 10-month streak of subscription volume increases.

VI. How’d We Do it? Results That Speak Volumes

Strong execution across four key levers delivered compounding results, transforming challenges into measurable success.

When we partnered with them, the brand faced several hurdles: stagnating revenue, underperforming SKUs, and inconsistent repeat buyer behavior. We knew the path forward required a comprehensive, data-driven approach focusing on four key areas: promotional strategy, advertising efficiency, product launch planning, and deep insights into repeat and subscription trends.

Here’s a snapshot of what this focused effort accomplished over just seven months:

Revenue Growth:

• +30% YTD growth from Jan to July 2025

Repeat & Subscription Metrics:

• 15 consecutive months of repeat customer growth
• 10 straight months of Subscribe & Save volume increases

Category Rankings:

• Multiple new SKUs reached the top 5 in category rankings (#2, #3, #5)
• One underperforming SKU returned to #2 in its category after 15+ months

Takeaway: These outcomes didn’t happen by chance; they’re the result of strategy, precision, and ongoing optimization.

VII. Conclusion 

This brand transformed with a focused strategic overhaul targeting four critical areas: promotional strategy, advertising efficiency, product launch planning, and repeat buyer behavior, all driving measurable, sustainable growth.

Transform your brand on Amazon by leveraging strategic partnerships, agility, and data-driven decision-making. Straight Up Growth can help you achieve this.
Contact us today for a free audit!

Q&A

Q: What were the primary challenges the beverage brand faced?

A: Declining sales, decreasing market share on Amazon, and limited promotional opportunities due to reliance on Vendor-Powered Coupons (VPCs).

Q: What were the key strategies used to help the beverage brand achieve +30% YTD growth?

A: By expanding promotional opportunities, optimizing ad spend, successfully launching new products, and improving customer retention strategies.

Q: What strategies did Straight Up Growth implement to improve customer retention and repeat purchases?

A: Retargeting campaigns, reorder coupons, expanded Subscribe & Save eligibility, and enhanced product pages with Brand Story modules and A+ content.