For Brands New to Amazon
Amazon Launch Plan
The Amazon Launch Plan is our category entry diagnostic: a research-based analysis that maps demand, models your unit economics, and delivers a specific launch sequence before you commit a dollar to the channel.
$847K
Year 1 Revenue Opportunity
18.4%
Break-Even TACOS at Target Margin
90-Day Launch Sequence
Over 60% of U.S. product searches start on Amazon, not Google. The Launch Plan determines whether your brand can capture that demand profitably, and quantifies it.
Who This Is For
The Amazon Launch Plan is built for DTC brands already generating revenue outside Amazon (typically $3M or more on Shopify or direct) where the question isn't whether your brand works, but whether Amazon is the right next channel and how to enter it without destroying what you've built.
You're probably in one of these positions:
If that's where you are, the Launch Plan is designed to give you a single, clear answer: here is exactly what the opportunity looks like, here is what it costs to capture, and here is the sequence to do it without guessing.
What the Launch Plan Is (and What It Isn't)
Most Amazon agencies offer a free discovery call for brands thinking about launching. Someone shows you category screenshots, tells you Amazon is a big opportunity, and proposes a retainer. It's a pitch, not a plan.
The Amazon Launch Plan is different. It's a research-based analysis: category demand pulled from real search volume data, competitor economics modeled from actual marketplace data, and your unit economics stress-tested against real FBA fee structures before you sign anything. The output is not a list of options. It's a specific answer: here is whether your category is viable, here is what your margins look like at the TACOS required to compete, and here is the exact sequence to launch without wasting capital on assumptions.
The Launch Plan doesn't just describe the opportunity. It quantifies it. You leave the review call knowing exactly what the category will support, exactly what your economics look like, and exactly what to do in the first 90 days.
The Six Research Sources
The Launch Plan combines data that doesn't exist in a single place, with each source answering a specific diagnostic question:
| Research source | What it answers |
|---|---|
| Keyword demand analysis | Is there real purchase intent in your category, and how much of it is capturable at your price point? |
| Competitive landscape scan | What are top competitors actually generating, and where are the gaps your brand can exploit? |
| Unit economics model | Do your margins survive FBA fees and referral fees at the TACOS required to compete? |
| 12-month revenue forecast | What's the realistic Year 1 opportunity for your category, from total market down to your capturable share? |
| PPC scaling roadmap | What does a structured launch cost phase by phase, and when does the account reach efficiency? |
| Launch execution roadmap | What has to happen, in what sequence, before your first profitable sale? |
What You Receive
The Launch Plan is delivered as a live 60-minute review call with two documents:
Amazon Launch Analysis
.xlsx model- Category demand model combining keyword volume, search intent, and purchase conversion benchmarks
- Competitive economics: revenue estimates, price band analysis, and review velocity for top 50 ASINs
- Unit economics waterfall per SKU: revenue, COGS, FBA fees, referral fees, contribution margin at target TACOS
- 12-month revenue forecast: TAM to SAM to your realistic share, phased by launch stage
- PPC cost model by phase: spend, TACOS target, and efficiency trajectory from launch through scale
Amazon Launch Plan
8–10 page document- Executive summary with category viability verdict and key findings
- Go/no-go recommendation with the specific data behind it
- Unit economics summary: margin at target TACOS, break-even TACOS by SKU
- Year 1 revenue forecast with conservative, base, and upside scenarios
- 90-day launch sequence: what to do, in what order, with what budget
- Structured so your team can act immediately or hand off directly to us
Everything in the Launch Plan belongs to you. You can take the 90-day launch sequence and execute independently. The Launch Plan is a deliverable, not a pitch.
The ROI Guarantee
The 90-day opportunity included in your Launch Plan is modeled from your category's actual demand data and competitive economics. It is the results we guarantee if we work together. Or your money back.
Build My PlanThe Framework Behind the Launch Plan
Most brands approach an Amazon launch with a revenue target and an ad budget. Neither tells you whether the channel is structurally sound for your product. Neither tells you if your margins survive the fee structure at the TACOS required to rank. And neither tells you how long it actually takes to reach efficiency.
The Launch Plan is built on five analytical components that answer different questions:
| Framework component | The question it answers | What most brands rely on |
|---|---|---|
| TAM → SAM → SOM model | How much of this category is realistically capturable at your price point and positioning? | Anecdotal 'Amazon is huge' reasoning |
| Unit economics waterfall | Is your contribution margin positive after FBA fees at the TACOS required to compete? | Launch first, calculate margin later |
| Competitive pricing analysis | Is there defensible room for your price point, or does the category punish premium positioning? | Matching competitors without margin modeling |
| Break-even TACOS by SKU | What TACOS target makes this launch economically rational, per product? | Blanket TACOS targets not tied to unit economics |
| Year 1 revenue phasing | What does growth actually look like by launch phase, and what does each phase require in ad spend? | Single annual revenue targets with no phased spend model |
These five components are how AIX evaluates every category entry. The Launch Plan is where you see them applied to your numbers for the first time.
What Happens After the Launch Plan
The Launch Plan ends with a specific proposal for how to act on the findings. Whether you execute independently, bring in a specialist, or work with us, the analysis, the forecast, and the launch roadmap are yours to use.
If you do work with us after the Launch Plan, engagements are month-to-month with a 30-day exit: no percentage of ad spend, no revenue share, and no long-term contract. You own everything we build.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Amazon Launch Plan?
- The Amazon Launch Plan is a research-based category analysis for DTC brands that are new to Amazon or pre-launch. AIX combines six research sources (keyword demand analysis, competitive economics, unit economics modeling, a 12-month revenue forecast, a PPC scaling roadmap, and a 90-day launch sequence) into a single view that tells you whether the category is viable, what the economics look like, and exactly what to do first. Priced at $1,500 with a 10x ROI guarantee.
- How does the 10x ROI guarantee work?
- If the Launch Plan doesn't surface at least $15,000 in immediate Amazon revenue opportunity for your brand, you get your $1,500 back in full. No questions asked. The opportunity is quantified in the Launch Plan itself, modeled from your category's actual demand data and competitive economics, so you see exactly where the number comes from before any decision about next steps.
- How long does the Launch Plan take to deliver?
- Typically one week from the initial call. We need your target SKUs, approximate price points, and landed cost estimates to run the unit economics model. The review call (where we walk through the category findings, the forecast, and the 90-day launch sequence) is typically 60 minutes.
- What information do you need from us?
- No Amazon account access required. We build the Launch Plan from market research and category data. To run the unit economics model accurately, we need your target SKUs and pack sizes, approximate landed cost or COGS, target retail price on Amazon, and any inventory or margin constraints we should model around. That's it.
- What if the research shows our category isn't viable on Amazon?
- That's a valid outcome, and we'll say it clearly if the data points that way. Some categories have competitive dynamics, margin structures, or price compression that make Amazon a difficult channel for a new entrant, especially one protecting existing DTC pricing. Knowing that before you invest in an account build, creative, and inventory is exactly the point of the Launch Plan. A clear no is worth $1,500.
- How do I protect my Shopify pricing when launching on Amazon?
- Channel conflict (where your Amazon pricing undercuts your DTC channel or enables unauthorized resellers) is one of the most legitimate concerns for a DTC brand entering Amazon. The Launch Plan's competitive pricing analysis specifically assesses how the top competitors in your category are pricing relative to DTC, and what your options are for maintaining margin and pricing integrity across both channels. If channel conflict is a genuine structural risk for your category, the Launch Plan will surface it with a specific recommendation, not just a flag.
- How much does it cost to launch a brand on Amazon?
- The total cost of an Amazon launch has three components: the Launch Plan itself ($1,500), your account and creative setup costs, and your initial PPC investment to build rank. The Launch Plan's PPC cost model shows you the ad spend required by phase (launch, stabilization, and scale) so you know the full budget commitment before you approve it. First-90-day PPC investment varies significantly by category: low competition categories can reach efficiency on $2,000 to $6,000; medium competition typically requires $6,000 to $15,000; aggressive or highly competitive niches often need $15,000 or more.
- How long does it take to launch on Amazon and start seeing sales?
- Account setup and creative takes two to four weeks for a brand entering Amazon with a prepared catalog. The first meaningful organic sales typically come at weeks eight to twelve, as advertising begins to build keyword rank and reviews accumulate. The Launch Plan's PPC scaling roadmap maps this timeline specifically for your category. The honest answer is that Amazon is a six-to-twelve month channel investment before organic contribution becomes significant. The Launch Plan tells you what that investment looks like and whether the return justifies it.
- What if we're already selling on Amazon?
- The Launch Plan is designed for brands entering Amazon without an active account. It's built around market research and category data, not your existing account. If you're already generating Amazon revenue and something is off with efficiency, growth, or margin, the Amazon Clarity Audit is the right starting point. It's built around your actual account data across seven sources, and follows the same diagnostic structure.
For Brands New to Amazon
Amazon Launch Plan
Six research sources. One clear answer: whether your category is viable, what your economics look like, and the 90-day sequence to launch without wasting capital on assumptions.