How a Pain Relief Brand Grew Sales 122% While Improving Efficiency

This brand specializes in topical pain relief products, including lidocaine-based roll-ons and sprays designed for fast, targeted relief. Its core products compete in highly competitive over-the-counter pain relief categories, where conversion efficiency and repeat purchase behavior are critical to performance.

The Challenge

The account was scaling—but not profitably.

Advertising efficiency had deteriorated, with ACOS consistently above target levels, making paid media unsustainable. Budget was spread too broadly across the catalog, with no clear prioritization between high- and low-performing products.

At the same time, operational gaps limited performance.

Some SKUs lacked the listing quality and Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) availability needed to convert efficiently. This meant that even when traffic was driven, conversion rates remained inconsistent.

The result was a fragmented system:

• Spend diluted across too many products  

• Low-converting SKUs consuming budget  

• Strong products not receiving enough investment  

The brand needed to regain control—fast.

Why Quartile

This was not a demand problem—it was a focus problem.

Quartile identified that scaling every product equally was limiting both efficiency and growth. The account needed to concentrate investment on the products most likely to convert and drive repeat purchases.

At the same time, the category presented an opportunity.

Pain relief products have strong repurchase behavior, making them ideal for retargeting strategies. By combining product prioritization with audience-based activation, Quartile could improve both acquisition and retention efficiency.

The strategy shifted from broad coverage to targeted performance.

The Solution

Quartile implemented a structured, product-first strategy.

Investment was prioritized toward best-selling pain relief products, ensuring that the majority of spend supported SKUs with proven demand and strong conversion rates. Lower-performing products were still supported but within controlled campaign structures.

A full campaign framework was deployed:

• ATM and Quartile campaigns to scale top performers  

• Bulk and keyword campaigns to manage long-tail products  

• Defensive campaigns to protect product pages  

• Sponsored Brands to reinforce visibility for hero SKUs  

As performance stabilized, the strategy expanded.

Amazon DSP was introduced to capture repeat demand through remarketing. This allowed the brand to re-engage past shoppers and product viewers—reducing reliance on Sponsored Products alone and improving overall efficiency.

In parallel, operational improvements strengthened results. Listing optimization and improved FBA availability ensured that increased traffic translated into higher conversion rates.

Results & Impact

The strategy delivered both scale and profitability:

• Total sales increased by 122% year over year  

• ACOS improved by 33%, bringing efficiency within target range  

• Ad-attributed sales grew by 231%, driving the majority of growth  

• TACOS remained stable while scaling significantly, confirming efficient expansion  

DSP played a key supporting role, driving strong returns through retargeting and reinforcing repeat purchase behavior within the category.

These results demonstrate a clear shift: by focusing on the right products and audiences, the brand transformed unprofitable spend into scalable growth.  

Ongoing Value & Future State

With a focused and scalable structure in place, the brand is positioned for continued growth.

Quartile continues to refine product prioritization, expand DSP activation, and support new product launches as the catalog evolves. The account now operates with a clear balance between efficiency and scale.