How Made for Locs saw 10x ROAS using Amazon Ads to boost specialized hair care sales

Goals

Made for Locs began with a personal mission. Founder Detara Williams, a 15-year loc wearer, struggled to find products that truly catered to her hair—so she created her own. Recognizing a broader need in the category, Made for Locs turned to Amazon Ads to expand their reach and grow awareness, aiming to connect with shoppers seeking plant-based, high-quality, build-up-free products specifically designed for locs.

Their goals were clear:

• Reach shoppers who were unaware of loc-specific hair care.
• Foster meaningful customer relationships built on trust and relevance.
• Use ad performance insights to guide marketing and product decisions.
• Drive sales through a scalable, insight-led advertising strategy.

“We needed to meet people where they were already searching,” said Williams. “That meant showing up for the right customers at the right time with solutions made just for them.”

More than just growth, this was about changing the loc care experience—making it easier for customers to find what they needed, and feel seen while doing it.

Approach

Made for Locs launched on Amazon Ads with Sponsored Products to appear in relevant shopping results, and soon expanded into Sponsored Brands to showcase their story and full product range. From the outset, the team embraced a rigorous test-and-learn approach, using ad performance insights to guide strategic decisions.

Each week, they conducted performance reviews—evaluating keyword efficiency, analyzing click-through and conversion rates, and refining targeting. By closely monitoring advertising cost of sales (ACOS), they maintained profitability while scaling. This commitment to ongoing optimization helped them identify trends early and adjust in real time.

A key part of their strategy involved using Sponsored Brands to drive traffic to their Brand Store, which they treated as a digital storefront. There, shoppers could browse their full product line and discover items they might not have otherwise found. As patterns emerged—such as customers frequently buying the Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo, Aloe Spray, and Loc Gel together—the team responded by launching curated product bundles, simplifying the buying journey and increasing AOV.

“It was eye-opening to see what customers naturally paired together,” said Williams. “We hadn’t planned to create bundles, but once we saw that behavior, we leaned into it.”

They applied the same insight-led approach to Subscribe & Save. After recognizing repeat purchase behavior across core products, the team used Sponsored Products to promote subscriptions with 5–10% off incentives—boosting retention, customer lifetime value, and acquiring new customers.

Result

Made for Locs’ data-driven strategy delivered measurable results across key performance areas. In just six weeks, their Sponsored Products campaigns achieved a 10x ROAS, helping them reach more shoppers and build lasting momentum in an underserved category.¹

Product bundling, paired with increased traffic to their Brand Store, led to a 40% increase in AOV as customers engaged more deeply with the full product offering and built complete, personalized routines.²

They also saw a 60% increase in subscription-based customers, particularly for high-usage staples like their Aloe Spray and Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo—driven through Sponsored Products campaigns that promoted Subscribe & Save products.³

“The key to our success was staying flexible and really listening to what the data was telling us,” reflects Williams. “We’re not just selling products—we’re building relationships and routines that work for our community.”

Sources

^1–3 Advertiser-provided data, US, 2025.