How to Choose an Amazon Agency: What Brands Need to Ask

Choosing the wrong Amazon agency can cost a brand months of wasted spend, stalled growth and a catalogue that needs rebuilding from scratch. The right agency, by contrast, accelerates your Amazon performance by combining technical advertising expertise with strong commercial understanding of your category. The decision comes down to more than credentials. It requires asking the right questions about how an agency operates, what they actually own, and whether their experience maps to your specific product type and ambitions. This guide sets out exactly what to ask and what the answers should tell you.

What Does an Amazon Ads Advanced Partner Actually Mean? 

Amazon's Advanced Partner tier is a formal accreditation awarded to agencies that meet specific thresholds across managed ad spend, certified staff, campaign performance and client growth. It is not self-declared. It requires verified Amazon data to achieve and maintain. When evaluating agencies, this distinction matters. An agency holding Advanced Partner status has demonstrated consistent performance across multiple client accounts, not just one or two good case studies. It signals that the agency operates at sufficient scale and competency to meet Amazon's own benchmarks. Many agencies describe themselves as Amazon specialists without holding any formal accreditation. If an agency cannot confirm their Partner tier status, that is worth noting early in your evaluation.

What to ask: "Are you an Amazon Ads Advanced Partner, and can you share your tier status?" A credible agency will confirm this immediately and point you to their Amazon Partner Network listing. 

What Should You Look for in an Agency's Amazon Experience? 

Relevant category experience is one of the strongest predictors of how quickly an agency will deliver results for your brand.

Amazon advertising strategy varies significantly across FMCG, beauty, health and wellness, food and drink, and consumer electronics. Keyword behaviour, competitor density, listing conversion rates and seasonality all differ. Ask specifically whether the agency has managed brands in your category. A strong agency will be able to describe how FMCG campaigns differ from considered-purchase categories, why search term match types require different strategies across product types, and how promotional mechanics like Lightning Deals or Subscribe and Save interact with advertising performance.

Experience With Your Product Type

Beyond category, look for familiarity with your specific product complexity. A brand with hundreds of product variations requires a different approach to catalogue architecture and campaign structure than a brand with ten hero SKUs. An experienced agency will ask about your catalogue before quoting. 

Vendor Central vs Seller Central Knowledge

These are two distinct selling models on Amazon, and not all agencies have deep experience across both. Vendor Central accounts managed by Amazon directly involve different levers around cost prices, purchase orders and marketing programmes such as Amazon Vine and Brand Tailored Promotions. If your brand operates on Vendor Central, confirm the agency has active Vendor accounts in their portfolio. 

How Do Amazon Agencies Charge, and What Is a Fair Fee Structure? 

Amazon agency pricing typically follows one of three models: a flat monthly retainer, a percentage of ad spend, or a hybrid of the two. Each has implications for how aligned the agency's incentives are with your business outcomes. A percentage-of-spend model means the agency earns more as you spend more. This can create an incentive to increase budgets even where doing so is not efficient. A flat retainer aligns better with output quality rather than volume of spend. A hybrid model, where a base retainer is combined with a performance element tied to revenue or ROAS improvement, tends to produce the best commercial alignment.

What to Watch Out For in Contracts

Ask about minimum contract lengths, notice periods and what happens to your account access if you leave. Some agencies lock brand accounts within their own Amazon Ads console, making it difficult to exit cleanly. A reputable agency should operate within your own account or provide you with admin access at all times. Minimum contract terms of three to six months are standard and reasonable, given that Amazon campaigns take time to build meaningful data. Contracts requiring twelve months or more upfront warrant close scrutiny. 

What Metrics Should an Amazon Agency Report On? 

A credible Amazon agency should report on more than ROAS. Measuring advertising performance in isolation, without reference to total sales, organic rank and profitability, gives an incomplete picture of account health. At a minimum, expect to see reporting across: total advertising cost of sales (TACoS), not just ACoS; new-to-brand customer metrics where available; organic rank movement for priority keywords; and the split between Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display performance. 

Why TACoS Matters More Than ACoS

ACoS measures the ratio of ad spend to ad-attributed sales. TACoS measures the ratio of ad spend to total sales, including organic. A brand investing in advertising to build organic rank should expect ACoS to look high in the short term, but TACoS will fall as organic velocity improves. An agency that only reports ACoS may be optimising for the wrong number. 

Reporting Frequency and Access Ask whether you will receive a weekly or monthly report, who presents it, and whether you have direct access to the Amazon Ads console to view data independently. Agencies that restrict your access to your own account data are a red flag. 

How Should an Amazon Agency Approach Listing Optimisation? 

Advertising performance on Amazon is directly linked to listing quality. An agency that manages ads without input on content, imagery and A+ content is working with one hand tied behind its back. Strong Amazon agencies treat listing optimisation as part of the service, not an optional extra. This includes keyword-rich title and bullet point copy, A+ content and Brand Store development, main image review and premium image set guidance, and ongoing conversion rate analysis using clickthrough rate and unit session percentage data from the Brand Analytics dashboard. 

The Creative Connection

Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display placements increasingly rely on strong creative assets, including custom imagery, headline copy and video. Ask the agency whether they produce creative in-house or work with external partners. Agencies that can brief, produce and test creative within a managed service reduce the friction of running high-performing upper-funnel campaigns. 

What Questions Should You Ask About Strategy and Roadmap? 

Before signing with any Amazon agency, ask them to describe what the first ninety days of activity would look like for your brand. A structured, specific answer demonstrates that the agency has a repeatable onboarding process and understands how to prioritise activity in the early stages. The first ninety days should typically include an account audit, catalogue review, competitor and keyword analysis, campaign restructure or build, and initial performance baseline. Vague answers about "getting to know your brand" without a defined deliverable timeline suggest a lack of process.

Short-Term vs Long-Term

Thinking Ask how the agency balances short-term ROAS targets with longer-term brand building. Amazon DSP, for example, is an important tool for retargeting past purchasers, conquesting competitor audiences and building awareness for new product launches, but it requires investment ahead of measurable return. An agency that cannot explain when and how DSP fits into a growth strategy may be focused only on lower-funnel performance. 

How Do You Evaluate an Agency's Track Record and References? 

Case studies are useful, but references from current or recent clients in a comparable category are more valuable. Ask the agency to connect you with one or two brand contacts who can speak to the working relationship, not just the results. When reviewing case studies, look for specificity. Results quoted as percentage improvements without a baseline are difficult to evaluate. A case study showing a brand grew from £40k to £120k in monthly Amazon revenue over twelve months, with the agency's role clearly defined, is more credible than a claim of "300% revenue growth."

Green Flags in the Evaluation Process

Agencies that ask you detailed questions about your margin, your trade spend, your wholesale channels and your growth ambitions before quoting are demonstrating the kind of commercial thinking that leads to effective strategy. Agencies that send a generic deck within hours of first contact are less likely to deliver bespoke work. 

FAQ: How to Choose an Amazon Agency 

How do I know if an Amazon agency is legitimate?

Check whether the agency holds Amazon Ads Advanced Partner status through the Amazon Partner Network directory. Look for verifiable case studies, named client references and transparent reporting practices. Agencies that restrict your access to your own account data or use vague performance language should be treated with caution.

What is the difference between an Amazon consultant and an Amazon agency?

A consultant typically works as an individual, offering advice or hands-on management without the team depth of an agency. An agency provides a wider team covering advertising, content, creative and strategy. For brands scaling on Amazon, an agency structure with dedicated account management, paid media specialists and creative resource generally offers more capacity and continuity.

How long does it take to see results from an Amazon agency? 

Meaningful campaign optimisation typically takes four to eight weeks as data accumulates and the agency refines targeting, bids and creative. Organic rank improvements driven by increased sales velocity can take three to six months to become significant. Be cautious of any agency promising substantial results in the first two to four weeks.

Should an Amazon agency also manage my TikTok Shop?

If your brand is active or planning to launch on TikTok Shop, working with an agency that holds both Amazon Ads Advanced Partner and TikTok Shop Partner status creates significant strategic and operational advantages. The two channels complement each other through shared audience data, content repurposing and coordinated launch strategies. Managing both through one agency reduces briefing overhead and ensures consistent commercial positioning.

What should I do if I am already locked into a contract with an underperforming agency?

Review the terms around notice periods and early termination. Most reputable agencies will allow an exit with thirty to sixty days' notice if performance targets have not been met. Request full access to all account data and campaign history before transitioning, and use that data to brief a new agency thoroughly.

How much does an Amazon agency typically cost?

UK Amazon agency fees vary widely depending on account complexity, ad spend levels and scope of work. Retainers typically range from £1,500 to £5,000 per month for mid-market brands, with larger or more complex accounts commanding higher fees. Percentage-of-spend models commonly sit between eight and fifteen per cent of managed media budget. Always evaluate cost relative to the revenue opportunity the agency is expected to unlock, not in isolation.

The Toucan Perspective 

Toucan is an Amazon Ads Advanced Partner and TikTok Shop Partner agency working with FMCG and consumer brands across beauty, health and wellness, food and drink and beyond. We operate with full transparency across account access, reporting and commercial strategy, and we bring both advertising expertise and content capability under one roof. We have built our approach around the questions outlined in this guide, because we know they are the right ones to ask. Every brand we work with receives a structured account audit, a clear ninety-day roadmap and reporting that goes beyond surface-level ROAS metrics to reflect what is actually driving growth. If you are currently evaluating Amazon agencies or considering a change, we would welcome the conversation.

Speak to Toucan to find out how we approach Amazon growth for brands at your stage.

At Toucan, we are an Amazon Ads Advanced Partner and TikTok Shop Partner agency working with FMCG and consumer brands. We have written a full guide covering exactly what to ask before you commit to any Amazon agency partnership. If you are in the process of evaluating agencies, or questioning whether your current setup is working, it is worth a read.  Or if you would rather talk it through directly, speak to us.