Prime Day planning does not start with discounts.
By Gabriel Caceros · June 21, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
Prime Day planning does not start with discounts.
It starts with inventory math.
Every year, brands build their Prime Day ad plan backwards.
They pick the deal.
They pick the budget.
They pick the campaign structure.
Then someone asks if there is enough inventory.
Too late.
A home brand came to us before a major sales event with a clean plan:
→ 20% coupon
→ 38% ad spend increase
→ Sponsored Brands Video on top terms
→ Retargeting push for 14 days
The plan looked good.
The inventory did not.
They had 23 days of cover at current velocity.
The promo forecast put them at 11 days of cover by day four.
Best case, they sold out.
Worst case, they sold out, lost rank, and spent the next six weeks buying back placement.
We changed the plan:
→ No deal on the hero SKU
→ Deal only on the second-best variant
→ Sponsored Products budget capped by inventory cover
→ Retargeting focused on bundles with deeper stock
→ Brand defense protected, conquest reduced
Sales were lower than the original forecast.
Profit was higher.
Rank stayed stable.
No stockout.
That is the part nobody screenshots.
The best event plan is not the one that creates the biggest spike.
It is the one that creates a spike the business can survive.
Before you increase spend, answer this:
If the campaign works, can your inventory handle success?
If not, you are not planning a promotion.
You are planning a stockout.