In this Outsourced to Optimized reunion, learn what happened after taking Amazon PPC in-house, how AI changed workflows, and which costly mistakes led to smarter testing and better results.
What happens months after you take your Amazon advertising in-house? In this Outsourced to Optimized reunion, Carrie Miller welcomes back PPC expert Destaney Wishon and brand owner Jason Ross for an honest look at his progress since O2O Season 2. After learning to manage his campaigns with Helium 10 Ads, Jason gained the confidence to launch products more strategically, question recommendations, and connect advertising with his broader business goals. But his journey also included an expensive reminder that testing without proper controls can quickly hurt profitability.
One of Jason’s biggest breakthroughs came from Sponsored Brands. Selling dog and cat toys priced around $7.99 to $13.99, he initially assumed the format was better suited to bigger brands with higher-priced products. Since the series, Sponsored Brands has grown from roughly 5% to 26% of his advertising spend. Jason explains how focused audience targeting and showcasing newer products alongside established favorites helped him rethink the opportunity. Destaney breaks down why creative, bids, and campaign structure matter when evaluating whether an ad format can work for your brand.
AI has also changed how Jason manages the business. Using Claude with Helium 10’s MCP integration, he investigates campaign performance, receives daily alerts, and asks follow-up questions before acting on recommendations. A weekly profitability dashboard has replaced a reporting process that previously took about three hours every Friday. On the creative side, Jason combines real product photography with ChatGPT to develop image options, then gathers feedback through Helium 10 Audience. He shares one example where sales doubled the week after an image update, illustrating why faster, more affordable testing has become central to his approach.
The conversation also explores Amazon’s evolving advertising tools, audience personalization, and Sponsored Review Requests, which Destaney describes as being in alpha at the time of recording. Throughout the discussion, she emphasizes that easier access and automation still require clear business priorities and strategic judgment. Jason’s experience shows the value of understanding your advertising, whether you manage it yourself or work with an agency. Start with a clear objective, put controls around your experiments, and use what you learn to make your next decision stronger.
Ready to put AI to work in your business? Check out Helium 10’s free AI Bootcamp for Ecommerce sellers with expert-led lessons and downloadable skills to help you get started: http://h10.me/aibootcamp
In episode 564 of the AM/PM Podcast, Carrie, Destaney, and Jason discuss:
- 00:00 - Introduction
- 01:17 - An Outsourced to Optimized Series Reunion
- 03:24 - Applying the Lessons to Product Launches
- 05:47 - Growing With Sponsored Brands
- 11:30 - Audience Targeting and Costly Testing Mistakes
- 14:44 - Testing AMC Audiences With More Control
- 18:57 - Creating and Testing Product Images With AI
- 23:04 - Amazon Updates and Sponsored Review Requests
- 29:27 - Claude, Helium 10 MCP, and Profitability Reporting
- 31:45 - Should You Bring Amazon PPC In-House?
- 32:57 - Choosing AI Tools That Help Your Business
- 35:39 - Ranking, Low-Review Launches, and AI Bootcamp
