Pinafore Case Study: How a Team of Two Generated $700k+ in 15 Months

June 2022 Update: Two years from launching Bags by Pinafore, Mandy and Alan Taylor achieved their goal of scaling then exiting Amazon. With Simpliworks PPC management helping them from the start, the couple sold their business for hundreds of thousands of dollars. They’re currently enjoying a well-deserved vacation, and we are proud to share that we helped them achieve success. Read on to learn how we did it:

Finding Success on Amazon as a Small Business

‍

As a small business owner, you may feel as though you're stuck between a rock and a hard place. You need to become an online marketplace seller, but you don't have the resources to hire an agency or the knowledge to build Amazon PPC campaigns on your own.

‍

The Taylors were in that exact situation when they started Pinafore.

‍

Mandy and Alan Taylor started Bags by Pinafore out of a love for high-quality handbags. Seeking to expand their business, they turned to Amazon as an additional revenue stream. They needed help executing the basic business processes of an e-commerce business without hiring an agency or learning all of the tools and processes themselves.

‍

Simpliworks helped Mandy and Alan see success almost immediately—they coupled their existing product design expertise with our mastery of Amazon advertising and sales optimization, which resulted in selling thousands of handbags, generating… $744,469.80 in just 15 months. With Simpliworks’ help, they launched 26 products and were able to bring in $350,647.00 in their first Q4 alone.

‍

“Simpliworks just has the knowledge and expertise on building an Amazon FBA business. They really helped us start from scratch and launch on Amazon while navigating the common pitfalls that Amazon presents, especially with advertising which is key to our success." -Mandy Taylor, Founder of Pinafore

‍

The Story of Bags by Pinafore

‍

Mandy and Alan Taylor had built a line of handbags that was massively popular with their boutique fashion customers. They envisioned a line of bags that were equal parts practical, durable, and stylish—and they saw an opportunity to build a business around their vision.

The Taylors were looking to take their brand to the next level. They had a great product with a loyal base of customers, but they wanted to turn that success into a sellable asset. They had heard about the opportunity in Amazon, but they weren't sure how to get started with an online marketing strategy, or how to navigate the world of e-commerce growth.

The power couple knew they didn't have time to learn the tools and processes required to execute an e-commerce business, and they didn't think they had the money for an Amazon ad agency. Instead, they were looking for a way to find success without all of the additional overhead.

The two were determined to be successful in eCommerce, so when they decided to start selling on Amazon, they needed someone who could help them launch products quickly and maintain their brand—and that's where Simpliworks came in.

‍

The Opportunity

‍

The Taylors were looking for a way to turn their brand into a sellable asset. They had a great product that catered to their local market successfully, and they wanted to transition that success to the eCommerce world. But the couple didn't have much experience with online marketing or ecommerce growth when they first launched the company. They needed help executing the basic business processes of an Amazon business without hiring an agency or learning the ins and outs themselves.

“From our launch we always wanted to grow and scale our business and then sell. It was a true partnership with Simpliworks to figure out how we accomplish our goals. They were right there with us to navigate our issues throughout the whole launch process.” -Alan Taylor, Founder of Pinafore

‍

The Launch

‍

We were excited to get on board with Mandy and Alan when they came to us with their idea for a line of neoprene bags. It was immediately clear that they were passionate about what they created and had big plans for their Amazon brand, so we got to work creating an optimized Amazon product listing for their bags and managing the PPC advertising that would help them sell successfully.

‍

The first product Simpliworks launched was a line of neoprene bags that would go on to become one of the company's bestsellers. The initial success of this line pushed Mandy to develop another line within months: the vegan leather crossbody bag line, which took off quickly and acquired 50 reviews with a 4.6 star rating within 30 days— becoming their new Best Seller.

‍

With Simpliworks' Amazon advertising services, the Pinafore line found success quickly through:

●        Automated keyword research and bidding that finds the best opportunity keywords to represent their products. This allows them to target more potential customers without increasing expenses.

●        Simpliworks 1-click campaign generator to create agency-level campaigns without the time and money traditionally required. This means they can launch numerous campaigns quickly, with less effort and zero need for third party assistance.

●        Expert end-to-end management with weekly reports, which includes on-demand analysis and recommendations from experts who are familiar with Amazon best practices and how they apply specifically to their business model.

‍

The Results

‍

In the 15 months Pinafore has progressed on Amazon, Simpliworks leveraged:

●        580 unique campaigns

●        All available ad types

●        $136,728 in total ad spend

To Generate:

●        $744,469.80 in total revenue

●        52,584,676 total impressions

●        916 reviews

●        A revenue-generating machine that required no additional hires or expertise.

With Simpliworks as their partner, they were able to offload the heavy lifting of Amazon advertising to us while they focused on managing and creating great products that customers loved. This made it possible for them to grow their business without sacrificing quality or customer satisfaction, all while saving time and money.

“The time I save with Simpliworks allows me to focus on optimizing other areas of my business.” -Mandy Taylor, Founder of Pinafore

Nowadays, instead of having to worry about managing their Amazon product listings and spending most of their time on PPC ad campaigns, they can focus on what they love: building incredible handbags that people love.

An Amazon Seller's Secret Weapon: Simpliworks

The Simpliworks team developed a hybrid Amazon advertising platform to automate the manual processes that other agencies use, in order to: save our clients time, money and effort. We offer the opportunity to outsource Amazon account management work to Simpliworks while having unfettered access when you need it. This hands off approach allows our team to push your Amazon business forward without worrying about managing Amazon ad campaigns yourself.

This case study demonstrates two things: the power of Amazon advertising, and how Simpliworks can help optimize your success. You too can get the same results (or better!). The first step is to try Simpliworks. Learn more about Simpliworks' advertising solutions for Amazon sellers.