The Zombie ASIN Strategy

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🧟‍♂️ The "Zombie ASIN" Strategy

Most Amazon sellers panic when a product goes out of stock.

They treat it like a crisis. They pause the ads, hide the listing, or try to scrub it from the catalog to protect their "metrics."

That is a mistake.

A sold-out product isn't a dead end. It is a billboard.

Amazon doesn't just rank products based on inventory levels. It ranks them based on relevance and history. A legacy ASIN with 5,000 reviews and years of keyword indexing is a massive digital asset, even if it can’t take a credit card right now.

Occupy the Vacant Lot

Think of Amazon search results like a high-street shopping district.

If you own a shop (your active product) and the building next door becomes vacant (your OOS product), you don't want a competitor moving in. You want to keep the lease on the vacant building and paint a giant arrow on the window pointing to your open shop.

This is how "Zombie ASINs" work.

1. The Hook: The old, high-ranking ASIN continues to capture search traffic because of its historical authority.
2. The Redirect: Since the customer can't buy that specific item, they look for alternatives.
3. The Capture: Because it is your PDP, the "Newer Version Available" widget or the "From the Brand" carousel steers them immediately to your in-stock items.

You aren't losing the sale. You are just moving the checkout counter.

The "Defense" Play

If you delete or suppress that OOS listing, that search volume doesn't disappear. It just goes to a competitor. By keeping the "Zombie" alive, you force the shopper to stay in your ecosystem while they look for a solution.

The Distribution Reality

This strategy works perfectly for organic traffic, but it gets messy with external traffic.

If you have hundreds of creators or affiliates linking to your products, you need to ensure they aren't sending valuable clicks to dead ends that don't convert. You need a way to orchestrate that traffic so it lands exactly where the inventory is.

This is what Levanta solves. It allows you to partner with 50,000+ vetted creators and affiliates and manage them across Amazon as a single, measurable channel, ensuring that even if one door closes, the traffic is routed to one that is open.

You can book a Demo to see how that orchestration works. Levanta is currently sending a $75 Uber Eats or DoorDash gift card to qualified sellers who take the meeting.

You don’t need every ASIN to transact. You need every ASIN to control where the shopper goes next. The best catalogs aren't just optimized for checkout. They are optimized for inevitability.

Together with Shipfusion

When Fulfillment Decisions Undo a Perfect Checkout

Most brands optimize checkout, then assume fulfillment will take care of itself. That assumption is where loyalty quietly breaks.

Shipfusion audited five clear protein brands by placing identical orders within the same hour. Same purchase moment. Completely different post-checkout experiences. 

The product wasn’t the variable. Fulfillment decisions were.

This audit made the gaps obvious:

👉 Only 1 brand shared a specific delivery timeline, leaving most customers guessing
👉 Five identical orders arrived on wildly different schedules, driven by warehouse and carrier choices
👉 One shipment traveled 2,092 miles, 57% farther than average, adding days and cost that never needed to exist

Whether you’re confident in your customer experience or want a reality check, this report shows how your brand compares. Discover where your brand might be losing momentum and how to turn first-time buyers into lifelong fans. 

While rooted in clear protein, these insights apply across supplements, wellness, CPG, and every DTC category.

Download the DTC Delivery Files and audit your post-checkout reality today!

📱 Entertainment Feeds and AI Chats Are Becoming the New Front Door

Disney and Microsoft are quietly reshaping where attention and buying decisions happen. Disney is pulling social-style feeds into Disney+, while Microsoft is collapsing shopping into AI conversations. Different industries, same direction.

The Breakdown:

1. Disney+ is moving toward daily scroll behavior - Disney confirmed vertical video is coming to Disney+ later this year. The focus is short, algorithm-driven clips meant to encourage frequent check-ins, not just occasional binge sessions.

2. The format is flexible by design - Disney says everything is on the table, from original short-form content to re-edited scenes and curated moments. The priority is making vertical video feel native, not bolted on.

3. Microsoft removes the checkout step entirely - Copilot Checkout lets users search, compare, and buy without leaving AI chat. Payments run through PayPal, Shopify, and Stripe, while merchants stay in control.

4. Brand Agents bring AI sales reps to brand sites - Brand Agents answer product questions, guide decisions, and speak in a brand’s voice. Microsoft says agent-assisted sessions show higher engagement and conversion.

Discovery and conversion are shifting into feeds and AI conversations. With over 60% of Gen Z already using AI to discover products, brands that are not visible inside these daily touchpoints risk being skipped before the buying journey even begins.

That’s a wrap for today! Tell us your thoughts about today's content as we line up more Shorts! And don’t hesitate to share this with someone who’d adore it. 🥰