Bidding on your main brand name is a false sense of security. It’s like locking your front door, but leaving every window on the first floor wide open.
You feel secure, but you're losing customers from everywhere else. Competitors are bidding on your misspellings. (The side windows)
They're bidding on "your brand + product" terms (the back door) and even running ads on your own product pages (letting a salesman from another company stand in your living room).
A real brand defense is a "zero-leak" operation. It’s based on the belief that you should close every opening. This stops competitors from taking customers who are already seeking you.
Here’s how to secure the whole house:
Don't just bid on your main name, own the misspellings and "brand + product" terms. Use Sponsored Brands (Video) to own the top slot, use Sponsored Products to fill the rest. This strategy pushes competitors off the page.
Use Sponsored Display (Product Targeting) and place your own ads on your own listings. Show them the accessories. Show them bundles, block competitors from setting up a booth in your shop.
A customer who viewed your page and left is still your customer to lose. Use Sponsored Display to follow them. Bring them back to your page, not a competitor's.
True brand defense IS a profit protection. The cost of these ads is usually lower than losing a customer you have already invested in to a competitor.
