How Venture Forge helped ZENB become the second best-selling pasta brand on Amazon UK

ZENB aimed to engage a niche audience with their line of gluten-free yellow-pea pasta products — a healthy, sustainable alternative to traditional brands. However, breaking into the pasta category required more than an extraordinary product; they also needed to figure out how to turn a lean budget into a recipe for success.

With a limited budget and an unconventional product, ZENB wanted to penetrate the traditional pasta market in the UK while also attracting a niche base of gluten-free consumers, which meant that they needed to maximise their reach and impact in creative ways. That’s where Amazon Ads’ partner Venture Forge came in. The agency helped ZENB craft a budget-conscious strategy to generate more customers and sales — an achievement that earned them the 2023 Challenger Award.

Venture Forge rolled out a three-part strategy using custom messaging, imagery and video to help build brand awareness and ultimately increase sales for ZENB’s unique pasta offering. In Phase 1, which ran from June to August 2022, Venture Forge launched Sponsored Products automatic and exact-match campaigns to remarket high-volume generic browse terms in the pasta category. They also deployed Sponsored Brands by using Store spotlight and product collection ad types that highlighted the pasta’s high protein, fibre and iron content and emphasised its single-ingredient composition. This multi-faceted messaging approach aimed to help the brand resonate with health-conscious consumers.

In Phase 2, which ran from September to November 2022, the focus shifted to lower-funnel tactics. Building on the awareness generated in Phase 1, Venture Forge began to reengage in-market customers using exact-match Sponsored Products campaigns. The team focused on customers with high buying intent, choosing to look specifically at long-tail, product-specific keywords. At the same time, Venture Forge deployed Sponsored Brands video ads using exact-match, product-specific keywords. These videos, strategically placed in the middle of browse results, informed customers about the ZENB hero product.

Finally, Phase 3, which ran from December 2022 to April 2023, centred on increasing customer retention and profitability. To start with, Venture Forge optimised ZENB’s Store to improve navigation and establish a clear customer journey. They implemented eye-catching visuals and custom messaging that communicated ZENB’s product and brand story. This shopping experience was promoted through Sponsored Brands ads, driving customers to ZENB’s Store. Venture Forge also used Sponsored Display ads to reach two groups: customers who had viewed the product in the past 30 days but didn’t buy it and customers who had made a purchase in the last 30 days.

Venture Forge’s campaign for ZENB was a clear success, with sales exceeding their target by 355% and the cost per acquisition (CPA) remaining 20% below their target.¹ In fact, ZENB saw their hero product ascend to become the second best-selling brand in the pasta category for Amazon UK.

The campaign’s success highlights Venture Forge’s ability to create effective, budget-conscious strategies, earning them the 2023 Challenger Award.