Dead Product? Here’s How to Shock It Back to Life.

Let’s get one thing straight—just because your product isn’t selling doesn’t mean it's a dud.
In fact, most “dead” products aren’t dead… they’re just neglected.

It’s not the product.
It’s the positioning.
It’s the listing.
It’s the visibility.

It’s like trying to sell a Ferrari with no wheels—nobody’s buying, but the problem ain’t the engine.

📖 Real Life: How Ashley Resurrected a “Total Flop”

A few months back, I got a DM from a seller named Ashley.
She launched a collapsible silicone lunchbox for meal prep.

It had:
• Clean branding
• Decent price point
• Good reviews

But sales were flat.

She told me: “Andy, I think I picked the wrong product. I'm ready to liquidate.”
And I said: “Hold up, hold up… let’s operate before we cremate.”

We pulled up her listing, ads, and keywords.
Here’s what we found:

• She was targeting “lunchbox” and “bento box” only

• Her images were generic

• Her bullet points looked like a factory spec sheet

• No angles for who it helped or why it mattered

This product wasn’t dead.
It was just wearing a boring disguise.

We gave it CPR. 🧠💰

🔢 The Revival Playbook (Step-by-Step)

Here’s the exact playbook I used with Ashley—and you can use it too:

1. Reposition the Hero

Forget what you think it is. Ask:
👉 Who really needs this product... and why?

Ashley shifted from generic "meal prep" to:
✅ Moms prepping school lunches
✅ Office workers avoiding takeout
✅ Fitness folks eating clean on the go

Now her listing wasn’t a lunchbox—it was a lifestyle hack.

2. Fix the Visuals

We ditched the boring white-background stock shots.
Instead:
📸 New images showed meal prep in real-life settings
📸 Lifestyle shots with a busy mom, a gym bag, a kid’s backpack
📸 A comparison chart against flimsy alternatives

She didn’t just show the product—she showed it solving problems.

3. Revamp the Listing Copy

No more “Made of BPA-free silicone.”
We wrote:

We rewrote the bullets to speak like a human—not a factory catalog.

4. Relaunch with New Keywords

Instead of “bento box,” we targeted keyword families like:
• “Lunchbox for kids school”
• “Healthy lunch containers for adults”
• “Portable meal prep container”

These long-tail terms had less competition and more intent.

5. Turn on PPC—with Purpose

New campaigns were structured by keyword theme, with low bids.
Each one tested a different audience angle.
Ashley stopped “spraying and praying” with ads and started sniping.

🎯 Big Takeaway: Most Products Die from Neglect, Not Failure

What Ashley thought was a dead end was actually a detour.
In 30 days, her sales went from 2 a day to 18 a day.
Same product. Different story.

Don’t quit on your listing just because it’s quiet.
Products don’t fail—marketing does.

💬 “If it’s not selling, sell it better.”

🙋‍♂️ Your Turn

Got a product that’s DOA?
Run it through the Revival Playbook.
And if you’re feeling brave—post your “dead product” in a group and ask for feedback.
One tweak could change your whole game.

💡 Ashley was ready to give up.
Now she’s prepping a second color set and planning Q1 bundles.

Moral of the story?
Dead things make great comebacks when they meet the right marketer.

🐮 Here’s to turning flops into fat stacks—

Andy Splichal
Founder & Managing Partner of True Online Presence & Author of the Make Each Click Count Book Series

P.S. Overwhelmed by Amazon ads? I get it. Most sellers are throwing darts in the dark. If you want a pro in your corner running your PPC while you focus on growing your brand, let's hop on a call. 👉 Schedule your call here — we’ll see if it’s a fit 👊

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