Ecommerce Braintrust

In this episode, Julie Spear, Head of Retail Marketplaces Services at Acadia, and Jordan Ripley, Director of Operations at Acadia, are joined by AJ Patel, VP of Global Growth at U Beauty.

They delve into the world of e-commerce, discussing topics such as the transition from analytics to e-commerce, the positioning of Ubeauty in the market, channel-specific marketing strategies, the role of organic marketing efforts, key performance metrics for Amazon, and the importance of profitability in an e-commerce business.

In this episode, Julie, Jordan and AJ discuss:

• Transition from Analytics to E-commerce: AJ Patel shares insights on transitioning from an analytics role to a more generalist role in e-commerce and the opportunities it presented for leveraging his skillset.

• Positioning of Ubeauty: The discussion highlights the innovative Siren capsule technology used by Ubeauty, allowing targeted skincare delivery and the brand's focus on sustainability.

• Channel-specific Marketing Strategies: AJ elaborates on how Ubeauty tailors its approach for different channels, including in-store presentations, the esthetician program, educational content on product detail pages, and leveraging influencers.

• Role of Organic Marketing Efforts: The importance of organic marketing efforts and the challenge of measuring their impact, with a focus on the investment in content and branding.

• Key Performance Metrics for Amazon: AJ discusses the metrics used to measure the performance and health of Ubeauty's Amazon account, emphasizing customer acquisition cost (CAC) over average order value (AOV) and customer lifetime value.

• Importance of Profitability: The conversation underscores the significance of driving profit in addition to growth for e-commerce businesses and having a thorough understanding of channel-specific metrics and their roles in the overall strategy.

In this episode, Julie Spear, Head of Retail Marketplaces Services at Acadia, and guest Armin Alispahic, Retail Team Lead at Acadia. Julie and Armin dive into the tidal shifts occurring within Amazon operations and fulfillment and how these changes are impacting the 3P model. They explore the complexities of Amazon's fee changes in 2024, the challenges brands currently face, and the strategies they can adopt to effectively navigate this landscape.

Armin is a Retail Team Lead at Acadia. He's been at the company for almost 7 years. Internally he's known as Armin.com for his encyclopedic knowledge of Amazon. Over the years, he has gained great experience in working directly with Amazon representatives to support brands in scaling up on Amazon and achieving their goals.

In this episode, Julie and Armin discuss:

• Amazon's implementation of new fees and the complexities surrounding these changes.

• The introduction of specific new fees, such as the low level inventory fee and the returns processing fee, and their implications for brands.

• The discussion on the importance of a proactive and strategic response to Amazon's evolving fee structure.

• The potential opportunities and challenges faced when enrolling in programs like Sip (Ships in Product Packaging) and FBA New Selection.

• How Sip can offer brands cost savings and branding opportunities, with caveats regarding package safety and giftability.

• Why all brand-registered sellers should consider FBA New Selection for launching new products with fee waivers.

• Insights into Amazon's AWD program, its potential cost savings, the concerns regarding the control over inventory, and the impact on sales velocity.

• The necessity of an omnichannel strategy and diversifying sales channels in light of Amazon's shifting ecosystem.

• The expanding opportunities for brands in retail media networks and on other retailer platforms like Walmart and Target.

In today's episode, hosts Kiri Masters and Julie Spear are joined by Lisa Levin, and Andreliz Bautista McGlade from the personal care brand Pharmacopia. They delve into the history of the brand, its unique journey from natural grocery stores to exclusive hotel amenities, and its recent foray into ecommerce.

Key Highlights:

- Lisa Levin shares the origins of Pharmacopia, how she transitioned from graphic design to herbal medicine, and the brand's early commitment to creating clean, toxin-free products.

- Andreliz Bautista McGlade discusses the transition of Pharmacopia from gift products to natural groceries and later into beauty, including a brief stint on QVC.

- The guests elaborate on the partnership with Hunter Amenities, the pivot to an exclusive hotel brand, and the subsequent relaunch of their aromatherapy retail line through Amazon and their own branded site.

- They discuss the challenges of expanding into various channels, managing brand identity in marketplaces, and optimizing their ecommerce strategy with the help of partners like Acadia.

- The episode also covers the performance of different sales channels, the challenges of leveraging their hotel presence for direct sales, and the unique opportunities and strategies for brand growth in the ecommerce space.

In this episode, host Kiri Masters interviews Ash McMullen, the e-commerce lead at Advantice Health, the company that manufactures the brands Amlactin, Kerasal, and more.

Ash recently presented a case study about Advantice's portfolio brand "Triple Paste" at eTail West in Palm Springs, sharing how a strategic re-launch of this brand on Amazon ultimately led the product to become a top-3 seller in its category and 5X-ing total sales on Amazon within 2 years.

In this conversation you'll learn:

1. How a 'full-funnel' approach was key to success - looking beyond ROAS (even planning for deteriorating ROAS in the journey) was key. Ash discusses the need to shift focus from traditional metrics like ROAS to broader, more relevant metrics aligned with the overall strategy. This shift allows for a more comprehensive evaluation of campaign success.

2. The number one component for the re-launch? "Content, content, content" and how Ash positions investment in content to executives.

3. How a product variation strategy enhances the shopper experience.

4. How to have a great relationship with your finance team. Ash values collaboration between different teams, particularly with the finance team, to align marketing tactics with content strategies.

5. Leading Indicators like new-to-brand percentage, traffic source analysis, and overall sales trends to ensure you're tracking toward a bigger goal like market share.

6. What Ash is excited about in ecommerce, and what she's changed her mind about.

In this episode of the e-commerce brain trust podcast, Kiri Masters, head of Retail Media Strategy at Acadia, interviews Nicole Hatley, Global Content Strategy Manager for Skechers, at the Etail West conference in Palm Springs. Nicole discusses her role in managing Skechers' content across all e-commerce platforms and countries and the unique challenges that come with it. Nicole also shares her experiences as a professor of e-commerce marketing at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. The discussion covers the rapid evolution of e-commerce and how she prepares her students for a continually changing market. Nicole also shares her excitement for the future of e-commerce, specifically personalization efforts.

00:00 Introduction to Nicole

00:24 Nicole's role overseeing Global Content Strategy for Skechers

01:54 Nicole's role as a a professor of e-commerce marketing and equipping the next generation for this dynamic industry

05:56 The Impact of Personalization in E-commerce

06:41 The most impactful personalization tactic that Nicole is using right now

In today's episode, Kiri Masters is joined by Julie Spear, the Head of Retail Services at Acadia.

Kiri Masters and Julie Spear explore the downsides of Amazon resellers, and dissect the reseller model's challenges, discussing control and costs, and why it may not suit your brand.

Key Highlights:

- Reseller Model Insights: We define resellers and differentiate between authorized and unauthorized ones, delineating the blurred lines between resellers and agencies.

- Reseller Versus Other Models: Referencing a conversation with Acadia's CEO, Jared Belsky, we contrast resellers with other marketplace strategies.

- Attractiveness of Resellers: Why many brands find resellers appealing despite potential downsides – discussing the lure of expertise, operational ease, and perceived cash flow benefits.

- Brand Vision Conflicts: How a partnership with a reseller might limit a brand's strategic possibilities, shackle product launches, and blur key data insights.

- Turnover and Terms: Analyzing the effect of resellers' turnover terms on brands, spotlighting the risks of mismatched expectations.

- Case Study: The repercussions of a reseller mismanaging Snow Peak's pricing and the broader implications for brand image.

- Transitional Challenges: The difficulties brands face in moving away from resellers toward direct sales models, such as reasserting brand registry rights and the daunting task of reinstating operational capacity.

- Payment Terms and Paperwork: Unveiling the reality behind the upfront payment attraction and the potential for unfavorable payment terms.

- Direct Sales Comparison: Discussing the financial dynamics between selling through resellers, directly to Amazon, or on the marketplace.

- Brand Control Limitations: Examining the reduced control over brand portrayal, the infrequent updating of product detail pages, and suboptimal SEO practices under reseller partnerships.

- Cost Considerations: Julie Spear breaks down the multiple costs associated with resellers, including media investment, supply chain expenses, and significant fees.

- Partnership Models: Kiri stresses that no singular model is flawless and discusses how revenue-based partnerships could stifle business growth.

- Assortment Selection: Lastly, we touch on the issue of resellers cherry-picking inventory, leaving brands to strategize on marketing and selling the remaining products.

In this podcast episode, the hosts Kiri Masters and Julie Spear examine the pros and cons of working with a reseller to sell a brand's products on Amazon (compared with the managing processes internally or working with an agency).

Resellers offer expertise navigating Amazon's complexities and provide operational support to quickly enter or expand markets. However, the risk for brands includes losing control over branding, customer experience, and data ownership due to misaligned priorities or operational risks.

Julie Spear is the Head of Retail Marketplaces & Media at Acadia. www.acadia.io

In today’s episode, Kiri Masters is joined by Julie Spear, the Head of Retail Services at Acadia.

Kiri Masters and Julie Spear dive deep into the world of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) from the vantage point of agency partnerships.

For brands, the RFP process is infrequent, but it is a decision that may have a profound impact on their business. But for agencies like Acadia, its a process we are navigating nearly every week.

Kiri and Julie share their agency-side experiences from the last 9 years, in the hopes that it can help brands to choose the best agency for them, foster better relationships, and ramp up projects quickly.

Key Highlights:

• Pitfalls in RFP processes: unrealistic timelines, unclear objectives, being too prescriptive, playing favorites, inconsistent stakeholder involvement.

• How you run the RFP signals to your prospective partner what they can expect from the relationship. What message is your process sending about you, your team, and your company?

• Approaching the process not just seeking a service provider, but a true partner. This entails understanding the agency's culture, values, and team dynamics beyond mere capability presentations.

• The one thing that less than 5% of brands do during their RFP process, but could save significant time, expense, and indecision. 

A great RFP approach can foster more meaningful, productive, and innovative agency partnerships.

Kiri Masters and Julie Spear dive deep into the world of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) from the vantage point of agency partnerships.

For brands, the RFP process is infrequent, but it is a decision that may have a profound impact on their business. But for agencies like Acadia, its a process we are navigating nearly every week.

Kiri and Julie share their agency-side experiences from the last 9 years, in the hopes that it can help brands to choose the best agency for them, foster better relationships, and ramp up projects quickly.

Key Highlights:

1. Pitfalls in RFP processes: unrealistic timelines, unclear objectives, being too prescriptive, playing favorites, inconsistent stakeholder involvement.

2. How you run the RFP signals to your prospective partner what they can expect from the relationship. What message is your process sending about you, your team, and your company?

3. Approaching the process not just seeking a service provider, but a true partner. This entails understanding the agency's culture, values, and team dynamics beyond mere capability presentations.

4. The one thing that less than 5% of brands do during their RFP process, but could save significant time, expense, and indecision.

A great RFP approach can foster more meaningful, productive, and innovative agency partnerships.

"When you're too prescriptive in your approach, you hold back what can be discovered." - Julie Spear

Click here to learn more about Acadia.

In today's episode, Kiri Masters is joined by Julie Spear, the Head of Retail Services at Acadia, and Ross Walker, Senior Paid Media Manager.

Today, they are diving deep into the world of retail media networks. They're tackling the big questions about brand expansion into new retail media networks, the challenges involved, and the strategies for success. Stay tuned as they unpack the complexities of navigating this dynamic landscape and provide actionable insights that can transform the way you allocate your advertising budget and optimize your presence across different platforms.

In this episode Kiri, Julie and Ross discuss:

- Challenges brands face when expanding into new retail media networks.

- Navigating budget allocation and overcoming organizational silos.

- Addressing concerns such as incrementality, cannibalization, and bandwidth constraints.

- Julie Spear's queries about markers for readiness and performance metrics.

- Ross Walker's insights on the importance of a clear business trend view post-ad investment.

- The strategic approach for managing retail media to ensure advertising efficiency.

- Analyzing brand investment impact across various sales channels.

- Understanding channel offerings and customer buying habits as they affect product performance.

- Testing strategies across multiple retail networks to discern customer engagement and response.

- Approaches for measuring the success of a channel in terms of incremental sales and CPA.

- Importance and challenges of obtaining third-party data and search volume trends.

- Potential of specific platforms like Kroger and the pitfalls of managed service options.

- Exploring the effectiveness of retail media channels by looking beyond their own reporting.

- Setting clear goals and a timeframe when testing retail media network campaigns.

- Measuring incrementality and the reality of limited customer data access.

- The impact of privacy policies on the ability to prove incremental new customer acquisition.

- The overarching goal of meeting and improving the customer experience on various platforms.