Ecommerce Braintrust

• Prime Day learnings - any level of Prime Day activity, no matter the promotion, led to a higher uptick in sales than not doing any promotions at all.
• Simplicity was in favor. Coupons were the top-used promotion among Acadia clients, Clients using coupons saw a 322% increase in daily sales compared to the daily average in the two-week lead-up to Prime Day. Clients offering anything between 5% and 75% off.
• Prime-exclusive discounts (PEDs) were the second most popular promotion.
• The flashier deals, like lightning deals and spotlight deals, are smart bets – for the brands that can afford them. These placements cost more and can be trickier to navigate
• Have backups for deals that don’t run.Advertising
  • Top-of-funnel ads that build awareness and consideration need to run early
  • Switch to performance ads during the event to capture demand
  • Understand that ad performance will suffer leading up to the event. Some brands say they don’t want to participate in running ads or discounts - beware!

In this podcast episode, Kiri speaks with Dean Mcelwee, Director of Global eCommerce Collaboration at The Stanley Black & Decker, and the author of "E-commerce for CEOs.".

In this episode, the discussion centered on the importance of educating and influencing executives about e-commerce. Key tips included understanding executives' perspectives, tailoring communication styles, and emphasizing the benefits for the business. They talked about content's role in influencing buying decisions and the challenge of convincing executives unfamiliar with online shopping. 

Strategies for positioning e-commerce opportunities and the potential gains from advocating for e-commerce within a company were explored. 

In today’s episode, Kiri and Dean discussed:

• The importance of educating and influencing executives in a company about e-commerce.

• Tips for effectively educating and advocating for e-commerce within an organization, including understanding executives' perspectives, tailoring communication styles, and stressing the benefits for the business and brands.

• The significance of demonstrating the role of content in influencing purchasing decisions, especially for showrooming customers.

• The challenge of convincing executives who may not have much personal experience with online shopping.

• Strategies for positioning e-commerce opportunities within a company, including commercial opportunities, marketing opportunities, and customer engagement.

• Common mistakes made when trying to secure buy-in for e-commerce initiatives, such as not understanding the broader business context and being emotionally unaware.

• The potential gains from taking risks in advocating for e-commerce internally, including refining the message, gaining credibility, and building awareness.

• Dean McElwee’s book, "E-commerce for CEOs," which includes leaders not well-versed in e-commerce and those already in e-commerce looking to influence others.

In this podcast episode, Kiri speaks with Josh Clarkson, Director of Digital at Russell Stover Chocolate, a part of Lindt. They spoke about e-commerce strategies, marketplace dynamics, career growth, and the significance of adapting to industry changes.

Josh manages aspects such as DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) marketplace, digital content, digital advertising, social media, and retail media. His background includes working in Europe for companies like Lynch UK, Kraft Heinz Ferrero, and Red Bull. His personal interests are flying transatlantic, spending time with his dog Toby, and following the Kansas City Chiefs football team.

Make sure you tune in to find out more!

In this podcast episode, Kiri speaks with Olivera Bojovic, Manager of Marketplace Strategy & Insights at Acadia. In this episode, they discuss Amazon Vendor Services (AVS) and its value for brands in the e-commerce space.

Kiri and Olivera address the questions and challenges brands face regarding the cost and benefits of AVS. They highlight the complexity of the decision-making process for brands, especially when considering whether to invest in AVS or work with an agency.

Olivera is a Manager of Marketplace Strategy & Insights at Acadia, where on a daily basis she is speaking to brands, learning about challenges and obstacles they’re facing on Amazon and helping them to navigate the crazy Amazon ecosystem. Before joining the Sales Team at Bobsled, Olivera worked as part of the Client Delivery Team, directly supporting clients on Amazon Seller and Vendor Central.

Make sure you tune in to find out more!

In this podcast episode, Kiri speaks with Jared Belsky, co-founder and CEO of Acadia. In this episode, they discuss Jared’s new book “You Get The Agency You Deserve: 20 Practical and Emotional Lessons to Maximize Your Agency and Partner Relationship” which was published just this week.

Discover the art of fostering successful agency-client relationships, dive into insights from Jared's new book, as they discuss the power of being a great client, effective communication strategies, and the keys to thriving partnerships. 

Gain practical advice to enhance your role in the marketing realm. The book is now available on Amazon – don't miss this opportunity to transform your agency collaborations.

In this episode, Kiri gives a recap of a live learning event with Stratably, a research and insights firm run by Russ Dieringer. This was part of their series of monthly learning labs that are free to attend and meant for an advanced ecom audience. The topic of the episode is product content and why it is important - though not always easy - to invest in it.  Since this topic is visual, to get to get the most out of it, check out the Swipe File we developed at Acadia - just go to Acadia.io and you'll find it in the Resources tab. 

Chad Crowe, Partner and Head of Operations at Acadia, attended the ANA’s 2023 Digital & Social Marketing Conference last week. In this episode, he shares his takeaways from the event and the big challenges and opportunities on the minds of marketers this year.

Chad’s overall impression was that there was a ton of content and discussion - and vendors! - there to talk about influencer marketing.

Make sure you tune in to find out more!

You can also read our recap of the ANA event on the Acadia blog. 

Prime Day might have only just wrapped up, but it's already time for marketers to get ready for the next big Amazon sales event: a fall prime event. Amazon has not confirmed a date for this event yet, or even that it is happening. But as an agency, we’re seeing enough clues to suggest that 2023 will follow 2022 in terms of having a summer Prime event as well as a fall Prime event. 

To get our heads in the game,  Kiri speaks with several retail media managers at Acadia: Eva Tomic, Emily Ostrander, Robert Benlloch, Juan Munoz, Damiano Ciarrocchi, and Ross Walker  to gather some collective wisdom about last year’s Prime Early Access Sale, how it is likely to play out this year, and what advertising strategies they’ll be pursuing with their clients.    

The guests emphasize the importance of planning, strategy, and utilizing the right advertising approaches to make the most of major sales events and leverage them to boost brand performance in the e-commerce space, and what to expect from this year’s fall Prime event , which we speculate will be in October.

Make sure you tune in to find out more!

You can also read our recap of the July Prime Day event on the Acadia blog. 

In today’s episode you’ll hear:

• The guests discuss the importance of preparing for another Prime Day-like event, possibly called "Prime Early Access Sale," before Black Friday and Cyber Monday, likely in October.

• Experts emphasize that brands need to start preparing for this event as early as August to capitalize on it effectively.

• The team shares recaps and insights from the recent summertime Prime Day event, highlighting the significance of the lead-in period and budget allocation for the event's success.

• The fall event is predicted to be stronger than last year, mainly due to increased demand for deals amidst economic conditions and inflation.

• Brands are advised to carefully strategize and optimize their participation in both Prime Day and Black Friday/Cyber Monday events to leverage unique advantages and create synergies for better performance.

• The utilization of DS P (Display Advertising) and PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaigns are crucial in driving sales during these sales events, with a focus on optimizing different stages of the funnel for better results.

• Brands should be aware of their seasonality and consider their customers' preferences in deciding to participate in such events.

• Prime Day events also provide an opportunity for brands to test pricing tactics, product bundles, and advertising approaches to gather valuable insights and feedback for future strategies.

• Full Prime Day events and early access sales can be used to promote products, gather data, and fine-tune strategies for better performance during peak sales seasons like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

1. The macroeconomic factors the bolstered Prime Day sales results 2023
2. Why 80% of Acadia’s retail marketplaces clients chose to run deals and discounts, compared with 69% and 64% in 2022 and 2021 respectively
3. What happens when you don’t run deals, but your competitors do
4. How Amazon advertising delivered better-than-expected returns and what brands did to make the most of this
5. That the Sponsored Brand ad type vastly under-performed in terms of CPCs, and what the Acadia retail media team chose to spend ad budget on instead
6. What glitches occurred this year that affected results (good news here!)

In this podcast episode, Kiri speaks with  Ben Galvin, former Senior Director, Omnichannel Retail Sales & Category Leadership at Constellation Brands. 

Kiri and Ben’s conversation revolves around the changing world of retail, the importance of digital skills and omnichannel strategies for everyone involved in retail, and the structure of ecommerce business within brands. 

Ben also shares his journey from traditional sales to mastering digital skills in his role and the crucial role of digital in modern-day retail, and how today’s leaders and doers can influence and educate their own organizations from within.

Make sure you tune in to find out more!

Prior to Constellation Brands, Ben held National Accounts roles at Anheuser Busch InBev and Founders Brewing Company.