With the rise of profitability in the online marketplace, it is shocking that many large CPG brands are still ignoring Amazon. Many brands are reluctant to get involved because of how their brand or products might be perceived by the consumer. The data shows us that consumers are in fact engaging with Amazon marketplaces, and it is time for brands come to terms with online retail. For many brands, that may mean a decrease in immediate control in order to reap the long-term benefits. 

 

Here to shed some light on how brands can be better engaging with the marketplace is Ken Casser, a thought leader from Slice Intelligence. Ken and Kiri both contributed recently to a webinar hosted by Retail Wire about engaging with the Marketplace and Slice is on the cutting edge of analytics on the subject. Since its foundation in 2010, Slice Intelligence has been collecting data measurements from five million consumers who engage with their technology. Apps like the Slice App and Unroll.Me offer a mutual trade of information in order to aggregate data about consumer habits. As a result of this huge sample, Slice has learned a thing or two about what consumers actually want. 

 

How should brands be leveraging the analytics on the Amazon marketplace? Consumer data points strongly to the fact that brands need to be engaged while armed with industry-specific data. Brands must own their presence on Amazon, which includes aggregating some competitive context. With wildly varying markets and new data becoming available every day, it is time to stop grieving loss of control and engage with the marketplace. Listen to this week’s episode as Ken shares his extensive marketplace knowledge. 

 

More Info in this Episode

•    We discuss why brands are reluctant to engage with the Amazon marketplace. 

•    Amazon’s goal is ultimately the customer, and yet brands still need to be engaging. 

•    How Slice Intelligence has been able to utilize data from over five million users. 

•    The marketplace varies wildly across categories, which makes a context for data analytics even more important for brands. 

•    Learn about the future of brand relationships from the “Nike Situation.” 

•    Discover how brands are harnessing the marketplace to their advantage. 

•    Hear your two big opportunities for your brand to expand its marketplace reach. 

•    Ken shares what he believes is the future of the marketplace.

 

Links Mentioned

• “Ignore Marketplaces at Your Peril:” 
• Follow @SliceIntel on Twitter
• [email protected] Email Slice Intelligence with any questions. 

 

Do you want to increase your traffic and sales with Amazon PPC ads? If you are a new seller, this can be an effective strategy to help you gain some traction that you may not be getting yet with reviews and repeat traffic. Running PPC ads can be a huge advantage for sellers using sponsored product ads. Any seller on Amazon should be using PPC ads, whether you are a new seller or an established seller. Each one of these has their own specific considerations, so before you jump head first into your PPC campaign, there are some critical factors that you need to know.

 

How much should you spend? How will you know if your PPC campaign is optimized and working properly? We talk about all of these issues and more today with the Amazon experts at Bobsled Marketing.  PPC provides a very measurable form of getting sales on Amazon, so there’s no reason not to educate yourself and get ready to increase your sales. As always, if you need more professional help and expertise with your PPC campaign, Bobsled Marketing is always here to take it to the next level.

Key takeaways:

• Be 100% aware of all costs associated with your Amazon presence and all costs associated with it.
• You must know your profit margins are to know if marketing can be profitable.
• The 25/25 Rule - 25% of your overall sales should come from PPC while your campaigns operate at 25% A cost - this would be your advertising budget.
• Estimating ad spend for existing sellers is different than establishing spend for new sellers.
• For new sellers on Amazon, PPC is one of the only ways to get sales starting out
• There is one product category that may be an exception to the 25/25 rule. Is it your category?
• The optimal ratio of advertising to sales is 8-12%. 
• The A cost based estimation method allows you to spend as much of your budget as you want on advertising as long as you have an acceptable A cost.
• What frequency should you use to determine your A cost - daily, weekly, bi-weekly?
• Learn how seasonality and special days like Prime Day can impact your PPC campaigns. Spend more. Bid more. Make more.
• Your ROI will really determine your PPC spend, so it’s important to know your numbers.
• It can take up to 6 weeks before you know whether your campaign is performing at the level you want.

Mentioned in this Episode:

 

Bobsled Marketing

The Bobsled Marketing Blog

Amazon Seller Central

Amazon Vendor Express

 

The Future of Brands is fast approaching! Are you keeping up with the changing trends? Are you a distributor looking to generate trust with your consumers? Are you worried you are not prepared for the future? In this episode, we offer our opinions on how distributors can convert some of their brands in a Direct-To-Consumer Model. 

 

This more direct model has been gaining in popularity with consumers in recent years. Brands are having a wake-up moment, wherein they realize that a certain trust must be built with their consumers in order to be profitable. What does this new trend look like for the distributor, manufacturer, and retailer? You should be thinking about how to make your brand competitive in the future, and utilize some of Amazon’s newest offerings to do it. It’s a brave new world for brands, and you can be prepared for it! 

 

More to learn from this episode:  

 

• We define what a distributor is, and how their model is changing today. 
• Direct-To-Consumer Brands that you will recognize from your favorite podcast! 
• There is a trust created between these direct business and the consumer. 
• Generating a consistent experience for your customer with Bobsled.
• Beta program, Transparency, will help brands understand the channels of processing for their products. 
• Amazon is creating their own brands, so you can see this strategy in action. 
• Generating brand exclusivity. 
• White-Label products have increased competition for certain products. 

 

Resources Mentioned:

 

Bobsled Marketing

The Bobsled Marketing Blog

Amazon Seller Central

Amazon Vendor Express

 

 

Are you thinking about becoming vendor on Amazon? Have you thought through the pros and cons of listing your products, while Amazon sets the prices? You want to maximize your profits and sell your catalog, but for so many businesses, navigating through the different selling platforms on Amazon can feel like a no-win situation. We propose that using a Vendor-Seller Hybrid Model can give you the best of both worlds. Amazon is changing the game and offering more reasons than ever to stay in Seller Central. However, some of the perks of going vendor cannot be overlooked. 

    

In this episode, you’ll be able to learn the Amazon Ecommerce Lingo. We will analyze the merits and drawbacks of becoming a Vendor versus a Seller, including our best tips for your business. Finally, you will then be able to decide if a hybrid model is right for you. You want what’s best for your business, so let us help you get there! Sometimes, either/or just doesn’t apply!

 

More to learn from this episode: 

 

• The background of the Vendor and the Seller program. 
• The pros and cons of each type of platform. 
• What actually is a hybrid model? 
• Pricing can be difficult when moving to the Vendor relationship. 
• How advertising opportunities can be changing the game for selling on Amazon. 
• Our tips for brands who are considering switching to the Vendor program.
• Who the Hybrid Model really will help. 
• Creating a complimentary catalog. 
• Keep an eye on your goals.

 

 

Resources Mentioned:

 

Bobsled Marketing

The Bobsled Marketing Blog

Amazon Seller Central

Amazon Vendor Express

 

On this episode of E-commerce Brain Trust, hosts Kiri Masters, CEO of Bobsled Marketing, and Julie Spear, Operations Manager at Bobsled Marketing, discuss running promotions on Amazon. If you’re a seller or vendor on Amazon, tune in to this episode for some great tips on how to maximize the value of promotions!