Agencies Are Scrambling to Meet Client Demands for Amazon-Specific Solutions

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From AdWeek:

Amazon is no sleeping giant.

As the Bezos behemoth continues along its unstoppable, disruptive path, brands are increasingly requesting Amazon-tailored services. Agencies have been ramping up their capabilities on the platform and even launching dedicated practices as a response.

Many marketers now view Amazon as a legitimate competitor to Facebook and Google, according to 22squared vp, director of media planning Brandy Everhart. “What they bring to the table is an expensive data set that you can’t get anywhere else,” she said. “We’ve seen a lot of successful campaigns that are focused on driving conversions on the Amazon platform.”

Even brands that don’t sell on Amazon are asking questions due to the power of its search reach and the benefits of its data sets. “Clients want me to increase their engagement in every possible way,” said Matt Bijarchi, founder and CEO of digital brand studio Blend. “We’ve learned ecommerce is also a brand-building opportunity.”

. . . .

Frank Kochenash explained that the agency developed Amazon-related services well before the partnership, offering “everything from strategy to content development to content optimization, paid search management, media management, all on or within the Amazon ecosystem.”

Explaining the Mindshare partnership, Kochenash added that conquering Amazon is a challenge for his clients, as “some are scared and some see the opportunity, but they need an Amazon answer.”

. . . .

Specifically, Kochenash said the Alexa algorithm has “a tremendous amount of control” in determining purchasing patterns, something “brands are rightfully concerned about how to address.” He noted brands face two paths to success on Amazon: either create a great product that results in continual reordering, or have a brand that’s already so strong that customers actively seek it out.

Nick Godfrey, COO of digital consultancy Rain, explained that Alexa was so technologically advanced compared to Siri’s first iteration that Amazon had a “head start” over competitors like Google and Apple. Alexa’s established user base also better justifies innovation budgets for clients and agencies.

. . . .

“If you’re a brand in 2017, you better have an Amazon strategy,” said Godfrey. “The dominance of Amazon goes hand in hand with the dominance of Alexa.”

Link to the rest at AdWeek

PG notes that Alexa was introduced just three years ago and some experts ridiculed the idea. PG has recently read that Hindi and Japanese versions of Alexa are under development.

7 thoughts on “Agencies Are Scrambling to Meet Client Demands for Amazon-Specific Solutions”

  1. Not by chance those same agencies that have been trying to cut Amazon out of their picture in the hopes it would go away? 😉

  2. PG, speaking of Alexa — my kid has two first generation Echoes at her house, plus the Echo Show. She told me she wanted a Dot for her writing room, so I got her one via a Black Friday deal, but she ended up taking it to her office instead. Looks like I’ll be buying another Dot for her, but I have a question: I think you mentioned having Dots around your home with all of them playing music. If I’m remembering right, is there some equipment needed beyond just the various Echoes? She’d like to have her music playing throughout her house, simultaneously but doesn’t know how to do that.

    • I haven’t tried this (yet) but under Settings in the Alexa app there is something called “Audio Groups”, where you can specify which devices should play music simultaneously.

    • Donna beat me to it, Patricia.

      That is a very good price on Dots, but I’m not sure where I might put another. There are already several places in the house where two Alexas already respond to questions and requests.

      • My daughter and I were talking about that last night. What’s odd is that sometimes two Echoes respond at once but differently. My bedroom Echo will sometimes start giving me a flash briefing or the weather when I’m two rooms away and not asking Alexa for anything.

  3. > Even brands that don’t sell on Amazon are asking questions due to the power of its search reach and the benefits of its data sets.

    Those datasets must be hot stuff, because Amazon’s search is so broken it often can’t find items by specific name, and occasionally even the product code.

    Unless you want to buy something among the first half-dozen returns – that is, what Amazon is pushing at the moment – you’re better off using Google to search Amazon’s site.

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