What Are Amazon’s Intentions For Allowing Brands To Contact Consumers Directly?

Marketplaces
Written By Rick Watson

Amazon's walled garden is slowly cracking in certain spots with regards to brand control of the experience.

CNBC reported in April that Amazon is testing tools allowing brands to contact customers directly about new releases through Amazon's tools.

In terms of trends, the biggest question I have for this is:

  • Will Amazon keep control over the tools indefinitely or build an API to allow tools like Klaviyo, and others to plugin? In theory, there is no structural difference between allowing third-party tools to manage a brand's third-party Amazon DSP spend and allowing third-party tools to manage customer communications -- or would Amazon exposing customer communications be considered a bridge too far?

  • Will it pick the winners in its approved tools? In theory, if it allowed that even Shopify could build its own tool to manage Amazon customer communications - something Amazon would likely not favor.

I don't know how you can go down this path without allowing third-party software to participate because otherwise, you make the tools ineffective for brands' use. Then, why did you allow this to begin with? Only for the millions of single-owner home office businesses, and not brands and the agencies who manage them?

Rick Watson

Rick Watson founded RMW Commerce Consulting after spending 20+ years as a technology entrepreneur and operator exclusively in the eCommerce industry with companies like ChannelAdvisor, BarnesandNoble.com, Merchantry, and Pitney Bowes.

Watson’s work today is centered on supporting investors and management teams incubating and growing direct-to-consumer businesses. Most recently, in partnership with WHP Global, Rick was a critical resource in architecting the WHP+ platform, a new turnkey direct to consumer digital e-commerce platform that powers AnneKlein.com and JosephAbboud.com.

Watson also hosts a weekly podcast, Watson Weekly, where he shares an unbiased, unfiltered expert take on the retail sector’s biggest players.

In the past year alone, Rick has spoken at many in-person and virtual events as well as podcasts on topics ranging from retail/ecom to supply chain/logistics and even digital grocery including CommerceNext IRL, ASCM Connect, and Retail Innovation Conference.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/
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