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?