Episode Details

Brands and consumers alike are addicted to Amazon. In this interview Kiri Masters, Author of "Amazon for CMOs", joins us to talk about her new book launch, how brands are battling addiction to the big-A, how consumers are being lured in with everything from advertising to QVC-style programming, and how everyone from Lady Gaga to Mitsubishi are competing for your attention on the world's biggest store.

Main Takeaways:

• Today, Brian and Phillip are joined by Kiri Masters, the founder of Bobsled Marketing, author of the upcoming book Amazon for CMOs, and co-host of the Ecommerce Braintrust Podcast. 

• With its plethora of sales channels, many brands don't know how to find the perfect Amazon solution to sell their products on the platform.

• What are some best practices for being successful in selling your products on Amazon?

• Amazon has grown exponentially in recent years, but what do the next few years hold for the eCommerce giant?

First Meetings Up Until Today: The Kiri Masters Story:

• Phillip and Brian first met back in February of 2018 when they were on the Ecommerce Braintrust Podcast talking about voice commerce. (Now that's on brand.)

• Bobsled Marketing is an agency that helps brands with their Amazon channel across branding, marketing, and operation support.

• Kiri started Bobsled Marketing about five years ago after a completed unrelated career in banking. 

• It's a passion of Kiri to not just keep their passion and learnings at Bobsled to themselves, but to share them with the world. 

The Amazon Buffet: Many Different Choices for Many Different Companies:

• Phillip asks Kiri to give some examples of the advice they give and the expertise they impart to their clients when it comes to Amazon. 

• As an agency, Bobsled mainly deals with mid-market companies that have already done well in their own sales channels but need some clarification around Amazon-specific sales channels.

• If you're not educating yourself on the different business models within Amazon, then you are already behind the curve. 

• There are so many different paths and options you can choose with Amazon so it can be challenging to align your brand with the correct channel if you are not educated in its structure. 

A Missed Opportunity: Why Don't More Brands Sell on Amazon?

• Kiri is still surprised at the number of household brands that do not have a presence on Amazon: but why are they not present on the platform?

• A lot of the information that you find written about selling on Amazon is geared towards the "wantrepreneur" crowd and not towards established brands.

• Amazon brings in about 50% of the eCommerce market, so not considering Amazon as a place to sell your product is missing a crucial portion of your retail strategy.

• Amazon serves as the point of discovery for a large portion of online shoppers.

Starting With Amazon: What is Different About Brands that Start on Amazon?:

• Amazon is creating an addictive product not only for consumers but for brands as well. 

• There is an organic problem on Amazon when brands cannot control the shift to retention marketing