How to run a perfect RFP process and find the agency of your dreams - Episode 328

In this episode of the Ecommerce Braintrust, Julie Spear, Head of Retail Marketplaces Services at Acadia, is joined by Julien Pereira, Account Manager at Acadia and a former Amazon vendor and program manager with extensive experience in direct fulfillment operations. In this episode, they discuss the nuances of direct fulfillment and its fit for brands selling as first-party vendors on Amazon. Make sure you tune in to find out more! In this episode, Julie and Julien discuss:  Understanding Direct Fulfillment (DF): Julien breaks down the concept of DF, contrasts it with traditional PO fulfillment methods on Amazon and explains the benefits of having more control over inventory and order management. Assessing DF for Your Brand: Criteria for identifying whether DF suits a brand's business model, including logistical capabilities, product categories, and customer-centric operational readiness. Hybrid Fulfillment Model: Discussion of the potential to run DF alongside traditional PO-based fulfillment to ensure inventory coverage and mitigate stockout risks. Setup Process for DF: Insight into setting up DF in Amazon Vendor Central, including warehouse setup, EDI and API implementations, and configuring lead times and capacity. Evaluating DF Performance: Key performance indicators (KPIs) crucial for assessing the health and effectiveness of a DF operation, such as cancellation rate, expected ship date adherence, and delivery estimate accuracy. Operational Challenges and Efficacy: An exploration of potential drawbacks and efficacy in adopting direct fulfillment, including Amazon's perspective on product categories and its impacts on DF recommendations. Daily and Weekly DF Management: Julien outlines the daily and weekly responsibilities of managing DF, emphasizing the importance of updating inventory, processing orders, and reviewing performance metrics. Amazon's Approach: How Amazon assesses and makes suggestions on product suitability for DF based on a variety of factors including category, average selling price, and speed sensitivity.

In this episode of the Ecommerce Brain Trust, Julie Spear, Head of Retail Marketplaces Services at Acadia, and Damiano Ciarrocchi, the Senior Retail Media Manager at Acadia and Head of the Retail Media Network Innovation team. They discuss the ins and outs of Ulta's retail media platform and what brands need to know to succeed in this unique beauty-focused marketplace. Make sure you tune in to find out more! In this episode, Julie and Damiano discuss:  An overview of Ulta as a retail media marketplace dedicated to beauty products with both in-store and e-commerce presences. The relative youth of Ulta’s platform compared to other marketplaces like Amazon and Walmart. Challenges faced by brands, such as limited tools provided by Ulta for keyword research and competitive landscape analysis. How brands can circumvent these limitations using third-party tools like Pacvue and Analytic Index. Media Buying Strategies on Ulta Options for buying media on Ulta, including self-service and managed services. The partnership between Ulta and Criteo, including the campaign types available to advertisers. Performance and Competition on Ulta The current landscape shows low competition and promising results for brands advertising on Ulta. How brands are achieving top-of-search positioning relatively easily compared to more saturated platforms. Investment and Attribution in Ulta Advertising Discussing meaningful media investment and attribution assessment on the Ulta channel How to handle the complexities of advertising for a brand that has both an e-commerce and in-store presence Ideal Candidates for Advertising on Ulta Characteristics of brands that may benefit the most from advertising on Ulta. Advising brands that should hold off on expanding to Ulta and the recommended trial period for testing the platform's effectiveness. Damiano shares valuable insights on leveraging Ulta as a retail media network and the intricacies involved, offering a comprehensive look at what role this unique channel could play in a brand’s broader e-commerce strategy.

In this episode of the Ecommerce Brain Trust, Julie Spear, Head of Retail Marketplaces Services at Acadia, and Ross Walker, Retail Team Lead, discuss the latest developments in Amazon's marketing cloud (AMC), focusing on advanced integrations of new data sources, paid features, audience insights, and the Events Manager.  They highlight the importance of robust attribution and customer journey data, as well as better audience creation and targeting for brands leveraging AMC. In this episode, Julie and Ross discuss:  Overview of AMC and its recent developments. Detailed discussion on paid features like Experian auto paid data set and Foursquare paid data set. Analysis of flexible shopping insights and audience segment insights. Explanation of the Events Manager and its significance. Insights into AMC-derived data that has significantly impacted clients. Comparing the value propositions of media activation and measurement in AMC. Speculation on Amazon's ambitions in the advertising industry and the role of AMC in achieving them.

In this episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust, Kiri Masters sits down with Angela Caltagirone, the Chief Digital Marketing Officer of PB5 Star, a brand in the pickleball category. They discuss the official launch of PB5 Star at the Etail West conference in Palm Springs, the demographics of pickleball players, the brand's positioning and go-to-market strategy, and the unique challenges and opportunities in the e-commerce space for a new brand. In today’s episode, Kiri and Angela discuss: PB5 Star's official launch at Etail West and the success of the pickleball tournament at the conference. The demographics of pickleball players and the inclusive nature of the sport. The positioning of PB5 Star as a brand that combines style, camaraderie, and wellness for the pickleball community. Differences between pickleball and tennis apparel, focusing on attention to detail, comfort, and style. The founding team's extensive retail experience and their go-to-market strategy for PB5 Star. The decision to start with a direct-to-consumer approach and plans for future expansion into retail channels and marketplaces. The brand's emphasis on authentic storytelling, partnerships, and collaborations in its marketing strategy. The use of technology, AI, and a focus on responsible growth to establish the brand's presence in the market.

In this episode, Julie Spear, Head of Retail Marketplaces Services at Acadia, and Jordan Ripley, Director of Operations at Acadia, are joined by AJ Patel, VP of Global Growth at U Beauty. They delve into the world of e-commerce, discussing topics such as the transition from analytics to e-commerce, the positioning of Ubeauty in the market, channel-specific marketing strategies, the role of organic marketing efforts, key performance metrics for Amazon, and the importance of profitability in an e-commerce business. In this episode, Julie, Jordan and AJ discuss:  Transition from Analytics to E-commerce: AJ Patel shares insights on transitioning from an analytics role to a more generalist role in e-commerce and the opportunities it presented for leveraging his skillset. Positioning of Ubeauty: The discussion highlights the innovative Siren capsule technology used by Ubeauty, allowing targeted skincare delivery and the brand's focus on sustainability. Channel-specific Marketing Strategies: AJ elaborates on how Ubeauty tailors its approach for different channels, including in-store presentations, the esthetician program, educational content on product detail pages, and leveraging influencers. Role of Organic Marketing Efforts: The importance of organic marketing efforts and the challenge of measuring their impact, with a focus on the investment in content and branding. Key Performance Metrics for Amazon: AJ discusses the metrics used to measure the performance and health of Ubeauty's Amazon account, emphasizing customer acquisition cost (CAC) over average order value (AOV) and customer lifetime value. Importance of Profitability: The conversation underscores the significance of driving profit in addition to growth for e-commerce businesses and having a thorough understanding of channel-specific metrics and their roles in the overall strategy.

In this episode, Julie Spear, Head of Retail Marketplaces Services at Acadia, and guest Armin Alispahic, Retail Team Lead at Acadia. Julie and Armin dive into the tidal shifts occurring within Amazon operations and fulfillment and how these changes are impacting the 3P model. They explore the complexities of Amazon's fee changes in 2024, the challenges brands currently face, and the strategies they can adopt to effectively navigate this landscape. Armin is a Retail Team Lead at Acadia. He's been at the company for almost 7 years. Internally he’s known as Armin.com for his encyclopedic knowledge of Amazon. Over the years, he has gained great experience in working directly with Amazon representatives to support brands in scaling up on Amazon and achieving their goals.  In this episode, Julie and Armin discuss:  Amazon's implementation of new fees and the complexities surrounding these changes. The introduction of specific new fees, such as the low level inventory fee and the returns processing fee, and their implications for brands. The discussion on the importance of a proactive and strategic response to Amazon’s evolving fee structure. The potential opportunities and challenges faced when enrolling in programs like Sip (Ships in Product Packaging) and FBA New Selection. How Sip can offer brands cost savings and branding opportunities, with caveats regarding package safety and giftability. Why all brand-registered sellers should consider FBA New Selection for launching new products with fee waivers. Insights into Amazon's AWD program, its potential cost savings, the concerns regarding the control over inventory, and the impact on sales velocity. The necessity of an omnichannel strategy and diversifying sales channels in light of Amazon’s shifting ecosystem. The expanding opportunities for brands in retail media networks and on other retailer platforms like Walmart and Target.

In today’s episode, hosts Kiri Masters and Julie Spear are joined by Lisa Levin, and Andreliz Bautista McGlade from the personal care brand Pharmacopia. They delve into the history of the brand, its unique journey from natural grocery stores to exclusive hotel amenities, and its recent foray into ecommerce. Key Highlights: - Lisa Levin shares the origins of Pharmacopia, how she transitioned from graphic design to herbal medicine, and the brand's early commitment to creating clean, toxin-free products. - Andreliz Bautista McGlade discusses the transition of Pharmacopia from gift products to natural groceries and later into beauty, including a brief stint on QVC. - The guests elaborate on the partnership with Hunter Amenities, the pivot to an exclusive hotel brand, and the subsequent relaunch of their aromatherapy retail line through Amazon and their own branded site. - They discuss the challenges of expanding into various channels, managing brand identity in marketplaces, and optimizing their ecommerce strategy with the help of partners like Acadia. - The episode also covers the performance of different sales channels, the challenges of leveraging their hotel presence for direct sales, and the unique opportunities and strategies for brand growth in the ecommerce space.  

In this episode, host Kiri Masters interviews Ash McMullen, the e-commerce lead at Advantice Health, the company that manufactures the brands Amlactin, Kerasal, and more.  Ash recently presented a case study about Advantice’s portfolio brand “Triple Paste” at eTail West in Palm Springs, sharing how a strategic re-launch of this brand on Amazon ultimately led the product to become a top-3 seller in its category and 5X-ing total sales on Amazon within 2 years.  In this conversation you’ll learn: How a ‘full-funnel’ approach was key to success  - looking beyond ROAS (even planning for deteriorating ROAS in the journey) was key. Ash discusses the need to shift focus from traditional metrics like ROAS to broader, more relevant metrics aligned with the overall strategy. This shift allows for a more comprehensive evaluation of campaign success. The number one component for the re-launch? “Content, content, content” and how Ash positions investment in content to executives.   How a product variation strategy enhances the shopper experience.  How to have a great relationship with your finance team. Ash values collaboration between different teams, particularly with the finance team, to align marketing tactics with content strategies. Leading Indicators like new-to-brand percentage, traffic source analysis, and overall sales trends to ensure you’re tracking toward a bigger goal like market share.  What Ash is excited about in ecommerce, and what she’s changed her mind about. 

In this episode of the e-commerce brain trust podcast, Kiri Masters, head of Retail Media Strategy at Acadia, interviews Nicole Hatley, Global Content Strategy Manager for Skechers, at the Etail West conference in Palm Springs. Nicole discusses her role in managing Skechers' content across all e-commerce platforms and countries and the unique challenges that come with it. Nicole also shares her experiences as a professor of e-commerce marketing at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. The discussion covers the rapid evolution of e-commerce and how she prepares her students for a continually changing market. Nicole also shares her excitement for the future of e-commerce, specifically personalization efforts.   00:00 Introduction to Nicole 00:24 Nicole's role overseeing Global Content Strategy for Skechers 01:54 Nicole's role as a a professor of e-commerce marketing and equipping the next generation for this dynamic industry 05:56 The Impact of Personalization in E-commerce 06:41 The most impactful personalization tactic that Nicole is using right now

In today’s episode, Kiri Masters is joined by Julie Spear, the Head of Retail Services at Acadia. Kiri Masters and Julie Spear explore the downsides of Amazon resellers, and dissect the reseller model's challenges, discussing control and costs, and why it may not suit your brand. Key Highlights: - Reseller Model Insights: We define resellers and differentiate between authorized and unauthorized ones, delineating the blurred lines between resellers and agencies. - Reseller Versus Other Models: Referencing a conversation with Acadia's CEO, Jared Belsky, we contrast resellers with other marketplace strategies. - Attractiveness of Resellers: Why many brands find resellers appealing despite potential downsides – discussing the lure of expertise, operational ease, and perceived cash flow benefits. - Brand Vision Conflicts: How a partnership with a reseller might limit a brand’s strategic possibilities, shackle product launches, and blur key data insights. - Turnover and Terms: Analyzing the effect of resellers' turnover terms on brands, spotlighting the risks of mismatched expectations. - Case Study: The repercussions of a reseller mismanaging Snow Peak's pricing and the broader implications for brand image. - Transitional Challenges: The difficulties brands face in moving away from resellers toward direct sales models, such as reasserting brand registry rights and the daunting task of reinstating operational capacity. - Payment Terms and Paperwork: Unveiling the reality behind the upfront payment attraction and the potential for unfavorable payment terms. - Direct Sales Comparison: Discussing the financial dynamics between selling through resellers, directly to Amazon, or on the marketplace. - Brand Control Limitations: Examining the reduced control over brand portrayal, the infrequent updating of product detail pages, and suboptimal SEO practices under reseller partnerships. - Cost Considerations: Julie Spear breaks down the multiple costs associated with resellers, including media investment, supply chain expenses, and significant fees. -  Partnership Models: Kiri stresses that no singular model is flawless and discusses how revenue-based partnerships could stifle business growth. -  Assortment Selection: Lastly, we touch on the issue of resellers cherry-picking inventory, leaving brands to strategize on marketing and selling the remaining products.