Product Variations Revisited with Zlatana Pejovic - Episode 367

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Head of Retail Marketplaces Services Julie Spear and Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley. Today, we’re excited to revisit the important topic of catalog organization with seasoned expert and Operations Manager, Zlatana Pejovoc. A couple of years back, we released an episode focused on managing large apparel catalogs, which is definitely worth a listen if you’re dealing with catalog challenges.  In this episode, however, we’re taking a fresh, holistic look at variations and catalog organization to explore recent developments, current best practices, and the future of assortment strategy. Make sure you tune in to find out more!   KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Julie, Jordan, and Zlatana discuss: Evolution of Catalog Variations Increased rigidity and standards in Amazon's process. Introduction of AVs (Automated Variations) in Vendor Central. Shift towards a more self-serve model in recent years. Positive impact on customer experience. Increased complexity but also better flexibility for sellers. Challenges in Catalog Organization: Balancing self-serve options and stricter standards. Better user experience versus operational complexity for brands. Case Studies and Examples: Practical examples from apparel brands and other categories. Best Practices for Variation Strategy: Importance of Grouping Similar Products Up to 30% revenue increase from well-executed variation strategies. Boosting visibility and conversion rates for new products. Common Mistakes and Pitfalls: Incorrect grouping leading to suspended listings. Variating different product types inappropriately. Future of Catalog Management Predictions and Wishes: User-friendly flat files and better support services. Potential AI-driven suggestions for simplifying the variation process.  

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Head of Retail Marketplaces Services Julie Spear and Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley. Today we’re joined by two amazing guests: Meghan Corron, Co-founder & CEO at Clerdata, and Andrew Lipsman, a notable industry analyst who heads up Media, Ads, and Commerce.  We’ll be diving into some of the key takeaways from a report Andrew recently presented at RMN Ascendant called “The Future of Retail Media is the Future of ALL Media”, as well as getting Meghan’s take on a lot of the cutting-edge incrementality data and research that’s informing Andrew’s presentation on the state of the industry. Make sure you tune in to find out more!   KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Julie, Jordan, Meghan, and Andrew discuss: The inefficiencies in current digital marketing due to poor measurement systems. The over-credited nature of Google and Meta due to their advanced measurement and frequent consumer interactions. Shift Towards Mobile Search and Social Media: Significant movement of ad dollars toward platforms like Google and Meta. Waves of Digital Advertising: Google, Facebook, and now retail media. Each wave leverages closed-loop measurement to attract budgets. Retail media is noted as a cost-effective yet underinvested channel. Despite higher costs than Google or Meta, RM captures consumer decisions at the point of purchase. Varied success among Retail Media Networks (RMNs) driven by targeting quality and contextual environments. Meghan Corroon compares marketing investments to stock portfolios, highlighting the over and under-investments across different platforms. The issue of siloed ROI reports often exceeds a company's actual revenue. The need for more reliable measurement techniques beyond ROAS to understand the true incrementality of ads. Connected TV (CTV) Opportunities: The emerging promise of CTV in influencing consumer behavior despite higher costs and low ROAS. CPG companies' willingness to experiment with credible measurement evidence. Pressure to grow sales, maintain stock prices, and avoid layoffs driving the need for trusted data. The Concept of clean rooms and their potential to unify data and attribution forms. Slow development and underutilization, with a call for clear application guidelines to improve their effectiveness. The progression from Retail Media 1.0 to 3.0, focuses on various aspects such as on-site search, offsite display, and experiential media. Amazon's pioneering role in retail media integration and its impact. Importance of loyalty programs like Amazon Prime for targeting and measurement.

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Head of Retail Marketplaces Services Julie Spear and Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley. Today we’re joined by long-time Amazon insider Joanna Otto. Joanna has spent over a decade across brand side roles, Amazon-focused agencies, and internally at Amazon. More importantly - she is the type of person we’ll invent any excuse to get on a call with so she can inject positivity into our days.  But today we have a good excuse for our chat: Joanna has graciously agreed to give us a full download on the relatively new capabilities of Brand Tailored Promotions, what they are, where they came from, why they may or may not work for a given growth strategy and brand, and what they might tell us about the future of all things merchandising on Amazon.  Make sure you tune in to find out more!   KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Julie, Jordan, and Joanna discuss: Introduction to Joanna Otto: Experience in brand-side roles, Amazon-focused agencies, and Amazon itself; currently an account manager at Acadia. Overview of Brand Tailored Promotions (BTPs) Timeline of development and key updates (August 2023 launch, June 2023 update to exclude ASINs, October 2023 new features). Differences between Brand Tailored Promotions and Brand Tailored Coupons Placement: Promotions visible on product pages vs. coupons in search and browse. Discount thresholds and fees associated with each. Implementation Strategies: Importance of a phased approach and audience segmentation. Utilizing BTPs during significant events (e.g., Prime Day) to extend promotion benefits. Use Cases for Different Brand Types: Strategies for new/upstart brands vs. established brands. Examples of audience segments (e.g., cart abandoners, high spenders). Pros of BTPs: Non-crawlable, refreshed data, specific targeting, no additional fees. Cons of BTPs: Lack of immediate impact, no ASIN-level reporting yet. Future Outlook: Anticipated developments in ASIN-level reporting. The potential evolution of Amazon’s promotional strategies to provide more precise targeting and enhanced customer experience.  

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley. We're coming to you live from unBoxed in Austin, Texas, with a very special guest: Jeff Cohen, Amazon's Ads Tech Evangelist who will be sharing insights into the latest developments in the Amazon ads ecosystem. This episode will bring you insightful updates on brand-building strategies, innovative AI tools, and powerful measurement metrics designed to elevate your e-commerce game. Make sure you tune in to find out more!   KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Jordan and Jeff discuss: Jeff shares his journey to becoming an Amazon ad tech evangelist. His passion for educating the community on Amazon ads and scaling brands. The importance of retail readiness before scaling advertising efforts. Advertisement as the kerosene that makes the brand's fire grow bigger. AI-Powered Creative Solutions Enhancing creative capabilities through Amazon’s new tools. Integration with Canva for streamlined creative development. The concept and benefits of managed campaigns for new product launches. Aligning inventory with advertising strategies to overcome the cold start problem. Utilizing Amazon DSP’s new user experience for planning and execution. The role of Performance Plus in simplifying the campaign setup. Importance of triangulating signals to achieve desired outcomes. Advanced Targeting Methods: Amazon’s strength with signal-rich targeting across various properties. Impact of upper funnel investments on down-funnel activity. Key targeting techniques for driving new-to-brand sales and subscriber growth. Enhanced Measurement Tools: Long-term sales metrics for 12-month impact analysis. Conversion path reporting to track multi-touchpoints. Amazon’s Multi-Touch Attribution Model using scientific methodologies. The Democratization of Branding Tools: Making advanced advertising tools accessible to SMBs. Simplifying complex processes to allow broader brand participation.

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley. In this special edition, we dive into the results of this year's Prime Big Deal Days with some top-tier experts from the industry. Joining us are Logan Nielsen, an Account Manager at Acadia and our resident Prime Day hype man, and Zach Christensen from Analytic Index, Acadia's trusted category and search analytics data partner.  Just 36 hours after the event, they share their initial impressions, key trends, and data-driven insights, helping you understand what worked, what didn't, and what it all means for the future of e-commerce. Make sure you tune in to find out more!   KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Jordan, Logan, and Zach discuss: The different names for Prime Day and the event's brand identity. Personal takes on prime big deal days: personal experiences and purchasing stories. Analysis of consumer engagement and awareness compared to the summer Prime Day event. The general sentiment and energy surrounding Prime Big Deal Days. Emotional involvement and purchase decisions. Preliminary key trends and data insights The importance of leveraging external traffic and influencers. Analysis of the increased competitive landscape and its impact on ad spending and ROI. Notable Glitches and Technical Challenges: Issues encountered with Amazon's ad consuls and badging for sponsored brands. Logan's strategies for mitigating these challenges in future events. Logan highlights the success of premium brands with compelling discounts. The important role of prime exclusive discounts despite the new deal fee. Zach's insights into the surge of novelty items and Amazon's private label strategies. Predictions and strategies for the future: Leveraging brand-tailored promotions and new audience types. Importance of analyzing competitive promotions and preparing for upcoming Q4 events. Zach discusses the potential long-term impact on search visibility and shopping patterns. Summary of initial findings and anticipated future analysis.

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Head of Retail Marketplaces Services Julie Spear and Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley. Today we’re joined by Martin Heubel, founder of Consulterce and leading expert on Annual Vendor Negotiations or AVNs.  Martin spent nearly 5 years internally at Amazon in various category and vendor management roles before founding Consulterce to help brands better understand and navigate their vendor relationships and negotiation process with Amazon.  For today’s episode, we’ll be diving into next year’s AVN cycle - how it might be different than years prior and how brands should ultimately be preparing for this process now to ensure they’re in the best position for success next year.  Make sure you tune in to find out more!   KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Julie, Jordan, and Martin discuss: Duration and Challenges of Annual Vendor Negotiations: Typically take 3.5 months to complete. 72% of brands encounter difficulties. Key issues include direct and hidden costs like charges and trade marketing investments. Strategy for Reducing Trading Terms: Only 9% of brands have managed to reduce trading terms. Success often linked to diversified sales channels and less dependency on Amazon. Influences on Profitability: Trade investments have increased by 69 basis points year-over-year. Focus on understanding costs such as shortages and chargebacks affecting net sales. Amazon's Operational Focus: Emphasis on automation, offshoring, and efficiency, including a 15% reduction in corporate headcount. Decreased inventory holdings, impacting vendor negotiations. Shipping Speed and Customer Spending: Faster shipping correlates with higher annual customer spending. Critical for vendor discussions as Amazon targets fulfillment reliability. Market Focus and Strategy Differences: Variation in Amazon’s focus by market maturity and region. Differences between mature markets (US, UK, EU) versus expansion markets (Japan, Australia). Vendor Negotiation Strategies: Importance of preparing proactively, setting negotiation anchors, and involving cross-functional teams. Emphasis on data-driven discussions, leadership alignment, and clear negotiation objectives. Amazon's Balance Between Profitability and Growth: Shift from a growth-focused pandemic approach to current profitability optimization. The impact of rising competition from platforms like Shein and TikTok Shop. Preparing for Future Negotiations: Clarity and objectivity as critical elements for successful negotiation outcomes. Preparing for the 2025 negotiation cycle with clear expectations, mutual growth goals, and thorough data analysis. Anticipation for Continued Collaboration: Future discussions planned to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies and insights shared.

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley. Today, we are joined by two of Acadia’s resident experts: Julian Galindo, Senior Account Manager, who oversees brand strategy for some of our most prominent client partners, and Laurie Tovo, a key member of our media team with a passion for integrating branding into comprehensive media strategies on Amazon. We’ll be exploring a topic that, while not new, has become increasingly important over the years: To what extent should Amazon be viewed as a branding channel versus a performance-driven sales channel? An exciting discussion - tune in to find out more!   KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Jordan, Julian, and Lauren discuss: Why Amazon is transitioning from being purely a sales channel to a significant branding channel. Historical perspective on Amazon's evolution and the increasing importance of branding. Challenges and insights on balancing lower funnel metrics like ROAS and conversion rates with upper funnel brand-building activities. The importance of understanding the full story beyond performance metrics. Strategies for ensuring brand cohesion across multiple platforms, particularly Amazon. The importance of repurposing assets and developing Amazon-specific creative content. The evolving role of visual content in media campaigns on Amazon. How existing content can be repurposed effectively for Amazon. Leveraging new metrics and brand analytics for improved customer segment targeting. Using this data to inform product launches and brand strategies. Early experiences and potential of Amazon's new AI-driven creative tools. Predictions on the future role of AI in creating branded content on Amazon. Specific tactics like brand-tailored promos to engage different customer segments. Insights into interactive and personalized content options like premium A+ content. Exciting new developments in Amazon's branding tools and metrics. Predictions and expectations for the future of branding on Amazon.  

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Head of Retail Marketplaces Services Julie Spear. We’re joined by two of our favorite podcast guests - Chris Perry and Oskar Kaszubski of firstmovr.  In this episode, we’re sharing some key takeaways from the report they released earlier this year that represents a guide to something they’re calling “Omnicategory Captaincy.”  Sounds interesting? Tune in to find out more.   KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Julie, Chris, and Oskar discuss: Introduction to Omni-Category Captaincy: Chris and Oskar introduce their innovative report on omni-category captaincy, transforming traditional category management by integrating multiple channels, both online and offline. Key Pirate-Themed Criteria for Success: The report's pirate motif brings a creative flair to critical success elements: Tight Ship: Day-to-day excellence. Pirate Code: Establishing a joint business plan (JBP) and routines. Compass: Industry thought leadership. Fair Winds: Traffic and demand generation. Bounty: Incremental growth. Treasure Island: Data sharing and utilization of data cleanrooms. Map: Online category navigation. Fly the Colors: Enhancing user experience and shopper journey. Insights from the Digital Shelf Institute event and upcoming plans for a dedicated captaincy event and podcast. The critical need for brands to avoid complacency and continuously innovate to maintain market share. Addressing the gap between recognizing individual actions and integrating them holistically for true category captaincy. Overcoming resistance in C-suites to the critical role of digital content, especially in light of inflation and shifting consumer preferences. Detailed audits and the importance of optimizing the shopper experience—learn from mistakes and improvements seen with major retailers like Walmart and Kroger. Leveraging partnerships and thought leadership to demonstrate commitment and drive mutual benefits.

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Head of Retail Marketplaces Services Julie Spear and Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley. We’re joined by two great guests today: Lauren Livak Gilbert, Executive Director of the Digital Shelf Institute, and Nate Pinkston, Head of Growth at Microsoft’s Retail Media division.  In this episode, we’re focusing on the key takeaways from the report they released earlier this year, which represents a guide to the evolving landscape of Joint Business Planning. Tune in to get an insider’s take on who, when, and how the most successful brands approach the JBP process across various retailers.   KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Julie, Lauren, Nate, and Jordan discuss: Explanation of JBP and its critical role in brand-retailer relationships. Comparison of JBP processes among different retailers (Amazon, Walmart). JBP Lite: Less detailed, often used by smaller brands or those with weaker retailer relations. Omnichannel JBP: Integrates all sales channels and stakeholder inputs for holistic collaboration. Issues stemming from having separate JBPs for retail media and marketing. Importance of integrating retail media into the JBP process. Nate Pinkston's emphasis on retail media budgeting and its role in sales. Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Need for the involvement of finance and other departments from the start. Recommendations for effective stakeholder engagement and process improvements. Lauren Livak's advice to start JBP preparations six months in advance. Continuous monitoring and revisiting of JBPs throughout the year. Recommendations for Brands: Integration of finance for comprehensive planning. Clear communication and defined roles among stakeholders. Transparency and data sharing between brands and retailers. Involvement of sales, marketing, e-commerce, procurement, finance, and supply chain in JBP. Importance of sharing growth goals, feedback, and maintaining open communication channels. Recap of the importance of coordinated, omnichannel approaches to JBP. Final thoughts on avoiding organizational silos and ensuring transparency for mutual success.

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Head of Retail Marketplaces Services Julie Spear and Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley. Today we’re joined by a friend of the show and a frequent guest: Russ Dieringer of Stratably, a research firm providing unbiased insights on how to do better business with Amazon and its peers.  We’ll be diving into launching products on Amazon - something many claim to have a secret sauce around, but a topic we haven’t seen holistic industry research on.  Make sure you tune in to find out more!   KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Julie, Russ, and Jordan discuss: 1P vs. 3P Brands on Amazon: The nimbleness and product innovation advantage of 3P brands. 25% of brands use Amazon as a launching pad for new products, adopting a "test and learn" approach. Many launches on Amazon are dictated by timing issues rather than strategy. Tactical aspects like SEO, PDP development, and inventory planning. Emphasis on case studies to demonstrate the impact of well-executed launches. Seasonality and Launch Timing: Insight on launching seasonal products 6 months in advance of peak season. Using Amazon's event calendar for strategic planning. Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC): low adoption of AMC tools. Potential benefits like advanced targeting, audience creation, and quicker market entry when AMC is used effectively. The complexity of product launches within large organizations and strategies for better coordination. Insights into the typical timeline for reaching baseline sales post-launch. Media Strategy and Ad Spend: Higher average ad spend for new products and the balance between ad efficiency and speed-to-sales. Importance of upper funnel support for product visibility and sales propulsion. The critical role of leaders in Amazon initiatives and the necessity of cross-department collaboration for successful launches.