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Brand executives face two key questions in addressing the Amazon marketplace:
1.Will the brand be sold on the Amazon Marketplace?
2.If yes, then what distribution approach makes most sense for the brand?
As we discuss throughout the book, the decision regarding whether the brand will be sold on the Amazon marketplace is not always solely within a brand's control. It's better to start with the assumption that any popular brand's products will eventually show up for sale on Amazon, whether the brand wants those products there or not.
The second question is more complex for brand executives. At its core, this question represents a pivotal "fork in the road" that we call the Amazon Marketplace Dilemma.
That choice is: Sell TO Amazon vs. Sell ON Amazon.
Which of these paths a brand chooses-and the distribution strategy it employs in that domain-will determine a brand executive's issues, challenges and priorities.
Either option will impact the brand executive's ability to control their brand strategies (e.g., pricing, brand content, marketing, etc.), to generate profits, and to create a stable cadence for managing activities on the Amazon marketplace channel. In our book, we uncover the many considerations involved in developing and implementing the right Amazon distribution strategy for a given brand.
About the author
James Thomson was formerly head of Amazon Services, the division of Amazon responsible for recruiting tens of thousands of sellers annually to the Amazon marketplace. He also served as the first Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) account manager. Prior to Amazon, James was a management consultant and banker. He holds a Bachelor of Science from University of Alberta, an MBA from Vanderbilt University (Owen School), and a Ph.D. in Marketing (B2B Pricing and Distribution) from Northwestern University (Kellogg School). James has published or contributed to more than 20 articles and podcasts on e-commerce issues, and guest lectured at more than a dozen top business schools around the world. Joseph Hansen is a seasoned entrepreneur and e-commerce expert. He has founded and sold four brand companies. In 2012, Hansen founded Buy Box Experts, a consultancy supporting brands on Amazon. Buy Box Experts provides strategic-level advisory services to help executives and management teams develop an Amazon strategy to control online brand equity, stabilize pricing, and improve product sales. The Company also provides full-service account management to help organizations entirely outsource the day-to-day operations of their marketplace channels. By developing an innovative Marketplace Optimization strategy for e-retailers, Joseph has created an invaluable toolkit for brands looking to grow and control their e-commerce operations. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science from Brigham Young University. In 2015, James and Joseph co-founded the PROSPER Show (prospershow.com), the largest continuing education conference for large Amazon sellers in the United States.
