It May Not Be Easy, but Brands Must Choose Their Own Destiny on Amazon

We all know that the vast majority of brands view the Amazon marketplace as the ‘Wild West’ of the retail world. Listings are out of control, prices tank rapidly, unauthorized sellers and counterfeit products flood the market.

While there may be some truth behind these statements, it doesn’t necessarily have to be true for your brand. Amazon is not inherently bad, and they are constantly working to develop newer and better ways to combat these issues that brand owners face.

Recently, we’ve seen a string of changes come from Amazon that include a plan to fight counterfeit products and an update to the customer review policy that will eliminate any product reviews that were unfairly solicited. It’s obvious that Amazon is making a concerted effort to deter rogue sellers and make the platform more brand-friendly. The right partner will guide brands through these obstacles and educate them on the ever-changing marketplace that is Amazon.

Choose to take control.

Take control of your supply chain. Brands need to know where their products are being distributed to so that they can monitor who is selling their products and where they are being sold. Without this, it is impossible to be sure that price and inventory levels are being managed adequately. Many times, brands don’t even realize that their products are being sold on Amazon until there is already a major issue. It does take time and effort to fix supply chain issues but in the end, that is your only choice.

Take control of your brand content. Brands need someone they can trust to tailor their product listings to match the brand’s image that is displayed among other sales channels. Amazon’s Brand Registry is a program that gives priority over listing edits to the preferred seller account. Registering the brand allows the brand, or the authorized seller, the ability to make changes to product listings with more authority than non-Brand Registered sellers. This is an added step brands can take to lock down their content that is already on Amazon.

Now is as good of a time as any to finally take control of your brand’s future on Amazon. Brands that choose to go in the opposite direction are only creating more opportunities for their competitors, and could get left in the dust. One thing is certain – Amazon’s dominance over the eCommerce world is undeniable and unstoppable, will you be in control of the ride?