2024: the year Amazon advertising demands an agency

2024: the year Amazon advertising demands an agency

As we step into 2024, the dynamics of advertising on Amazon have reached a complexity and competitiveness that now, more than ever, needs the expertise of specialists. For brands looking to navigate this terrain successfully, partnering with specialised agencies has transitioned from a strategic advantage to an essential part of their advertising efforts. Leveraging an agency for your Amazon advertising needs isn't just an added value—it's a strategic imperative for staying ahead in the game.

Understanding your brand's market share on Amazon is the cornerstone of any successful advertising strategy. This isn't just about numbers; it's about comprehending your position within a diverse and dynamic marketplace. Each Amazon region brings its own challenges and opportunities, needing a bespoke approach to ensure your brand not only competes in its category but also sees incremental growth. Whether it's identifying if your brand can compete against top players in a specific region, or if a fragmented category presents an opportunity for aggressive advertising and promotional efforts to gain share and boost sales.

Our work across the UK and EU has underscored a fascinating insight: market share off Amazon does not directly translate to success on the platform, something which often surprises brands. The discrepancy between brand awareness in physical retailers or other marketplaces and on Amazon underscores the need for specialist knowledge and experience working with Amazon across the EU landscape. The discrepancy between online and offline demands strategies tailored to the unique nature of Amazon's ecosystem. Brands need to be agile, ready to pivot their approach based on regional insights, whether that means boosting brand awareness or focusing on conversion tactics for those already familiar with your brand.

So why choose an Amazon specific agency over any other media agency?

With such complexities and challenges unique to the Amazon landscape, working with an agency which has experts who specialise in these areas and relationships to lean into will strengthen your Amazon business and enable you to gain the most from an advertising partnership.

Dayparting - Timing is Everything.

The concept of dayparting - scheduling ads to align with when your target audience is most active - epitomises the kind of strategic knowledge that can significantly amplify your advertising success. It's about being visible at the right moment, leveraging peak shopping hours for maximum impact. However, implementing this effectively requires sophisticated tools and a subtle understanding of consumer behaviour, precisely where the expertise of a specialised agency becomes indispensable. The efficiency gained through dayparting also offers a financial advantage. By ensuring that your advertising spend is distributed to times when your audience is online, you avoid wasting budget during off-peak hours. This approach not only increases the effectiveness of your ads but ultimately saves you money. The result is a more cost-effective advertising strategy that maximises returns on your investment, demonstrating yet another layer of strategic subtlety offered by dayparting.

In today’s digital-first marketplace, the right software is not just helpful, it’s crucial. From analytics to campaign management, these tools empower brands with insights and efficiency. Yet, the real magic happens when this technology is wielded by those who know how to extract every ounce of value from it. Agencies bring this expertise to the table along with the software itself, seamlessly integrating advanced software into comprehensive strategies that speak directly to your brand's needs and goals. Working with an agency can give you access to software whilst bypassing the significant expenses associated with having it entirely in house.

At Etopia, we pride ourselves on our data-driven approach, as shown by our work with a leading baby brand across the UK and EU. Our market analysis revealed an opportunity that had been overlooked; a chance to become a category leader in a key market. By refining our focus and implementing a targeted strategy, we not only improved market share but also significantly boosted advertising sales. This is the power of informed, strategic action.

In the intricate and competitive realm of Amazon advertising, the role of specialised agencies has become not just beneficial but essential. Agencies bring a depth of expertise in navigating Amazon's complexities, leveraging advanced software for optimisation and executing strategies like dayparting effectively. Their experience across different markets and industries enables them to craft bespoke strategies that consider the unique dynamics of each region and category, turning data driven insights into actionable plans that drive growth and profitability. Moreover, an essential aspect of these tailored strategies is their alignment with specific brand goals, whether it's driving conversions, achieving a high return on ad spend (ROAS), narrating a compelling brand story, or enhancing brand education. An Amazon agency specialises in identifying and prioritising these goals, creating a strategy that aligns Amazon's advertising opportunities with the brand's overarching objectives.

Partnering with an agency brings a collaborative advantage. We collaborate with your internal teams, not as a replacement but as an extension and an enhancement. This partnership fosters innovation, using our collective expertise to stay one step ahead of the ever-changing Amazon landscape. It is about bringing the best of both worlds together: the intimate brand knowledge of your internal team, augmented by the specialised experience and insights of an agency.

The complex and competitive nature of Amazon in 2024 demands more than just in-house efforts. It requires the strategic depth, technological proficiency, and nuanced understanding that only an agency can provide. By partnering with a specialised agency, you're not just keeping pace—you're setting the pace, staying ahead of trends and leveraging insights that could be the difference between success and stagnation.

Asha Bhalsod

Asha has 10 years eCommerce account management experience, including at Amazon and managing the Amazon/ eCommerce businesses at Tomy UK and Melissa & Doug. She now runs Etopia Consultancy, to help brands create their eCommerce strategy and grow their Amazon business, and can be contacted on asha@etopiaconsultancy.co.uk for guidance with trading on Amazon.