aaaand, we're back. No Images? Click here Well, Summer is officially over and it looks like everyone has returned to the office. We have some updates to share with you -- some are fresh, and some we want to resurface now that it's back to business.. Amazon wasted no time jumping back into things. Yesterday, the company announced an array of new smarthome devices and features set to launch in the fall. Teams at Dentsu spent the summer perfecting their Amazon approach -- and spreading the wealth -- with this guide to maximizing sponsored ads (thanks iProspect), and an informative video series (starring the super-smart crew at Merkle). Oh, and shameless plug: If you want to see more of this stuff, you should follow us on LinkedIn, because we post updates there in a more timely manner. With that, welcome back! Yesterday, Amazon announced a bevy of updates including eight new Echo devices, smart glasses, connected dog collars, and an Alexa-powered ring. You guessed it... we blogged about it. Sustainability. Physical retail spaces. Competing with Amazon. Julie Weitzner, Sellwin EVP of Growth & Partnerships, talks about it all (and a lot more) in her post Trendspotting: Five Emerging Themes in Retail from Code Commerce 2019. VP of Strategy and resident media expert Laura Kaplan gives a breakdown of the product, who should take advantage of it, and what the implications are for advertisers. See it on the Sellwin blog. Laura also penned a piece for MediaPost explaining how Amazon is playing the long game in courting college-aged customers. It's called Recession Be Damned: Amazon Sets Sights on Students. Will Margaritis, SVP, Strategy talked about how a winning Amazon strategy can help improve traffic to all retailer sites in Digiday Research: Majority of brands aren’t spending ad dollars on retailer sites. We made an official info page for our brand audits. We've produced quite a few of these for our clients and received great responses, so please take a look and - if you feel so moved - spread the word. Finding the right partner to fit your specific marketing, media, and logistical e-commerce needs can be a total circus. We're aiming to simplify the search. Submit to the Sellwin Marketplace Directory to add your name to our (free and open) list of companies that help with sampling and reviews, packaging and supply chain, measurement and analytics, social commerce, retail/influencer partnerships, add-to-cart add ons, and affiliate/fulfillment services. Interested in learning more? Reach out. Travis Johnson, President |