Page 154 - EM - Export Magazine Perfumery Edition

EVENTS

BEAUTY ON AMAZON 101: create an account and you can sell directly,

wiNNiNG sTRATeGies FOR BeAUTY BRANDs, discounting the products as you like. Amazon
takes commission from everyone and the
BY THe PHeNOMeNAL VANessA KUYKeNDALL revenue from the sale is deposited in a bank
account every two weeks.”
by Grazia Zuccarini, Marketing in the various cosmetic sectors, skin care,
and Communication Consultant make-up and fragrances. Can Amazon hOW TO WORk WITh AMAZON
really be an ally to launch new lines or, There are two ways of “cleaning up”
as Vanessa will explain, to support the Amazon, Vanessa explains: “One is to work
giants of luxury beauty in “cleaning up” directly, making an alliance with Amazon:
the marketplace of sales of products we file cases through their system and so
from the parallel market? we can prove that the reseller is selling old,
The answer is “yes”: “Ignoring Amazon expired, fake products, or testers. But if the
is a dangerous strategy,” Vanessa states product is not in one of the aforementioned
peremptorily. Before going into detail categories, Amazon nevertheless allows
into the secrets of the beauty market the sale, especially is the price is good. The
on Amazon, here are some numbers on other way to pursue the objective of cleaning
the giant which today states a growth up the market place is to work with the
of 43% year on year from the second brands themselves to identify the resellers
half of 2017 (data eCommerce Analytics through, for example, investigations on
Firm One Click Retail). Today it controls the batch numbers. It is then up to the
36% of online beauty sales in the United brand to manage the relationship with
States (Bloomberg data) and its growth in the incriminated seller. Market Defence
I met Vanessa Kuykendall at the recent beauty sales during Covid was of + 22%, helps the brands investigate and identify
20th Cosmoprof North America in Las an unquestionable success! them. Obviously cleaning up the market is
Vegas. Vanessa is the cofounder of the “Amazon is a huge opportunity for beauty a strategic and courageous choice and not
agency Market Defense, based in Seattle, today,” Vanessa explains “if years ago all the major brands are ready to take this
and specialized in the management the consumer bought a product after step.
of large or small beauty brands which a Google search, today research is
want to make their debut or strategically done directly on the Amazon platform, ThE TIPs FOR LAUNChING
manage their business on Amazon. bypassing all the other search engines.” AN INDIE BRAND ON AMAZON
Market Defence comes from the need “And if the giant of e-commerce until a Vanessa: “You can easily launch a brand
to “clean up” Amazon from the multiple little while ago was considered a “mass today without even ever touching or seeing
resellers of various brands which market retailer,” Vanessa continues, the final products. You can manufacture
”pollute” the market and the image of the today it has opened with strategic them anywhere in the world and your
brands themselves, selling off products moves and dedicated programmes to supplier can ship directly to Amazon. You
at greatly discounted prices. Vanessa the world of luxury, not only beauty, need to have some inventory in the US, but
and her team work as investigators to which has enthusiastically welcomed you cannot over stock Amazon. Especially
understand where these products come this change, producing unexpected at the beginning when you launch, they give
from, to consequently solve a problem changes. Today, Vanessa continues, “it you a very little space and to have more
of a parallel market which damages the is possible to protect the integrity of your space you have to show them that you sell
distribution of the same brands on other brand and retailer relationships while fast. Said that, you won’t need to produce
retail channels such as Sephora or Ulta reaping the revenue benefits of the largest more than 1000 unit per sku to launch
Beauty. Amongst the multiple talks on e-commerce marketplace in the US—it a new line.” Amazon is very interested
the calendar, I decided to take part in just takes know-how”. in small businesses now, so they are
her: “Amazon 101,” my curiosity aroused “Amazon is a marketplace where everyone can offering indie brands consulting services
by the eye-catching title. The distribution sell directly and start a business” Vanessa to help them to start their business with
of multiple indie beauty brands all over explains, “just as a curiosity the 48% of these them. You can apply to be part of “Small
the world is a problem which limits the businesses are run by women! Amazon is an business program” or of “Female founder
creativity and development of many lines opportunity for everyone: you only have to owned brand program” or “Black owned

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