Blog Post

Marketing and Amazon Go

by: Power Digital March 20, 2018

Table of Contents

What was once an online bookstore is now a technology innovator that seems to be three steps ahead of its customers. The technology is over our heads, literally. The fact that customers don’t truly understand the technology doesn’t stop them from shopping there. The newest e-commerce customer experience is just a little more personal than a face to screen interaction.

So what is Amazon Go and how will this affect consumers and sellers? Shoppers at Amazon Go experience seeing, touching, and placing products in their shopping bags, all while Amazon marketing services collect information that your computer cookies would typically track. The shopping is in-person, but the data collection is like that of an e-commerce experience. This is e-commerce taken to a new dimension.

Amazon’s Market

So what does this mean for marketers? And what does this lead to for the consumer? One major issue all users are thinking about is privacy. How much information is being taken from a shopping experience? Amazon claims that physical-to-online retargeting is not going to be used right away. But all marketers know that this form of advertising will be a huge asset in the future. Initially, consumers may find the idea creepy, but wouldn’t we all rather be targeted with ads that we actually may benefit from?

Marketers are predicting that, in the future, they will be able to take data such as “who picked up the product and put it back on the shelf” and “how long was the shopper contemplating the purchase”. This can be incredibly helpful! Those shoppers all had a peaked interest in the product and, if reminded of the brand through advertising, may be inclined to purchase it next time. To put it another way, it is the in-person version of click-through rate data.

Related: How to Advertise on Amazon

To gain these customers, brands will have to take advantage of paid-social through multiple media outlets whether it be Amazon or email or any other large online platform. Marketers should be thinking about discount marketing- sending out coupons to the customers who touched the product but decided not to purchase. Point of purchase items may also have an advantage.

Whilst in a hurry, an exciting buyer may be more inclined to throw an extra item into their bag without having time to contemplate the extra expense. Though this has held true for decades, the fact that the customer will not even see the expense show up on a cash register will allow POP items to be more expensive goods. The possibilities to reach potential customers is exciting for us all.

Marketing for Amazon Go

As more data becomes available to companies and their marketers, the complexity of the marketing industry will grow. The importance of a strong targeting strategy is all the more prevalent. The need for creative advertising is stronger than ever before so going out of the box is a must. A brand will know when a customer has put a product back on the shelf, while the customer is still in the store. This means brands can have a quick response strategy that sends messages or ads to the consumer before they leave the store. When an item is added to their bag, shoot them suggestions for complimentary eats. Brands can create the illusion that they are right there shopping with their customer. Amazon Go is a new type of shopping experience for both consumers and brands.