Monday, October 2

#1 - 🥊 Amazon vs. Walmart

📰 TL;DR - Both Amazon and Walmart have third-party marketplaces, and while Amazon has dominated, Walmart is hoping to drive some sales this holiday season. Reportedly, third-party sellers are allocated more ad dollars to Walmat than in years past, which is noteworthy. One of the benefits of Walmart is that there’s far less saturation — they’ve been far more conservative than Amazon is gaining third-party sellers. On the other hand, third-party sales now account for a majority of what’s being sold on Amazon. This piece breaks down how each company approaches third-party sales.

💡 Insight - So the big question for you as an e-commerce business is where you should focus your attention and ad spend. Walmart is interesting in that there’s less competition, but in pretty much every other category Amazon is the winner. It operates in far more countries, does much higher volume, is one of the most visited websites in the entire world, and has all the benefits of the Prime program. However, if you’re based in the US, Canada, or Mexico, Walmart is still a viable option. If you’re looking to diversify, Walmart is something you could add, but Amazon still reigns supreme.

➡️ You can read the article here...

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#3 - 🩲 Knickey rebrands as Subset

📰 TL;DR - DTC sustainable underwear startup Knickey is rebranding itself as Subset after drastically expanding its offerings. Originally, the brand started with just women’s intimates but has since added men’s boxers and briefs as well as loungewear. As part of the brand relaunch, they’re also expanding their sizing. The CEO called the new brand “a grown-up version of what Knickey used to be.” Like other intimate and loungewear brands, Subset saw its sales “explode” during COVID19, which also pushed them into new categories.

💡 Insight - This is interesting because it offers an example of when it’s worth going through the pains of a full rebrand. In this case, although Subset is sticking to its ethos of sustainable cotton, its target customers have shifted. They now see themselves as an underthings brand, not just a women’s underwear brand. Still, rebrands always come with some risk. I poked around to see how Subset is handling the change. Their website automatically redirects to wearsubset.com and there’s a banner up top announcing the change. It seems to be a little slower on social media. On their Instagram, the username hasn’t changed but the bio has.

➡️ You can read the article here...

#4 - 🛠️ Things worth checking out

💃🏽 TIKTOK - TikTok has sent a team to Indonesia after the country’s decision to ban e-commerce sales on social media. Read here.

🗞️ MEDIA - Here’s another marketing option you may have not tried — paid advertorials.

⛓️ SUPPLY CHAIN - Read this survey on how consumers have changed their shopping habits in response to supply chain issues.

👽 REDDIT - Reddit is removing the ability to turn off personalized ads in some regions, which could be useful for marketing. Read here.

🧶 ETSY - Etsy really fumbled the ball on announcing a crack down on shipping options. Read here.

#5 - 🎓 How beauty brands are targeting campuses

📰 TL;DR - This piece comes from Glossy’s newsletter — a good subscription if you’re in the beauty of fashion space. They’ve noted that beauty brands are increasingly looking at college campuses for their marketing efforts, including IRL events and using students as brand ambassadors. This looks at three examples in particular, such as Hally Hair, who works with student athletes. There’s also the #BamaRush phenomenon, which you’ll know if you’ve spent any time on TikTok.

💡 Insight - Although this looks at beauty brands in particular, I think college campuses present an opportunity for many brands. There’s also a long history here, such as targeting students decorating their first dorm room with home goods. Colleges represent a powerful consumer category and micro-societies with their own internal influencers and trends. The smart brands here have figured out a way to align their products with issues that affect this cohort, such as mental health or sexual health. Back-to-school time is obviously the popular time for campus initiatives, so think about what you could do next September.

➡️ You can read the article here...