Prefer shipping with unbranded packaging? Here’s some good news for you!

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• ICYMI: Amazon and Apple are back to advertising on Twitter

• Amazon bags their biggest sales yet

• Amazon announces non-branded packaging for MFC orders

• Increase brand awareness and visibility through holiday gift guides

BIG IDEAICYMI: Amazon and Apple are back to advertising on Twitter

On December 4, an announcement shocked the Twitter world—Amazon and Apple will return to fully advertise on the platform, as reported by Business Insider. Platformer journalist Zoë Schiffer tweeted that Amazon will spend around $100 million on Twitter ads annually.

🐦 Why is this a big deal?

• Research center Media Matters claimed that half of Twitter’s top 100 advertisers reduced ad spending after Elon Musk’s takeover. These include Apple, who even threatened to ban the platform from its app store.

• When Musk took over the company, they lost most employees, including those working on content moderation. This caused an increase in impersonation incidents and widespread falsehoods. As a result, Omnicom, Apple’s ad agency, advised their clients to pause advertising on Twitter.

📱What changed?

• Twitter offered incentives to big-spending advertisers to make up for the massive loss. A source also told Schiffer that those who spend over $500,000 on ads would get 100% “value add” (additional impressions and matching ad spend).

• Amazon and Apple will fully return to advertising on Twitter once they tweak their security issues and introduce new policy requirements.

• Some brands only agreed to advertise for events like the Super Bowl. They also had conditions declaring that they may change their minds for any reason, as the New York Times reported.

If you plan on advertising on Twitter anytime soon, consider treading lightly!

AMAZON NEWSAmazon bags their biggest sales yet

Amazon recorded its biggest sale ever from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. On Wednesday, they announced they could sell hundreds of millions of products this holiday. Apple Airpods and Amazon-branded products came in first, as reported in a CNBC article.

💸 Inflation pushed analysts to assume that consumers would be more budget conscious, expecting a lackluster holiday this season for Amazon and its sellers. Yet, the data from Adobe Analytics shot it down, with $9.12 billion in online spending on Black Friday, up 2.3% from the previous year, and $11.3 billion in online sales on Cyber Monday, up 5.8%.

💰 Amazon also reported that independent businesses bagged $1 billion in sales during this period, demonstrating how steep discounts from merchants seduce consumers. Keep in mind people are only halfway through the holiday shopping season! This suggests further purchases in the coming weeks, as found in a survey by the National Retail Federation.

BITES OF THE WEEK

• Winging It: Inside Amazon’s Quest to Seize the Skies - WIRED

• How Google is trying to help advertisers and publishers link their data - Marketing Brew

• How DTC brands build customer loyalty - Retail Brew

• AWS gets data clean rooms for analytics data - TechCrunch

TRENDINGWant to ship with unbranded packaging? Here's some good news for you!

On December 3, Amazon announced unbranded packaging for all Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MFC) orders without additional costs through their official seller forum.

📦 This update will benefit sellers who want their brand front and center while complying with various marketplaces' packaging policies. Amazon stated that this is "available for eligible sortable items." However, there's uncertainty about what's considered "all MCF orders."

Questions filled the forum with inquiries on whether sellers were automatically enrolled or if action was required on their end. Finally, an Amazon forum moderator clarified the following:

• Unbranded packaging would be the default option.

• If delivery times are affected, only then will Amazon-labeled packaging be used.

• If you choose "Only ship with blank boxes," your packages are guaranteed unbranded packaging, regardless of the delivery time.

• This change is at no extra cost to sellers.

Sellers should regularly check the forums and the official Amazon FBA-MCF page for more updates.

ACTIONABLE ADVICEIncrease brand awareness and visibility through gift guides

According to Gallup, a global analytics and advice firm, US consumers are expected to spend an average of $932 on gifts this year's holiday season, making gift guides extremely valuable to last-minute shoppers and featured brands, as told by Marketing Brew.

However, securing a spot on a gift guide is difficult, and this task is often assigned to PR and affiliate marketing firms that regularly pitch products to media outlets.

🎁 Here are some tips to help you get on a gift guide:

• Have materials ready by June. Most firms ask for brand pitches as early as June, giving ample time for publishers and editors to sift through the noise.

• Present the perfect pitch. In addition to product photos and samples, send convincing pitches to editors and reporters.

• Price for the people. It's essential to consider price sensitivity in pitches, especially during global crises.

• Consider that some guides are designed to be interactive, just like Amazon's 2022 Holiday Kids Gift Book.

Because getting into a highly coveted gift guide like Oprah's favorite things comes with increased exposure, many companies compete for a spot every year. So whether it's Oprah vouching for your products or another source, trust that your brand can land a spot in one of many reputable gift guides with the right strategy.