How PCG helps publishers to optimise their performance with Amazon

Relationships with Amazon are complex and there are also no silver bullets for solving all the challenges it presents. However, optimizing your Amazon sales across all titles and over time will have a long-term, powerful, cumulative effect. PCG helps and has been supporting a variety of publishers and Industry Associations in their quest to optimise their performance with Amazon.

Raintree asked PCG to help them understand why their Amazon sales were underperforming and what methods they could use to improve them.

This case study illustrates PCG’s ‘Programme of Work’ and the ‘Solutions’ identified via a project for Raintree.

PCG employed the below step by step approach in delivering our findings to Raintree: 

Step 1 –  Audit.  An audit of Raintree’s current Amazon approach by:

• Collecting appropriate information about the business.
• Defining their business objectives.
• Defining their project objectives and what success criteria would be applied.
• Supporting gap analysis to establish any areas that required further investigation.
• Understanding their distribution partnership. 

Step 2 –  Methodology.  The provision of a structured response to Raintree centred around 5 distinct areas of review with Amazon:

• Brand Analytics – we conducted a thorough analysis of all reports provided by Amazon to Raintree.
• Metadata – we conducted a detailed look at current metadata practices, including category and keyword use and creation.
• Product Pages –  we analysed the quality of Raintree’s product pages.
• Merchandising – we identified what free in-store merchandising opportunities and appropriate tactics for Raintree’s content were available.
• Advertising – we considered strategies for the use of paid in-store promotion and sponsored advertising. 

Step 3 –  Deliverables.  PCG’s solutions presented to Raintree included a:

1. Full audit and analysis of Raintree’s recent Amazon performance.
2. Competitive analysis of Raintrees titles on Amazon and how to turn findings to their advantage.
3. Guide as to how Amazon’s sales funnel and algorithms were impacting Raintrees performance.
4. Plan to implement simple improvements to product pages and metadata with available tools.
5. Set of recommendations on how to report Amazon data and how to use it to test and measure performance.
6. Set of recommendations for improvements to the management of inventory and supply chain.
7. Set of recommendations on the appropriate strategic and tactical use of promotions and advertising. 

Step 4 –  Ongoing Advice.  We provide ongoing help and support at the request of clients.

Raintree was delighted that the PCG team brought energy and enormous insight into tackling our ‘Ask’, “how do we better understand our performance with Amazon and strategically grow sales”. They provided us with a clear and focused set of strategic priorities which we will now as a business employ. It’s been a pleasure to get to know Simon and the team and we would recommend their services to any business looking to understand how to improve performance with Amazon.

Doug Pocock –  Managing Director at Capstone International Publishing and Raintree

PCG has commissioned Amazon Optimisation projects for the below clients.  Some very kind words about our services can be found here:  Publishing Consultancy Group Testimonials.