The Things I’d Do If Amazon Was My Brand
Last month, I participated in a series of online webinars run by a global brand transformation agency Landor&Fitch, a daughter company of WPP holding company headquartered in London, England.
The programme was called Next Gen Brand Transformers and consisted of webinars covering such topics as branding development, brand strategy, client communication and innovation for good. The participants of the programme had a chance to see behind the scenes of L&F, learn about different roles at the company, listen to real-life case studies, and apply for an internship opportunity upon completion of the course.
As part of the process of applying for an internship, the participants had to complete a creative task and brainstorm on the idea of what they would do if Amazon was their brand.
So, What would I do if Amazon was my brand?
Branding
What comes first to mind when I look at Amazon is the idea that it would benefit from a visual update. Something that would help the company look more in tune with the times — a cleaner and minimal design across Amazon’s website and its products.
Various design case studies were done among designers suggesting visual and functional improvements to the Amazon website. Mostly with regard to reducing the website’s clunkiness, and making the interface easier on the eye. Here are a few examples:
This would make it more appealing to Amazon’s target group, which mainly consists of millennials with an average age of 37 and, potentially, the growing user base of Generation Z, who are increasingly getting used to the intuitive clean designs of modern technology.
The design changes should be rolled out gradually, perhaps, even in stages, and include as much of what works well as possible, so that the users’ learning curve is almost unnoticeable.
Perhaps, an unpopular opinion is that the clunkiness of the website may actually create a feeling of a playground/sandbox for the users reducing the friction and a fear of making a mistake due to its “slightly off” style.
Business
In terms of the next business move, Amazon could launch or acquire an existing accelerator for founders and startup companies that are focused on building innovative physical products and electronic goods.
So far, Amazon has got AWS Accelerators which focuses on supporting tech startups, and Amazon IP Accelerator which offers brand and intellectual property protection services. Recently, Amazon UK also announced the launch of a new innovation accelerator that ‘helps local manufacturing small businesses understand and overcome operational challenges through digital technologies and offers localised advice such as digital transformation workshops and roadmaps’ — which again sounds like the help with the digital side of things.
However, I wonder if Amazon could look into building an accelerator that establishes a production chain for the products that the startups would come up with, saving them from the hassle of the operations and manufacturing side of things and focusing on the innovation itself.
Firstly, Amazon would already have an established platform to sell and promote those products. Secondly, Amazon has resources, knowledge and connections in the business world, as well as mentors to make these companies successful. In return, Amazon could get a portion of these companies, or complete ownership of the rights to produce and distribute the products — and this would probably go in hand with Jeff Bezos’ ambition for innovation and launching rockets into space, teehee.
Amazon seems to prevail in the US, however, in Europe, there are more competitors and an even distribution of e-commerce websites of this type.
For example, AliExpress, a daughter company of the Alibaba giant, is rather popular in Eastern Europe, where it is used for browsing cheap consumer goods. Alibaba’s website is a place that offers not only a wide range of consumer products but also a directory and contact information of the manufacturers and factories, where the production of the new products could be ordered. However, if you ever tried doing so, you may notice how difficult it is to use their internal tool, how unstable the website is, and how hard it is to communicate with non-English speakers when explaining an innovation.
This means that there may be a gap in the production chain, and this is where Amazon could do its magic. The company could establish a production line with trusted manufacturers and secure the best deals.
Reputation
In one of the programme sessions, we had a chance to listen to Daryl Fielding’s case study of the massively successful The Campaign for Real Beauty she led for the Dove brand. In her presentation Daryl shared that they had conducted qualitative research in about 10 countries and used the classic projective technique, where they asked the participants to imagine ‘if Dove was a girl at the party, how would you describe her?’ (here is a similar presentation on YouTube).
If we use this projective technique and ask ChatGPT for help, perhaps, an Amazon person could be described as:
I believe that starting such an initiative as launching an accelerator could portray Amazon as a company that supports young entrepreneurs and makes the world a better place by inventing products that improve the quality of life while doing what Amazon does best — keeping it affordable to everyone.
Sustainability
In addition to promoting a slower delivery option for non-urgent purchases and suggesting merging multiple shippings into single ones, Amazon could invest its efforts in developing products that drive sustainability at their future accelerator.
Launching an accelerator program dedicated to promoting sustainability would offer several significant benefits for Amazon.
Firstly, such an initiative would align Amazon with the growing global emphasis on environmental responsibility and sustainability. It would enhance the company’s reputation as a leader in corporate social responsibility and demonstrate its commitment to mitigating the environmental impact of its products and services.
Secondly, the accelerator would serve as a source of innovation and new ideas. It would bring together talented and passionate individuals and startups with innovative solutions to sustainability challenges. This influx of fresh ideas and technologies could lead to the development of eco-friendly products, sustainable practices, and energy-efficient solutions that could benefit Amazon’s operations and offerings.
Additionally, by fostering a community of sustainability-focused entrepreneurs, Amazon could access a rich pool of talent and potential partners who share its commitment to environmental stewardship. Collaborations with these innovators could help the company achieve its sustainability goals and reduce its carbon footprint.
Moreover, Amazon’s accelerator for sustainability could create a network effect. As the accelerator program grows, it could attract more like-minded individuals and organisations, creating a thriving ecosystem of sustainable innovation. This ecosystem, in turn, could provide Amazon with a competitive advantage in the marketplace and position the company as a leader in the green tech space.
Overall, by launching a sustainability-focused accelerator, Amazon would not only contribute to a more sustainable future but also gain a strategic edge, drive innovation, and enhance its reputation as a responsible corporate citizen.
AI-generated video and images were made with the help of the Runway app. Some of the text was written with the help of ChatGPT-3.5.
