Celebrities Using Amazon As a Launch Strategy
It feels like a new celebrity is announcing their partnership with Amazon each week. From Lady Gaga launching her new cosmetic line, Haus Laboratories, to Jessica Alba introducing The Honest Company, a diapering and baby personal care brand, celebrities continue to leverage the opportunity offered by Amazon.
We’ve entered an era where instead of asking, “Why [are these celebrities using Amazon]?” we’re saying, “about time.” I mean why wouldn’t they? Amazon takes up almost 50% of total online sales, where nearly half of all initial product searches begin on the platform.
In the simplest of terms, Amazon now more than ever is the go-to place for just about any product consumers may want or need. Gone are the days of Sephora and Ulta exclusive offerings. Celebrities embracing Amazon and consumer shopping habits exemplifies what the platform has grown to be.
Not only are our favorite A-List celebrities launching new product lines specifically for Amazon, but powerhouse cosmetics are leveraging the platform as well. L’Oreal, Fenty Beauty, and Anastasia Beverly Hills to name a few.
What does it mean to not be on Amazon?
So, your brand isn’t selling on Amazon. No harm, no foul right? Wrong. Take Kylie Cosmetics for example. The keyword “Kylie Jenner Lip Kit” gets nearly 10,000 searches each month on Amazon. While Kylie Cosmetics isn’t a verified seller, you can purchase Kylie Lip Kits through Amazon.
In this example, Kylie Cosmetics is experiencing either a distribution problem resulting in third-party sellers or counterfeit products listing. The hazard of opting out of Amazon sales is twofold:
- Kylie Cosmetics is losing profit on 10,000 product searches and,
- They have zero control over the brand and customer experience.
As consumers flock to Amazon as their friendly neighborhood marketplace, they expect their purchases to be legitimate. While experienced sellers may recognize the “Sold by Koko Kosmetics,” as a red flag, the average consumer probably won’t.
The Celebrity Store
In 2018, Amazon introduced a new hub for customers to find and buy products endorsed by celebrities called The Celebrity Store. Eighteen celebrities and ten brands were debuted for consumers to choose a celebrity and view a custom page from the endorsed brand listing.
The Celebrity Store and the insane amount of celebrity coverage around Amazon Prime Day 2019 represent Amazon’s latest efforts to provide brands with celebrity endorsers a way to increase their impact and reach on Amazon.
Since the Store’s inception, the number of celebrity endorsements has almost doubled. Some current celebrities featured are Meek Mill, Adriana Lima, and Dwayne Wade. Additionally, Envision Horizons client, Gronk Fitness, is endorsed by Rob Gronkowski himself.
Above all, the heightened presence of celebrity endorsements and launches will continue to position Amazon as the leading marketplace for consumer products. Because of this, it’s important for brands of all caliber’s start selling on the platform to protect their brand image.
We are looking forward to seeing which celebrity will announce their Amazon debut next!
