When it comes to launching a new brand or product on Amazon, the first 90 days are the most essential for driving sales and establishing a strong sell-through rate. Amazon launched its new ‘Perfect Launch Playbook’ at the beginning of March 2022. Amazon’s Perfect Launch program is built to help sellers cover all the bases needed for a successful start on the platform. Within the Perfect Launch Playbook, there are five selling programs; Brand Registry, A+ Content, Fulfillment by Amazon, Automated Pricing, and Advertising.
Why Use The Perfect Launch Program?
The Perfect Launch program is designed to help sellers across all Amazon marketplaces generate more sales using the five selling programs; Brand Registry, A+ Content, Fulfillment by Amazon, Automated Pricing, and Advertising. Using the Perfect Launch resources and tools, sellers are able to accelerate their performance on Amazon and establish a trajectory to scale their business on the platform.
Benefits of Using the Perfect Launch Program
- Get 5% back on your first $1,000,000 in branded sales
- Take $100 off inbound FBA shipping using the Amazon Partnered Carrier program
- Out-of-country sellers take $200 off fulfillment fees using Amazon Global Logistics
- Allow the market to move faster
- Optimize Sponsored Products campaigns
- Help accelerate with competitive pricing tools, tips, and strategies
- Differentiate your products with A+ Content
Amazon has frequently offered incentives to new Amazon sellers. For instance, an Account Executive to help ensure success for new sellers, discounted fees for starting advertising, representatives for international expansion, and Seller Growth programs for high potential brands.
The Amazon Perfect Launch program appears to be Amazon’s latest incentive to try and push the last remaining Amazon holdouts onto the platform. The incentives are not direct payments, but just discounts on fees, with the full amount not being reached until the brand reaches $1,000,000 in sales.
Envision Horizons Amazon expert, Todd Piechowski, states “I’m not sure the Perfect Launch program will be enticing enough to convince reluctant brands onto the platform. The concerns from these brands are likely to be more about brand degradation, controlling the buy box and counterfeits not being pushed off of Amazon, not a discount from launching.”
Five Selling Programs
Brand Registry
Over half a million brands are enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry. Using Brand Registry allows you to protect and differentiate your brand. Brand Registry gives brand owners access to tools to enhance the overall brand experience for customers and powerful search tools to find and report violations from third-party sellers.
A+ Content
A+ Content is a curated collection of multimedia elements that appear in the “from
the manufacturer” section of your PDP on Amazon. Using A+ content is a great way to maintain the customer’s attention and provide additional valuable information. Through A+ Content you are able to enhance your product descriptions and page details with high definition videos, enhanced images, comparison charts, robust FAQs, and more. Your overall objective should be to influence more educated purchase decisions and conversion. Basic A+ Content is accessible to any seller or vendor registered under Amazon’s Brand Registry, and therefore available to sellers using Amazon’s Perfect Launch program. According to Amazon, adding A+ content to your detail page can increase sales by an average of 5.6%. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to drive additional conversions.
Fulfillment by Amazon
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) can make your life easier as a seller, and provide the customer with the fast shipping and easy returns that they have come to expect from Amazon. FBA involves storing your products in one of Amazon’s hundreds of fulfillment centers around the world. Using FBA will also scale the business while reaching more customers, and gives your product the Prime shipping badge, which is attractive to customers. FBA also offers several different services in order to grow a business, including, two-day shipping for Prime members, powerful inventory management, and access to hundreds of shoppers.
Automated Pricing
Amazon’s Perfect Launch program also recommends the use of their free automated pricing tool, which can quickly help alter prices automatically against the competition to increase your chances of becoming the Featured Offer. It is important to use the automated pricing tool to allow your brand to compete against competitors’ pricing. The tool is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Using automated pricing will generate more sales and save money.
Advertising
Gaining visibility is essential when first launching a product on Amazon, and the fastest way to do so is by advertising the product(s). One way to get in front of high-intent customers is by creating Sponsored Product ads that appear in related search results and product pages—pay only when they click your ads.
Amazon’s Launchpad Program vs Amazon Perfect Launch Program
Amazon Launchpad program is set out for Amazon sellers to drive awareness towards their brand, whereas Amazon’s Perfect Launch program is to accelerate the seller’s performance and scale the brand. The Launchpad program and Perfect Launch program are both great for startup sellers looking to drive sales. Both of these Amazon programs are to help businesses succeed and allow for a smooth experience for both the sellers and the customers. Although Amazon’s Perfect Launch program has more steps to begin the process compared to the Launchpad program, it is important to consider which program will fit better with a brand.
Amazon Launchpad Program
- Discoverability
- Presentation
- Tools & Support
- Global Expansion
Amazon Perfect Launch Program
- Brand Registry
- A+ Content
- Fulfillment by Amazon
- Automated Pricing
- Advertising
Is There a Cost to Amazon’s Perfect Launch Program?
There is no specific cost associated with using Amazon’s Perfect Launch program, however, every Amazon seller will pay a fee to sell on Amazon’s platform. Amazon has several different selling plans for brands. The cost of selling on Amazon differs, depending on the type of plan which consists of the selling plan, referring fee, fulfillment fees, and other costs. Using the individual plan which would be selling less than 40 units a month will cost $0.99 plus additional fees a month. Becoming a part of the professional plan would cost $39.99 plus additional fees allowing you to sell more than 40 units a month, advertise products, advanced tools, and more. With the Perfect Launch program, there are over $50k in potential benefits brands can receive from sellers following the five selling programs.
How Do I Know if I’m Ready to Launch on Amazon?
For brands that are net new to Amazon, determining when you are ready to launch requires a lot of forethought and preparation. Before getting started on Amazon with the Perfect Launch program, make sure you can complete this pre-launch checklist…
Pre-Launch
- Enroll in Trademark/Brand Registry
- Prepare GS1 UPCs
- Control Distribution / Control Third-Party Sellers
- Optimize Your Inventory: Set Reorder Level and Lead Time to Avoid OOO
- Understand Your Costs/Fees and Profits Margins
- Review Amazon Terms of Service
- Conduct Product Research
- Consider Using Amazon Launchpad or the Perfect Launch program
Building Your Listings
- Get Your ASIN Approved
- Set Your Release Date and Launch Date
- Prepare Strong Creative Assets
- Conduct Keyword Research and Optimize Copy for SEO
- Optimize Listings for Conversions
- Create A+ Content
Post-Launch
- Implement Strategy to Win the Buy Box
- Enroll in Amazon Early Reviewer and Amazon Vine programs
- Optimize with A/B Testing: Test your Main Image, Title, and PDP Copy / Imagery
- Keyword Tracking
- Run PPC Advertising Campaigns
- Restock Inventory
- Drive External Traffic to Your Listing
- Consider Amazon Influencers
How to Get Started
Amazon offers New Seller Incentives which start off by including 5% back on the brand’s first $1,000,000 in sales in credits to try CPC (cost-per-click), product reviews, and more. While also offering discounted Prime shipping, returns, and much more with FBA.
The incentives for new sellers include:
- Get 5% back on your first $1,000,000 in branded sales
- Take $100 off inbound FBA shipping using the Amazon Partnered Carrier program
- Out-of-country sellers take $200 off fulfillment fees using Amazon Global Logistics
- Get 90 days free storage for 50 units plus 180 days free liquidation with Fulfillment by Amazon
- Get $200 credit for Sponsored Products CPC ads—bids are up to you
- Receive up to 2000 free Transparency codes ($100 value)
- Enroll one product in Vine for free for up to 30 trusted reviews ($200 value)
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Get Assistance Running Your Amazon Business
If you want assistance running your Amazon business, or are curious about how to reach your full potential selling on Amazon, see if you qualify for a free audit from Envision Horizons.
Also, consider subscribing to a software solution such as myHorizons. Easily stay up to date on your brand’s performance during Prime Day across sales and advertising, and get automated brand management suggestions from our new machine learning tool.
“What is Amazon Perfect Launch Program” Blog Sources :
https://sell.amazon.com/grow?ld=SEUSSOAGOOG-NS1077-D
https://sell.amazon.com/build-an-online-store?ld=ELXXSOA-w.amazon.com#customize
https://sell.amazon.com/fulfillment-by-amazon
