Amazon Inspire: Hot or Not? With Todd Hassenfelt of Colgate-Palmolive - Episode 313

In this episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust, Kiri Masters talks with Todd Hassenfelt,  Global Digital Commerce Sr Director of Strategy & Execution at Colgate-Palmolive, to discuss Amazon Inspire. 

As a leading figure in the global digital commerce space, Todd brings his expertise and insights to the table as they explore whether Amazon Inspire has the potential to challenge social media platforms like TikTok. 

They dive into the details of Inspire, its features, user traction, and its impact on brands. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of this emerging platform and its potential implications for the ecommerce industry.

In today’s episode, Kiri and Todd discuss:

- Todd shares his experiences and insights from working in the digital commerce industry. 

- The main topic of discussion is Amazon Inspire, a social media-like platform on Amazon. 

- They explore whether Amazon Inspire can compete with social media platforms like TikTok. 

- Todd discusses his initial reaction to seeing the light bulb icon of Amazon Inspire on the Amazon shopping app. 

- He highlights the evolution of the platform, including the shift to a sparkle icon and the addition of features like content sharing. 

- The seamless user experience of Inspire is emphasized, with the ability to toggle between images, visit product detail pages (PDP), and make purchases without leaving the platform.

- Todd suggests that Amazon Inspire is currently still in its early stages and may not have garnered much attention yet, but brands should keep an eye on it. 

- Brands can post content on Inspire through Amazon Brand Stores or by working with influencers.

- Todd mentions the growing presence of user-generated content (UGC) on Inspire, particularly video reviews, which brands should pay attention to and address any concerns. 

- Kiri expresses her disappointment in Amazon's missed opportunity to engage with brands more effectively on Inspire, similar to their earlier program called Spark. 

- She believes that brands could create engaging content on the platform, enhancing the user experience and contributing to discoverability.