Darcy Meier is the Director for eCommerce Category and Customer Development at Newell Brands, the company behind trusted names like Graco, Baby Jogger, Sharpie, and Dymo. Darcy was also Senior Director for eCommerce at Vi-Jon, where she managed the company’s private label relationship with Amazon and developed their multi-year e-commerce business strategy. Throughout her career, she’s also worked at Amazon as a Vendor Manager and Walmart as a Buyer.

As more buyers shop online, e-commerce has become an essential channel for brands to reach more customers and remain relevant in the digital age.

But, as top brands pivot and strengthen their hold in the e-commerce space, they find themselves facing tough challenges. Obstacles like steep competition and brand misuse by third-party sellers can stop new businesses before they even get started. On top of that, companies also struggle to make their business sustainable within the Amazon ecosystem.

On this episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast, James Thomson and Darcy Meier, Newell Brands Director for eCommerce Category and Customer Development, run through some of the biggest challenges brands face on the Amazon platform. Darcy shares tips on how organizations can grow and protect their brand on Amazon. She also mentions ways companies can leverage online data to guide future innovations and help them strengthen their position in the e-commerce market.

Vivek Rastogi is the Director of Ecommerce at Colgate-Palmolive, the firm that sells household brands like Colgate, Speed Stick, Irish Spring, Softsoap, Tom's of Maine, and others. Vivek held numerous leadership roles over the past 15 years, spanning across different geographies and countries,.including being responsible for the Amazon Channel for more than three years. He holds an MBA from S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research and a degree from St. Stephen's College.

Over the last several years, he has climbed up the ladder at Colgate-Palmolive. In 2014, he became the National Key Account Manager in India, and within a year became their Customer Development Manager in the UK. In 2016, he held the Head of the Customer Marketing/Retail Marketing position in India. A year and a half later, he earned the Associate Director for the Amazon at Colgate-Palmolive in the US position before taking on his current role.

Amazon provides an open marketplace where anyone can create a listing and start selling their products without a lot of hassle. This is because Amazon has removed many barriers to entry commonly faced when starting a brick-and-mortar store, which has led to the entry of many private label brands and poses a threat to big national brands.

So what can these large brands do to protect themselves and stay competitive in this marketplace? Vivek Rastogi advises them to embrace this reality and not challenge it. In addition to promoting their brand's equity, such brands should adapt and improve their marketing strategies, supply chain management, and communication strategies to cater to changing market needs. They should go back to focusing on their brand's equity which can play a significant role in making the brand competitive.

In this episode of the Buy Box Experts Podcast, Vivek Rastogi, the Director of Ecommerce at Colgate-Palmolive, joins James Thomson to talk about the strategies Colgate-Palmolive uses to stay competitive on and off Amazon. Vivek talks about the tools Amazon provides brands to help them monitor and protect their listings, the importance of brand equity, and the challenges brought about by Amazon's supply chain system. Stay tuned to hear all about it.

Claus Rosenberg is the Founder and CEO of multiple firms that simplify the journey for entrepreneurs building their businesses. He has built 12 companies, had over 1,000 employees, and raised over € 20 million (over $23 million) in funding. He has also worked as an advisor to several companies and was Madrid’s Chapter Director for Startup Grind.

Being an entrepreneur or business owner does not mean that you have to know everything. There are many aspects involved in successfully running a business while paying attention to your health and family at the same time. Asking for help or guidance should never be seen as a sign of weakness but of strength and courage.

As an executive coach, Claus Rosenberg recommends finding someone who has been in your shoes to work with and guide you on your journey. His advice is to find an executive coach who connects with you. Through his coaching, Claus helps entrepreneurs realize there is strength in vulnerability and being authentic and open in their communication with employees. 

In this episode of the Buy Box Experts Podcast, James Thomson is joined by Claus Rosenberg, an Executive Coach and entrepreneur, to talk about Claus' role in coaching and guiding entrepreneurs. They discuss the various challenges entrepreneurs face, the benefits of working with a coach, tips for finding the right executive coach, and hiring and managing employees. Stay tuned.