Happy Marketer Connection Ep. 19: Zachary Weinberg, of Gartner on “eCommerce Trends”

It is a time of explosive growth and transformation in the realm of eCommerce. Almost overnight, eCommerce penetration has grown from 20% to 30%. And services like “Click and Collect” have ballooned in adoption. Zachary Weinberg, Director of Amazon Advisory at Gartner, is right in the thick of it. An expert at the forefront of e-marketing and e-tailing, he shares his take on “eCommerce trends” in this week’s episode of Happy Marketer Connection.

Happy Marketer Connection Episode 19
Zachary Weinberg, Director of Amazon Advisory at Gartner
Theme “Ecommerce Trends”

Zachary helps marketers understand the rapidly changing eCommerce landscape, and how to achieve success on Amazon, drawing on his diverse background in digital marketing and eCommerce. Hear how eCommerce has changed in recent years, how to dominate your category on Amazon, what the top brands are learning from challenger and DTC brands and what new e-tailing trends he believes are here to stay.

Marketers at the beginning of their career will also benefit from Zachary’s advice on how to develop their path, what you can learn from failure, and the importance of being comfortable with ambiguity.

To listen on Apple Podcasts click here.
To listen on Spotify click here.

Episode Highlights

• Intro
• [0:15] Sue Frech, Happy Marketer Connection, Vesta
• [0:43] Zachary Weinberg, Director of Amazon Advisory at Gartner
• Sue Frech interviewing Zachary Weinberg on ECOMMERCE TRENDS
• [2:16] Podcasts
• [2:18] What does Zachary’s title of Director, Amazon Advisory mean?
• [2:48] Distribution, e-Tailing
• [3:01] Brick-and-Click, Pure Play, eCommerce
• [3:21] How did Zachary end up with this role and a career in marketing?
• [3:42] Small Business, Advertising, Online Banner Ads, Online Advertising, Digital Marketing
• [4:03] Affiliate Marketing, Customer Acquisition, Consumer
• [4:27] Quidsi, Mark Lore, com, Soap.com
• [5:02] Business Management, Product Cycles, P&L (Profit and Loss Statement)
• [5:20] NYU Stern School of Business, Reckitt Benckiser (RB)
• [5:42] Direct-to-Consumer (DTC), Digital Strategy, Mucinex
• [6:52] What is the difference between the brand side and service side?
• [8:12] Operations
• [8:42] Entrepreneurial, Startup
• [8:56] How has e-Tailing changed in the past several years?
• [9:21] Paid Search, Paid Advertising
• [9:41] Index Brands, Lysol, Finish, AirWick
• [10:20] Inventory, Data
• [10:55] What are the biggest eCommerce trends today?
• [11:04] Pandemic
• [11:24] Click and Collect
• [11:53] Shopper
• [12:27] Sampling
• [12:34] Retailers
• [12:48] How has Zachary’s work changed during the pandemic?
• [14:09] Mucinex Mucus Fighters Community
• [14:41] Why was Click and Collect slow to adopt in the US?
• [15:02] Target, Walmart, Best Buy
• [16:12] What are the biggest challenges brands have marketing on Amazon?
• [17:19] Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Sleeper Brands
• [17:35] How does your company type impact your Amazon strategy?
• [17:58] Content
• [18:39] Brand Strategy
• [19:02] Brand Integrity
• [19:21] Legal and Regulatory, Pharma (Pharmaceuticals), Founder
• [19:40] What brands have surprised and impressed Zachary on Amazon?
• [19:53] Levi’s, Signature by Levi’s
• [20:32] Category Leader
• [20:38] Costco
• [20:45] What is the most innovate technology (tech) to bring products to market?
• [21:30] Dropshipping
• [22:02] Click-to-Cart
• [22:38] What opportunities are there in e-Tailing today?
• [22:57] Organizational Structure
• [23:12] Performance Marketing
• [23:37] Segmentation, Purchase Funnel
• [23:51] Conversion Rate
• [23:58] Checkout
• [24:44] Community Powered Marketing delivers a new world of sales growth. Learn more at Vesta-Go.com
• [25:02] Question from the Smiley360 community: What advice do you have for someone interested in a career in marketing?
• [25:53] User-Generated Content (UGC)
• [26:12] Marketing Technology (MarTech), CRM (Customer Relationship Management), Marketing Agencies
• [27:02] Manufacturer, Brand
• [27:41] Is it important for recent college graduate marketers to start at a big company or startup?
• [28:32] Executive Leadership Team (ELT)
• [29:34] What positive story does Zachary have to share?
• [29:52] Incubator
• [30:05] Product Development, Revenue, Profitability
• [30:56] Fulfillment, Customer Service, Packaging, Surveys, SurveyMonkey
• [31:44] What are Zachary’s final thoughts?
• [32:03] COVID-19, Consumer Behavior, Gartner Consumer Behavior Tool
• Outro
• [32:37] Connect with Zachary on LinkedIn
• [34:43] Thank you for listening! Subscribe to Happy Marketing Connection on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more
• [34:51] Connect with Sue on LinkedIn or Twitter at @SueFrech, and Vesta-Go.com
• Theme Song: Hello (Extended Version) – Paul Werner – provided by Jamendo

Get Connected
Connect with Zachary on LinkedIn.

Get More Happy Marketer Connection
Check out previous episodes and subscribe on Apple Podcasts:
Episode 1: Welcome to Happy Marketer Connection with Guest Marlea Clark, CMO of Stella Rising on “Evolution”
Episode 2: Dawn Dobras, CEO of Credo Beauty on “Champion”
Episode 3: Gina Bonafede, Director of Marketing at DAS Companies on “Connection Marketing”
Episode 4: Tom Deierlein, Co-Founder and CEO, Thundercat Technology on “Grit”
Episode 5: Michele Muhammad, CMO of DSE Healthcare on “Transformational Marketing”
Episode 6: Chris Pyne, Founder and President, Junction 37 on “Values”
Episode 7: David Rich, Founder, Palabra on “Storytelling”
Episode 8: Alex Colkitt, Content and Community Strategist, Sir Kensington’s on “Engagement”
Episode 9: Alan Sutton, VP Global Sales and Operations, Jay At Play on “Heritage”
Episode 10: Anne Candido, Co-Founder, Forthright People on “Brand Love”
Episode 11: Cathy Murphy, Co-Founder and CEO, Venus Media Group on “Balance”
Episode 12: Rachel Braun Scherl, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, SPARK Solutions for Growth on “Pioneer”
Episode 13: Shonda Brown, Senior Associate Brand Manager, Church and Dwight on “Pivoting”
Episode 14: Max Branstetter, Founder, MaxPodcasting on “Growth”
Episode 15: Lindsay Stein, CEO of Today, I’m Brave on “Bravery”
Episode 16: Lewis Schiff, Chairman of Birthing of Giants on “Entrepreneurism”
Episode 17: Tim Hayden, CEO of Brain+Trust on “Privacy + Profits”
Episode 18: Chris Teigland, Executive Chef and Co-owner of Community & Birdhouse on “Creativity”

About the Happy Marketer Connection Podcast
Welcome to Happy Marketer Connection. Marketers know it’s the connections we make – between ideas, people, and brands –  that make all the difference. Each week, Happy Marketer Connection invites you to connect with our Co-Founder and CEO Sue Frech, Martech pioneer, and unfailing optimist, as she and her fellow passionate marketers explore engaging and inventive marketing strategies and toast brands making impactful consumer connections.