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For VIPs Only: How Luxe Beauty Brands Can Stand Out With Amazon’s Premium Beauty Program

When you run a luxury brand, Amazon might not be the first place you’d think to sell your products. Find out how their Premium Beauty Program changes the game completely.

  • April 25, 2023
  • /
  • CANOPY Management
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Over the years, a large number of premium beauty brands have resisted selling on Amazon. For many, selling their high-quality products on the same site where shoppers are filling (virtual) carts with toilet paper and snack foods just feels wrong.

As an Amazon Management Agency, we understand the importance of leveraging rapidly expanding eCommerce platforms to help brands reach a broader audience, increase sales while at the same time, safeguarding their hard-won brand identity.

One of the ways that Canopy Management does exactly that, particularly for high-end beauty brands, is through the Amazon Premium Beauty program. In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the Premium Beauty program, and how Canopy Management works collaboratively with some of the very best Amazon brands to take full advantage of this exciting program.

What is the Amazon Premium Beauty Program?

Amazon Premium Beauty is an exclusive program that allows select, high-end beauty brands to sell their products on Amazon’s platform within the “gated” premium beauty category. It includes both vendors and sellers (1P and 3P) who are either invited to join, or can apply to become a part of the program.

Amazon’s Premium Beauty program is designed to provide a carefully curated shopping experience for customers looking for high-quality beauty products. Brands must meet strict requirements to join, and they need to maintain certain standards to keep their membership.

Why Brand “Gating” is Such a Big Deal

If there’s one thing that truly terrifies owners of premium beauty brands, it’s the horror stories of unauthorized Amazon sellers taking over a listing.

That’s because Amazon listing hijackers and piggybacking can quickly destroy a brand’s reputation.

Listing hijacking refers to counterfeit products sold in place of an authentic product. Though the hijacker’s product might be similar, hijackers don’t pretend to be the same product or brand.

On the other hand, piggybackers simply copy your listings, sell your genuine products at a lower price or with additional incentives. How do they get their hands on your products in the first place? In many cases, they’re able to acquire products at a discount, then turn around and resell them. Since the products have been legally purchased, it can be overlooked by Amazon’s legal department.

Amazon’s Premium Beauty Brand Gating makes both the hijacking and piggybacking on Amazon listings impossible. By enrolling in brand gating, sellers are able to block counterfeit sellers from listing certain ASINs on Amazon. That way, sellers need permission from brands to sell those specific products on Amazon.

“Amazon Premium Beauty (and brand gating) are important tools that allow our partners to protect their brand, and reputation. As Amazon’s marketplace becomes more crowded, knowing how to navigate the occasionally muddy waters has become a crucial element of eCommerce success”

Irrum Doss – Canopy Partner Success Team (PSM)

Challenges and Requirements

Unfortunately, it’s not all rainbows and unicorns.

Along with the many benefits of the Amazon Premium Beauty program come a few important challenges that brands must first navigate to maximize their success in the program.

Let’s admit it. A lot of Amazon sellers do not take eCommerce seriously. They just don’t. That’s apparent in their Amazon listings. Because the Amazon Premium Beauty program is so exclusive, you’re probably going to be competing against a higher level of seller. Brands are going to need to find ways to differentiate themselves and stand out from the competition.

It’s the same thing when it comes to the quality of your products. This program represents the “big leagues” of selling on Amazon. There’s no room for sub-par products.

In addition to being brand registered, participants in Amazon’s Premium Beauty need to have an active Amazon storefront, be at least 50% owned, Amazon Prime eligible, and NOT be available at large retailers such as Ulta, Sephora, Target, or Walmart.

Canopy Management Helps Brands Meet Amazon’s High Standards

As an Amazon Management agency, Canopy has extensive experience in the beauty category and a long history of helping brands maximize their success in the Premium Beauty program.

Here’s a short checklist detailing steps that Amazon beauty brands will want to concentrate on to have the most success on the platform.

1. Make Sure Your Product Listings are Perfect

Does perfect sound like an impossible task? Without help, it sometimes is. Canopy Management’’s Creative Services team will ensure that your product listings are perfectly constructed with ultra-high-quality images, compelling descriptions, and accurate, SEO-optimized product information.

2. Level Up Your Overall Marketing Strategy

Canopy takes the idea of full service seriously. Multiple teams of eCommerce experts utilize a combination of marketing strategies to increase our partners’ visibility on Amazon. In addition to PPC, and DSP advertising, Canopy’s pros have vast experience with social media, email marketing, influencer collaborations, and other marketing channels to drive traffic to your Amazon store.

3. A Data-Driven, Results-Oriented Approach

The often-repeated saying, “you can’t manage what you can’t measure” is particularly appropriate when discussing the analysis of your Amazon sales data or PPC campaign performance. Canopy’s data analysts are busily compiling an endless variety of metrics in order to identify trends and areas for improvement. If you’re able to make data-driven decisions, staying ahead of the competition becomes exponentially easier.

4. On Amazon, Customer Service Comes First

We’re all well aware of how focused Amazon is on the level of service that “their” customers receive. Even though shoppers might be repeat purchasers, in Amazon’s eyes, they belong to the eCommerce giant itself.

That’s why maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction is crucial for success on Amazon. Since the Amazon Premium Beauty program is perfectly designed for driving repeat business, Canopy’s ability to respond to issues as they pop up gives you an ace in the hole, and becomes a huge differentiator when compared to your competition.

How Canopy Management Can Help

The Amazon Premium Beauty program offers a unique opportunity for high-end beauty brands to reach a massive audience of customers and build their reputation in the beauty industry.

That’s a big part of the reason why a lot of those top brands have chosen to partner with Canopy Management. Canopy Management is a full-service marketing agency for Walmart and Amazon sellers. Our team consists of former Amazonians, multi-million dollar sellers, and award-winning experts.

When you consider the many ways that Canopy Management can help you grow your business, you’ll see why selling on Amazon is much easier “under the Canopy.”

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