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Amazon Offers Influencers $25 Per Video to Promote Inspire, New Shopping Feed

Amazon Offers Influencers $25 Per Video to Promote Inspire, New Shopping Feed

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In a bid to expand its reach and boost its newly launched shopping feed called Inspire, Amazon has extended an offer to influencers in a move that has sparked both interest and skepticism. The tech giant is proposing to compensate content creators with a meager $25 per video to promote its TikTok-inspired shopping feed, but this low rate has left many influencers hesitant to jump on board.

Amazon Offers Influencers $25 Per Video to Promote Inspire, New Shopping Feed
Image Source: itechpost.com

According to screenshots of emails circulating on social media, Amazon has contacted select influencers to produce videos showcasing two or more of its products. The offer includes $12,500 for creating a maximum of 500 videos. The desired content ranges from product reviews and comparisons to ranking videos and gift inspiration featuring multiple products. With an aim to gather a whopping 35,000 videos for its Inspire feed, Amazon is setting aside $875,000 for this influencer-driven campaign.

Inspire was introduced by Amazon in December 2022, allowing users to engage with a social feed of shoppable content. Oliver Messenger, the director of Amazon Shopping, explained that the feature permits customers to effortlessly discover new products aligned with their interests and promptly make purchases on the Amazon platform. The overarching objective behind Inspire is to augment Amazon’s assortment of “shoppable features” and construct an immersive shopping experience for customers.

Nonetheless, the $25 compensation per video has raised eyebrows among influencers and content creators. The prevailing rate for User Generated Content (UGC) videos stands at $212 on average, with a commonly requested rate of $150 per video, as reported by UGC agency Brands Meet Creators. Insights from UGC creators indicate a wide range of charges, spanning from $150 to $2,500 per video.

Amidst the reveal of Amazon’s offer, some influencers have publicly ridiculed the proposal on social media platforms. One user posted a screenshot of the email on a well-known microblogging site, alongside a dismissive comment implying that Amazon’s offer is far from satisfactory. Others shared similar sentiments, with one commentator scoffing at the proposition of earning “up to $25 per video.”

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While Amazon’s aspiration to leverage influencers to further enhance its Inspire shopping feed is clear, the industry consensus suggests that the offered compensation of $25 per video may not be sufficient to entice content creators to participate wholeheartedly. As discussions continue, the outcome remains uncertain, but one thing is evident: the world of influencer marketing is evolving rapidly, with compensation being a pivotal factor in shaping the dynamics between brands and influencers.

Amazon Is Imposing Fee on Sellers Who Ship Products Themselves

Amazon Is Imposing Fee on Sellers Who Ship Products Themselves

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In a significant shift that could impact third-party sellers on its platform, Amazon is reportedly introducing a new fee for merchants who choose not to utilize the company’s fulfillment service. 

Amazon Is Imposing Fee on Sellers Who Ship Products Themselves
Image Source: cnet.com

According to reports from Bloomberg and CNBC, this fee will come into effect on October 1st, targeting sellers enrolled in Amazon’s Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) program.

The SFP service, introduced by Amazon in 2015, allows third-party vendors to offer Prime products directly from their own warehouses, bypassing Amazon’s logistics process. While this offers sellers more control over their shipping operations, they are required to uphold Amazon’s stringent delivery standards, including one- to two-day shipping and weekend deliveries.

The timing of this fee imposition has raised eyebrows, especially considering the current regulatory environment. Reports suggest that the Federal Trade Commission is preparing an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon, adding to the company’s challenges. Additionally, this fee compounds the existing 8 to 15 percent commission that Amazon already deducts from orders on its platform.

The 2 percent fee could potentially serve Amazon’s strategic interests. By encouraging sellers to opt for its in-house fulfillment service, Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), the e-commerce giant gains tighter control over the logistics process while also capitalizing on rising FBA expenses. However, this move might attract regulatory attention, as it echoes accusations made against Amazon in 2019, alleging the company forced sellers into using FBA.

Amazon initially halted new enrollments in the SFP program in 2019, resuming the waitlist only in June of this year, purportedly to appease regulatory concerns. The exact reasoning behind this fee implementation remains unclear, as Amazon has yet to respond to requests for further information.

Also Read:  Amazon’s Robot Workers to Help Run Australia’s Largest Warehouse

For third-party sellers who have been enjoying the flexibility of the SFP program, this added charge could prompt a reassessment of their selling strategies. Some might see the fee as an incentive to shift towards Amazon’s fulfillment services, while others might be prompted to explore alternative platforms or shipping solutions.

As the e-commerce landscape evolves and competition intensifies, Amazon’s actions are being closely monitored by both sellers and regulators alike. While the fee introduction might be an attempt to consolidate Amazon’s control over its ecosystem, it could also spark fresh concerns about the company’s influence and practices within the industry. As the October 1st deadline approaches, sellers will need to carefully evaluate their options and consider the potential implications of this new fee on their business operations.

Amazon’s Robot

Amazon’s Robot Workers to Help Run Australia’s Largest Warehouse

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Amazon’s Australian expansion takes a bold step forward as it prepares to operate within the country’s largest warehouse, leveraging advanced robotics for unprecedented efficiency.

Amazon’s Robot
Independent.co.uk

This move underscores Amazon’s commitment to innovation, efficiency, and blending cutting-edge technology with human expertise in its Australian operations. The upcoming fulfilment centre, sprawling over an impressive 209,000 square meters – equivalent to around 29 football fields, is slated for completion by 2025. Situated at Melbourne’s Craigieburn Logistics Estate, this monumental project is set to redefine the e-commerce landscape in Australia.

The true innovation lies in the seamless collaboration between human workers and a fleet of high-tech robots. These robots are designed to work alongside employees, optimising the order fulfilment process. By transporting inventory pods directly to human workers, these robots significantly reduce the time and physical strain associated with tasks like stocking items and picking orders. This harmonious man-machine partnership showcases how technology can augment human labour to achieve unmatched efficiency.

Beyond its technological marvel, this fulfilment centre is a cornerstone for job creation in Australia. In conjunction with the robot workforce, Amazon plans to generate approximately 2,000 job opportunities. Furthermore, an additional 2,000 jobs will emerge during the construction and fit-out phase of the facility. Amazon’s commitment to fostering employment growth while embracing automation reflects its dedication to progressive business practices.

This ambitious project marks a substantial expansion of 9,000 square meters when compared to Amazon’s existing Western Sydney robotics site, introduced with great success in 2022. The warehouse’s development is backed by Australian Super, the nation’s largest pension fund, with Logos at the helm of management and development. This underscores the growing trend of unlisted assets, particularly warehouses, gaining prominence within Australia’s A$3.5 trillion pension industry. The surge in online shopping has transformed the investment landscape, driving a shift towards digital economy-focused opportunities.

Also Read: Uber Is Developing an AI-Powered Chatbot to Integrate Into App

As Amazon’s Australian venture prepares to embrace this new paradigm, the integration of advanced technology and human prowess takes centre stage. The union of robotic precision and human skill amplifies operational efficiency, showcasing the trans-formative power of collaboration. With the fulfilment centre’s completion on the horizon, the business world anticipates Amazon’s pioneering role in shaping the future of warehousing in Australia.

In conclusion, Amazon’s adoption of robotics in Australia’s largest warehouse signifies a monumental leap towards enhanced efficiency and innovation in the e-commerce sector. This unprecedented synergy between cutting-edge technology and human expertise reaffirms Amazon’s commitment to redefining the retail landscape. As the countdown to the fulfilment centre’s completion begins, the business realm eagerly anticipates the dawn of a new era in Australian warehousing.

Amazon

Amazon is working to boost the capability of Alexa. Here’s how

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Amazon Alexa, the voice-activated assistant, has quickly become a household name since its debut in 2014. It has evolved from a simple device that could answer basic questions to a fully-fledged platform that can control smart homes, plays music, set reminders, order groceries, and more.

Amazon
Image Source: wired.com

But Amazon is not stopping there. The company is working on boosting the capability of Alexa even further in several ways. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy revealed Monday that the company is developing a more “generalized and capable” large language model (LLM) to support Alexa.

Also Read: Amazon sees cloud slowdown in April, shares erase gains

Although Alexa has been powered by an LLM from Amazon, according to Jassy, the tech giant is currently developing a new LLM that will be more powerful. Jassy is certain that the addition of a better LLM will aid Amazon in its mission to create “the world’s best personal assistant,” but he also noted that it will be challenging to do so across a variety of fields.

“Large Language Model” (LLM) refers to a type of artificial intelligence technology that is used to process and analyze natural language data. Large Language Models are a type of deep learning model that uses neural networks to process large amounts of text data and generate outputs, such as text or speech.

Some examples of LLMs include OpenAI’s GPT series, Google’s BERT, and Facebook’s Roberta. These models are trained on massive datasets, often consisting of billions of words, in order to learn patterns and relationships in language. They use this knowledge to perform a variety of natural language processing tasks, such as language translation, sentiment analysis, and text generation.

LLMs have a wide range of applications, from language translation and sentiment analysis to chatbots and voice assistants. They are particularly useful in situations where a large amount of text data needs to be processed quickly and accurately.

Jassy emphasized that while Amazon has had years to invest in AI and LLMs, small businesses do not have the resources to do so, which is why the business released Bedrock earlier last month.

By using pre-trained models from firms like AI21 Labs, Anthropic, and Stability AI, Bedrock offers a method to create generative AI-powered applications. Bedrock also provides access to Titan FMs (foundation models), a collection of models that AWS has internally trained and is available in a “limited preview.”

Also Read: Amazon plans to trim employee stock awards amid tough economy

ChatGPT has taken over the internet and grown in popularity since its debut last year. Given the hype associated with ChatGPT, it should come as little surprise that top technology businesses are attempting to improve their own products using LLM in order to keep up with the rapidly evolving AI market.

The Information stated recently that Apple is creating Siri upgrades based on LLM. Google is probably taking similar steps with Assistant.

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Amazon sees cloud slowdown in April, shares erase gains

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Amazon.com Inc. gave a warning on Thursday that its long, soaring growth in cloud services would slow down even more as its business clients braced for uncertainty and cut back on spending, dominating the company’s exceedingly strong quarterly revenue and profit.

Amazon
Image Source: reuters.com

On the strength of its optimistic assessment of customer sentiment and the fact that it was holding its own against cloud competitors, Amazon’s stock originally gained over $125 billion in extended trading, only to see the whole gain disappear in just a couple of minutes.

Also Read: OpenAI rolls out ‘incognito mode’ on ChatGPT

Following comments from Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky, who informed analysts that cloud customers continued to try to reduce their bills as of the second quarter of the year and that Amazon was assisting them in doing so to foster long-term relationships, the share price fell.

Accordingly, he said, referencing a period that saw a consecutive decline, growth rates in revenue were approximately five percent lower in April than they were in the first quarter.

Now, shares are down 2%. The unexpected rise and collapse of Amazon are indications of a hazardous time for the business. Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon, has vowed to reduce expenditure across the company’s wide range of operations in response to what he has dubbed an unpredictable environment.

Amazon is also dealing with a growing threat from its cloud competitors Microsoft and Google, both of whom are releasing prominent artificial intelligence products.

The cost reductions are extensive. Since November, Amazon has intended to eliminate 27,000 corporate positions. As of the most recent quarter, 1.47 million full- and part-time employees, including those working in warehouses, made up its workforce.

The company is also discontinuing all of its services, including its Halo fitness trackers. Its nationwide fulfillment operation has been reorganized. With a loss of $3.84 billion a year earlier, these initiatives helped Amazon turn a $3.17 billion profit in the quarter that concluded on March 31. However, this did little to entice investors.

An analyst at Huntington National Bank named David Klink described the company’s cloud delay as “tremendous.” “You’re not seeing (that) at either Microsoft or Google,” said Klink, whose bank held $129 million in Amazon stock as of Thursday.

Amazon Cloud, also known as Amazon Web Services (AWS), is a cloud computing platform offered by Amazon. It provides a wide range of cloud-based services to businesses, organizations, and individuals.

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These services include computing power, database storage, content delivery, and other functionality that can be used to build and scale applications.

AWS is one of the leading cloud computing providers in the world, offering a highly scalable, flexible, and secure infrastructure that can be used to build and deploy applications of all sizes. It is used by millions of customers across a wide range of industries, including healthcare, finance, government, and education.

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Why is Amazon shutting down Halo Division?

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Amazon sent out a note to Halo customers today announcing that it is shutting down its Halo Health division, effective July 31. Included in the announcement is news of layoffs, as well as full refunds on hardware purchased over the past 12 months.

Amazon
Image Source: businesstoday.in

That includes Amazon Halo View, Halo Band, Halo Rise, and a bunch of accessories. That’s not an unprecedented move (Google did something similar when it recently shut down Stadia), but it’s a sign of goodwill for customers and a tacit acknowledgment that the hardware won’t be worth a hell of a lot when its associated services shut down. The company will also be ending subscription fees and refunding those that were pre-paid.

Also Read: OpenAI rolls out ‘incognito mode’ on ChatGPT

In a letter addressed to “Halo Member,” the company says, “At Amazon, we think big, experiment, and invest in new ideas like Amazon Halo in our efforts to delight customers.” All of the above-mentioned products will stop working at the start of August. Additionally, Amazon has included instructions on how to recycle the hardware and save scan images to a phone’s camera roll.

The corporation announced 9,000 layoffs at the end of last month, bringing the total to 18,000 since January. The first round had a disproportionately negative effect on Amazon’s hardware divisions, with the Alexa/Echo team receiving a lot of attention.

When the first Halo tracker went public in August 2020, privacy advocates reacted negatively. The range continued to expand swiftly, including the Halo View, an $80 Fitbit rival, along with other fitness and nutrition programs, in late 2021. It unveiled the Halo Rise, a nightstand sleep tracker, in September of last year, and it went on sale in December.

Amazon Halo is a fitness wearable device and accompanying app that was launched by Amazon in August 2020. The device is designed to help users improve their overall health and wellness by tracking various aspects of their lifestyle, including activity levels, sleep, body fat percentage, and even their tone of voice.

The Amazon Halo device is worn as a wristband and features sensors that can track a user’s heart rate, motion, and temperature. The device also has a microphone that can be used to analyze a user’s tone of voice and provide feedback on their communication style.

Overall, the Amazon Halo is designed to be a comprehensive health and wellness tool that can help users make positive changes to their lifestyle by providing personalized recommendations and insights.