Newsletter - Febuary 2025
Creator Connections: Moving Budget from Speculative to Performance
The days of blindly throwing ad dollars into PPC campaigns and hoping for a return are over. Performance-based partnerships are here, and Amazon’s Creator Connections is giving brands and influencers a new way to collaborate with bonus commissions on top of Amazon’s standard affiliate rates. Instead of spending $13K on ads hoping for $130K in sales, brands can pay $13K in commission on actual revenue—a shift that removes speculation and puts performance at the forefront.
What Is Creator Connections?
Amazon’s Creator Connections is a free-to-join program that allows influencers and content creators to earn extra commissions by partnering with brands. Unlike traditional affiliate programs, this model offers exclusive brand campaigns, personalized partnerships, and additional financial incentives for creators.
Why It Matters:
✅ Access to Top Brands – Work with household names like Reebok, Microsoft, Anker, and more.
✅ Bonus Commissions – Earn extra payouts beyond standard Amazon affiliate rates.
✅ Content Control – Choose products that align with your audience and promote them on your terms.
The Reality: What Influencers Are Saying
While Creator Connections offers new opportunities, seasoned Amazon influencers are noticing growing pains in the program and the industry at large:
📉 Increased competition – More influencers mean video saturation, leading to fewer views per creator.
🔄 Amazon’s evolving algorithm – Frequent changes in video placement strategies impact earnings unpredictably.
🤖 Quality vs. Quantity Matters More Than Ever – The best-performing creators are focusing on high-value content, comparison videos, and cross-platform promotion (TikTok, YouTube, Instagram) instead of mass-producing product reviews.
How to Make Creator Connections Work for You
🔹 Repost and Repurpose Content – Top influencers maximize reach by sharing their content across multiple platforms and testing different posting times.
🔹 Diversify Revenue Streams – Successful creators aren’t just relying on Amazon—they’re also leveraging YouTube AdSense, TikTok Shop, and third-party affiliate programs.
🔹 Be Selective – Pick brand partnerships strategically. Prioritize products that align with your audience and that you genuinely believe in.
Is Creator Connections Right for You?
If you’re a content creator, influencer, or brand looking for a more performance-driven way to generate revenue, this could be a game-changer. But as with any emerging program, adaptability is key.
Want to know how to integrate Creator Connections into your e-commerce growth strategy? Let’s talk.
📸 Need Product Images? We’ve Got You Covered!
For just $2,500, get high-quality product images that make your listings stand out.
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📩 Interested? Reply to this email, and we’ll take care of the rest.
🌍 CosmoProf 2025: Innovation, Trends & What’s Next
Like every year before it, CosmoProf 2025 delivered an incredible lineup of brands, manufacturers, and packaging experts pushing the boundaries of quality, creativity, and customer-centric innovation.
Beauty Is Personal—And It’s Evolving
Beauty isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about identity, self-expression, and trust. Much like food, the products people choose are deeply personal, shaping their confidence and well-being. This year, it was exciting to see a shift toward cleaner, safer, and biologically impactful solutions, moving beyond surface-level marketing into true innovation.
🚀 Trends That Stood Out at CosmoProf 2025
🔹 Hair Color Explosion – Vibrant hues, natural tones, and specialty dye products were everywhere. The demand for self-expression through hair color is only growing.
🔹 Beyond Fruits & Plants: Fermentation & Animal-Derived Ingredients – Ingredient trends are evolving with a strong push toward:
📌 Fermented skincare and haircare solutions for enhanced bioavailability.
📌 Rendered ingredients from plant and animal sources making their way into formulations.
🔹 Bold & Bright Branding – Some regions are setting new standards in product storytelling and visual appeal with vibrant, highly expressive designs that could resonate strongly with U.S. audiences.
🔹 K-Beauty’s Science-Driven Minimalism – The clean, lightweight, lab-meets-nature aesthetic remains a core part of this space, blending cutting-edge science with a focus on simplicity.
🔹 Representation & Diversity on Display – More hair types, skin tones, and product applications were front and center, highlighting a push toward truly inclusive beauty.
🔹 Barber & Beauty Appliances on the Rise – More tools and devices than ever before were showcased, emphasizing a growing category in professional and at-home grooming.
🤖 How We’re Leveraging AI to Drive E-Commerce Success
AI isn’t just hype—it’s a strategic advantage. At Hawke Media, we’ve built and deployed custom AI tools to streamline e-commerce operations, enhance product detail pages, navigate complex contracts, and track competitor movements.
📌 AI-Powered Detail Page Optimization (Fully Deployed)
Our proprietary GPT automates 80% of product detail page creation, ensuring high-performing listings with optimized structure, content, and keyword placement.
✅ Smart keyword integration based on years of performance data.
✅ Concise, conversion-driven copy for better customer experience.
✅ Automated formatting & structuring for higher engagement.
This tool is already in full use, helping brands improve conversion rates and reduce manual content work.
📜 AI-Powered Contract Intelligence (Partially Deployed & Refining)
We’ve structured the full UNFI, KeHE, and US Foods vendor agreements into our AI system, making them instantly searchable and interactive for contract compliance and operational planning.
🔹 Scenario Simulation – Want to know what happens if a shipment is shorted, back-ordered, or canceled? Our AI enables "what-if" analysis to assess risks before they impact operations.
🔹 Real-Time Contract Q&A – No more digging through PDFs—ask specific questions, and the AI pulls relevant clauses in seconds.
This tool exists and is actively being refined to provide even deeper insights into profitability, assortment decisions, and vendor negotiations.
📊 Competitive Intelligence & Promotional Monitoring (In Development)
We’re building an AI-driven competitive tracking system that monitors and analyzes competitor marketing campaigns in real time.
🔹 Automated Tracking – Capturing promotional emails, texts, and digital ads to reveal pricing strategies, promotional timing, and content trends.
🔹 Data-Driven Adjustments – Helping brands pivot their pricing and promotional efforts based on real-time competitor insights.
While this initiative is still in development, it will soon give brands unprecedented visibility into market movements.
AI Is Changing the Game—Are You Ready?
From e-commerce optimization to contract compliance and competitive insights, we’re using AI to solve real business challenges. If you want to see how these tools can impact your bottom line, let’s talk.
📅 What’s Next: Upcoming Events
🔹 Expo West 2025 – March 4-7, Anaheim
The leading trade show for natural and organic brands, showcasing the latest in food, beauty, and wellness. A great space for emerging brands to connect with retailers and expand their market presence.
🔹 Prosper Show 2025 – March 25-27, Las Vegas
A must-attend event for brands selling on Amazon, featuring top industry experts, networking opportunities, and cutting-edge strategies to scale your e-commerce business.
Planning to attend? Let’s connect!