Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Bradley Sutton from Helium 10 joins the pod to break down how serious brands should be thinking about Amazon now: not as a backup channel, but as a core retail growth engine. We get into where Amazon fits in an omni-channel stack, how PPC has gotten way more complex, why Walmart and TikTok Shop matter more than most brands admit, and where sellers can actually use AI for efficiency. Sign Up for Helium 10: https://www.helium10.com/?utm_source=DTC&amp;utm_medium=Podcast&amp;utm_campaign=homepage In this episode, we cover: Why Amazon has shifted from “nice to have” to a core acquisition and retention channel How top sellers use PPC automation, dayparting, and keyword harvesting to manage spend without blowing budget What Helium 10 actually helps with, from product research and listing optimization to competitive intel and campaign management Why TikTok Shop and Walmart aren’t side quests anymore How to think about Rufus, AI shopping tools, and what actually matters right now If you’re a DTC founder or an ecommerce operator scaling across Amazon, Walmart, and TikTok Shop and you want cleaner CAC, better retail media performance, and fewer wasted ad dollars, this episode is a must listen. Helium 10 is a platform that brings research, operations, Amazon advertising, and performance insights together so you can scale faster across marketplaces. Timestamps 00:00 Amazon beyond a traffic source 02:00 Amazon as a core growth channel 03:30 Multi-channel fulfillment and expansion 06:30 Why Amazon ads are now critical 08:00 Organic vs paid growth on Amazon 12:00 Product research and competitor analysis 15:00 Validating demand before launching 19:00 Amazon vs TikTok vs Walmart strategy 23:00 AI impact on Amazon shopping behavior 28:00 Branded keyword bidding strategy 32:00 Automation and dayparting for ads 36:00 Biggest mistakes Amazon advertisers make Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse Follow us on Instagram &amp; Twitter - @dtcnewsletter Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Bonus: How to Scale Amazon in 2026 – 3 Data Plays DTC Brands Are Still Missing

DTC Podcast

# Full Transcript

**Podcast:** DTC Podcast

## Participants

- **Eric Dick** (DTC Newsletter and Podcast)
- **Bradley Sutton** (Helium 10)

## Transcript

How are the smartest advertisers thinking about Amazon beyond it being a traffic source? What mature brands are realizing is, talk to me about how you use Helium 10 to be more efficient. Data analytics is key. We have by far the largest database of Amazon data out there. Success on Amazon is all about doing all the little stuff, even if it means moving the needle 1%, 2%. Most people who have never dealt with Amazon, they are just shocked at the amount of data that Amazon gives.

They don't know what to do with it. On other platforms, they could just guess and just get by by doing whatever they think is best with their own internal teams. But Amazon gives so much data that it is absolutely insane that brands are not leveraging that to make their decisions. Bradley, welcome to the DTC Podcast. I'm excited to jump into this. I was chatting with my Amazon team before.

They've, at Pilothouse, been longtime users of Helium 10 across the whole product offering. So cool to catch up with you. Great to be here. Thank you for inviting me. Let's start a little bit. I'm just curious your perspective on the evolution of Amazon as a platform. How are the smartest advertisers thinking about Amazon beyond it just being maybe a traffic source? How it's changed is, first of all, for years, especially with peaking in COVID, Amazon was a place to launch a brand.

If you've never been DTC or anything, just any mom and pop could launch an Amazon. Technically, you still can. I know of people doing that often, but nowhere near the numbers as it was. But now what mature brands are realizing is that, hey, I can't just look at Amazon as, oh, it's a nice to have. Let me go ahead and have some inventory there. And if there's some spillover from people who don't want to convert on my website or maybe they bought me in store and they're going to go search me on Amazon.

No, like Amazon is just a behemoth just in retail as is. And so what a lot of huge brands that were ignoring Amazon for years, I think saw starting during COVID was, hey, first of all, the world can change at any time. And stores, your brick and mortar just closes down. You can't go. And the only place to go is online. And people only trust Amazon to get stuff so fast. And it's not just America. Like in other countries, too, there's like two hour delivery in three hours.

So I think brands are really looking to it as, hey, this is a serious channel that it's not just a backup plan or let me get some spillover branded search on Amazon. But it's, first of all, a place where people are shopping your brand, but also where you can get new to brand customers by advertising, not in your own brand search. Maybe it's somebody who's never even heard of you, no matter how big you are. But millions of people are searching Amazon just generic terms like collagen powder a...

Bonus: How to Scale Amazon in 2026 – 3 Data Plays DTC Brands Are Still Missing

Transcript

Built for investment professionals

Every day you wait, your competitors are finding
edge in conversations you're not hearing.

Bonus: How to Scale Amazon in 2026 – 3 Data Plays DTC Brands Are Still Missing

Transcript

Built for investment professionals

Every day you wait, your competitors are findingedge in conversations you're not hearing.

Every day you wait, your competitors are finding
edge in conversations you're not hearing.