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Month: April 2026

Where is the Best Amazon Talent Being Developed: Agencies or Brands?

It’s a question I get asked regularly by both candidates and clients: where does the best Amazon talent actually come from? Is it the fast-paced agency environment, the strategic depth of brand-side roles, or somewhere in between?

After countless conversations with Amazon professionals at every stage of their careers, I’ve developed a clear perspective on this. And the answer might not be as straightforward as you’d expect.

The Agency Advantage: Accelerated Learning Through Exposure

There’s no denying that Amazon agencies offer something quite unique when it comes to professional development: variety at speed.

When I speak with candidates who’ve spent time agency-side, what strikes me most is the breadth of experience they’ve gained in a relatively short period. We’re talking about professionals who’ve worked across:

  • Multiple product categories from FMCG to electronics to beauty
  • Different brand sizes from challenger brands to household names
  • Varying levels of Amazon maturity from marketplace newcomers to established sellers
  • Diverse marketing strategies spanning PPC, DSP, content optimisation and beyond

This exposure means that someone with two or three years at a strong Amazon agency may have encountered challenges and scenarios that would take five or more years to experience in a single brand role.

I often describe it as compressing your learning curve. You’re essentially getting a masterclass in what works, what doesn’t, and why, across a huge range of contexts.

The Brand-Side Benefit: Commercial Depth and Strategic Ownership

That said, there’s a reason brand-side Amazon roles remain highly sought after.

Working within a brand offers something agencies simply can’t replicate: deep commercial ownership. These professionals aren’t just executing campaigns or optimising listings. They’re responsible for:

  • Full P&L accountability for their Amazon channel
  • Inventory and supply chain decisions that directly impact availability and profitability
  • Pricing strategy aligned with broader business objectives
  • Cross-functional collaboration with teams across marketing, finance, operations and beyond

Brand-side professionals develop a more strategic perspective. They understand how Amazon fits within a wider commercial picture and they learn to influence at a senior level.

When I interview candidates from brand backgrounds, they often demonstrate a depth of commercial thinking that comes from owning outcomes end-to-end, not just delivering against a brief.

The Real Answer: The Best Amazon Leaders Have Both

Here’s what I’ve noticed consistently across the strongest Amazon professionals I’ve placed into senior roles: they’ve experienced both environments.

These individuals bring together:

  • The breadth of tactical knowledge gained from agency exposure
  • The commercial depth and strategic mindset developed brand-side
  • An ability to think both short-term execution and long-term business growth

This combination creates professionals who can see the full picture. They understand the nuances of different brand challenges because they’ve seen dozens of them. And they know how to translate that into meaningful commercial impact because they’ve owned the numbers.

Why This Matters for the Industry

As the Amazon ecosystem continues to mature, the demand for well-rounded talent will only increase.

Businesses benefit when they hire professionals who’ve gained diverse perspectives. And candidates benefit when they intentionally build careers that expose them to different working environments.

For hiring managers, my advice is this: don’t dismiss candidates simply because their experience is weighted towards one side. Look at the quality of their exposure, the challenges they’ve tackled and their appetite for continued growth.

For candidates considering your next move, think strategically about what your career needs. If you’ve spent years agency-side, a brand role might round out your commercial experience. If you’ve only worked in-house, agency exposure could accelerate your tactical expertise significantly.

Let’s Talk About Your Amazon Hiring Needs

Whether you’re building an Amazon team or considering your next career move in this space, I’d love to hear from you. I work with agencies, brands and growing businesses across the Amazon ecosystem and I’m always happy to share insights on the market.

Drop me a message or connect with me here. Let’s have a conversation about where the best opportunities lie for you.

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Why Building an In-House Content Marketing Team is Your Smartest Commercial Decision

There’s a conversation I keep having with D2C brand leaders that goes something like this: “We’ve been outsourcing our content, but something isn’t clicking. The results are fine, but they’re not moving the needle on revenue.”

I get it. And honestly, I think it’s time we talked about why bringing content marketing capability in-house isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a direct line to commercial growth.

The Direct Link Between Content and Revenue

Here’s what I’ve observed across dozens of placements in the digital marketing space: the brands seeing the strongest content-to-revenue connection are those with dedicated in-house teams who truly understand the product, the customer and the commercial goals.

When your content team sits within your business, they’re not just creating blog posts or social media updates. They’re building a revenue engine.

Consider what an in-house content team actually delivers:

  • Speed to market with campaigns that respond to real-time customer behaviour
  • Brand consistency that builds trust and recognition over time
  • Deep product knowledge that translates into genuinely persuasive content
  • Direct collaboration with sales, product and customer service teams

For D2C brands especially, where the customer journey from discovery to purchase happens entirely in digital spaces, this alignment is everything.

The Different Roles That Make Up a Strong Content Team

One thing I’ve noticed when working with growing brands is confusion around what roles they actually need. Content marketing isn’t one job; it’s a collection of specialisms that work together.

Here’s how I typically see successful in-house teams structured:

  • Content Strategist – owns the overarching plan and ensures content ties back to commercial objectives
  • Copywriters – craft the messaging across web, email, ads and product descriptions
  • SEO Specialist – ensures content gets found by the right people at the right time
  • Social Media Manager – builds community and drives engagement on owned channels
  • Content Producer/Editor – manages workflows, quality control and publishing schedules

The specific mix depends on your business stage and priorities, but the principle remains: each role contributes a distinct skill that strengthens the whole.

What About AI? Can’t That Replace a Content Team?

I’d be lying if I said this question doesn’t come up in nearly every conversation I have with hiring managers & candidates alike right now.

My honest take? AI is a brilliant tool for efficiency, ideation and scaling certain tasks. But it cannot replace the human understanding that comes from being embedded in your business.

An AI tool doesn’t know that your best-selling product resonates most with first-time parents who value sustainability. It doesn’t pick up on the subtle shift in customer sentiment after a product launch. It can’t sit in a meeting with your commercial director and understand next quarter’s priorities.

The brands getting this right use AI to enhance their team’s output, not replace the team itself. They’re hiring smart content marketers who know how to use these tools strategically while bringing the creativity, judgement and brand intuition that machines simply cannot replicate.

The Market Reality for D2C Brands

From what I’m seeing across the digital marketing recruitment landscape, D2C brands are increasingly recognising that content execution directly impacts revenue. The days of treating content as a “brand awareness” afterthought are fading. Smart leaders are investing in content teams who understand:

  • Customer acquisition costs and how content reduces them
  • Conversion rate optimisation through better product storytelling
  • Retention and loyalty driven by valuable, consistent communication

This shift means competition for skilled content marketers is growing. The candidates I speak with are looking for roles where they can see their work translate into tangible business results, and they’re drawn to brands that take content seriously as a commercial function.

Ready to Build Your Content Capability?

If you’re considering bringing content marketing in-house or strengthening your existing team, I’d genuinely love to hear from you. I work with D2C and digitally-focused brands every day to find content talent that drives real commercial impact.

Whether you’re hiring your first content strategist or building out a full team, drop me a message. Let’s talk about what you need and how I can help you find the right people to make it happen.

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Interview Skills That Set Graduate Candidates Apart in Supply Chain

If you’ve just graduated and you’re preparing for your first supply chain interview, you’ve probably read dozens of generic tips about dressing smartly and arriving on time. While those basics matter, I want to share something more valuable based on the feedback I receive from hiring managers every week.

The graduates who get offers aren’t always the ones with the best grades. They’re the ones who truly understand the role they’re applying for.

Why Role Understanding Makes All the Difference

I’ve placed early career professionals into supply chain positions, and the feedback I get from clients follows a clear pattern. When a candidate doesn’t progress, the reason is rarely about technical knowledge. It’s almost always some version of: “They couldn’t articulate why they wanted this specific role.”

On the other hand, when a graduate nails an interview, hiring managers tell me things like: “They clearly understood what the day-to-day looks like” or “They asked questions that showed they’d really thought about the position.”

How to Genuinely Understand the Role Before Your Interview

Here’s how to go beyond surface-level preparation:

Read Between the Lines of the Job Description

Don’t just skim the bullet points. Ask yourself:

  • What problems is this company trying to solve by hiring someone?
  • Which responsibilities appear first, and why might they be prioritised?
  • What skills are mentioned repeatedly?

Research the Company Beyond Their Website

Anyone can recite a company’s mission statement. To stand out:

  • Look at their LinkedIn page for recent news and team updates
  • Search for industry articles mentioning the company
  • Check if they’ve won any supply chain awards or certifications
  • Research their key suppliers or customers if publicly available

Understand Where the Role Sits Within the Team

If you can find out who you’d be working alongside and what the team structure looks like, you’ll ask better questions and give more relevant answers. Use LinkedIn to see how others in similar roles describe their work.

Remember: The Interview Works Both Ways

Here’s something I remind every graduate candidate: you’re not just there to be assessed. You’re also deciding whether this company and role are right for your career.

When you approach the interview as a two-way conversation, something shifts. You come across as more confident, more engaged, and more like a future colleague than someone simply hoping to be picked.

The Career Growth Angle

Supply chain is a field with genuine progression opportunities for those who start strong. Making a great impression in your first role opens doors, whether that’s internal promotions or building a reputation that follows you throughout your career.

The effort you put into understanding a role before the interview isn’t just about getting the job. It’s about setting yourself up for long-term success.

Currently preparing for supply chain interviews or thinking about your next career move?

I work with graduates and early career professionals looking to break into and progress within supply chain. If you’d like to chat about opportunities or want some specific advice for an upcoming interview, feel free to connect with me or drop me a message. I’m always happy to help.

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