Your Ecommerce Coffee Break Newsletter ⭐ (Issue 110)

Hey, Claus here. Happy Tuesday to all the online sellers, marketers, and founders reading this newsletter!

Let’s start with something big—Amazon is testing a new approach that could be a game-changer for DTC brands. Instead of keeping shoppers on its platform, it’s now sending customers directly to brand websites when their products aren’t in stock.

This could mean more control, more data, and bigger margins for independent brands. Definitely something to watch.

In Today’s Edition:

• The Latest Ecommerce News: Handpicked Finds of the Week

• Podcast: (Ep 373) Shopify Accounting For Your E-commerce Business

• Your Ads Are Helping Your Competitors—Here’s How To Fix That

Grab your favorite drink and dive into this week’s ecommerce updates. 👇

🎙️ ECOMMERCE COFFEE BREAK PODCAST

In Monday's episode, Jason Richelson, CEO and Co-founder of Bookkeep.com, discussed the often-overlooked complexities of accounting in growing eCommerce businesses.

🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast app: [Website] [Apple Podcasts] [Spotify] [YouTube]

Check out our playlist with over 400 free episodes on ecommerce and marketing.

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Showcase your menu with interactive icons, nutritional info, and quick buy options.

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🔘 Explore LOCAL and serve up a better online experience today!

📰 ECOMMERCE NEWS (Handpicked Finds of the Week)

General Ecommerce News

• The Biggest Branding Mistakes & How a Human-Centric Approach Can Fix Them [read more]

• Customer Experience Is the New King! Why Products Alone Won’t Win in 2025 [read more]

• The $100 Billion Pet Industry Is Getting a D2C Makeover—Meet the Brands Leading the Charge [read more]

• How AI Will Redefine Customer Experiences in 2025 [read more]

Platforms & Marketplaces

• TikTok Shop Just Got Bigger! New Subscription Model Takes Aim at Amazon [read more]

• Amazon x Canva? Here’s How Creators Can Now Design Stunning Storefronts [read more]

• Alexa 2.0: Amazon’s Smart Assistant Gets a Major AI Upgrade [read more]

• Third-Party Sellers Are Winning! Amazon Shifts Power to Independent Brands [read more]

• Amazon’s Wild Experiment: Sending Shoppers Directly to Brand Websites! [read more]

Social Media & Advertising

• YouTube Breaks Records with $10.4 Billion Ad Revenue! What’s Driving the Boom? [read more]

• BuzzFeed’s Secret Plan: A New Social Media App Called BF Island! [read more]

• Instagram’s ‘Dislike’ Button Is Here—What It Means for Engagement [read more]

• Google Ads Just Launched a Game-Changer—Here’s How Performance Max Can Boost Your ROI [read more]

• Old-School Marketing Hacks That Still Work in 2025! [read more]

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• Performance Max Just Got Smarter! How Google’s New Feature Can Boost Your Ads [read more]

• The Ultimate Canva Hack for Amazon Sellers—Create Winning Storefronts! [read more]

• TikTok’s New Subscription Model—How It’s Changing E-commerce & What Sellers Should Do Next [read more]

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🔥 YOUR ADS ARE HELPING YOUR COMPETITORS—HERE’S HOW TO FIX THAT

You’re spending money on ads, but are you building your brand or just promoting your industry? When you rely too much on broad category insights, your messaging starts looking like everyone else’s. That means your ads might make customers crave a burger or a pizza—but not necessarily yours.

The Cost of Being Generic

• Burger King’s “Bundles of Joy” campaign focused on moms craving burgers. The problem? It didn’t make Burger King the must-have brand.

• Papa John’s Christmas ad played on post-party food cravings but failed to differentiate itself from other pizza brands.

• Peet’s Coffee emphasized expert roasting. So does every other coffee brand.

Generic storytelling weakens brand identity. If you can swap logos with a competitor and the ad still works, you’ve lost your edge.

How to Own Your Brand Story

  Find your edge. Dig into your brand history, product details, and customer experiences. What’s the one thing only you can claim?

 Turn features into signature assets. Heineken’s “Forgotten Beers” ad made a universal insight feel uniquely theirs. What’s your version of that?

 Avoid lazy storytelling. "Delicious food," "quality coffee," and "convenient delivery" are category truths—not brand truths.

If you don’t define what makes you different, your competitors will take the sale. Skip the generic messaging. Own your brand’s unique edge.

Read the full article to learn how to stop blending in and start standing out.

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