Amazon Tries Product Samples; Google’s Jonathan Bellack Departs

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Thinking Inside The Box

Amazon is testing a program to deliver free product samples on behalf of brands like Maybelline and Folgers, Axios reports. With its ecommerce data, Amazon says the old-school free sample tactic can lead to “a higher likelihood of conversion than display ads,” according to a job posting. Amazon is already shipping items to millions of people, often in packages that can accommodate additional product without increasing costs. Without increasing Amazon’s costs, at least. Brands pay for the promotion. More. The move speaks to Amazon’s opportunity to boost trade marketing revenue, currently about $3 billion of Amazon’s $9 billion annual ad business, according to Pivotal Research. As CPGs and grocery brands embrace ecommerce, the marketing dollars traditionally spent with retailers on things like in-store signage, free samples and coupon circulars are finding a new home with Amazon.

DoubleClick OG Moves On

Google product management director Jonathan Bellack, a DoubleClick vet who led publisher ad platforms, is moving up and over to Jigsaw, an Alphabet subsidiary focused on privacy and cybersecurity products. “I loved my almost 15 years in ad tech with DoubleClick and Google,” Bellack wrote in a Facebook post. “But given the state of the world today, a chance to take a role 100% dedicated to trying to make a positive difference felt like the right thing to do.” LinkedIn.