Amazon incubators and aggregators have raised billions, scooping up independent merchants in the fight for ascendency. According to Marketplace Pulse, there are 80 active Amazon aggregators that have raised $10 billion in capital, with Thrasio leading the pack securing $3.4 billion in three short years. So, what's the size of the prize? According to a new report by JungleScout, Amazon is expected to end 2021with more than $468 billion in e-commerce revenue worldwide.
The competition is also fierce among the agencies that fuel growth for brands on Amazon as the e-commerce marketplace ecosystem continues to become more competitive, fragmented, and complex. One such business is Trivest-backed Fortress Brand, which supports partners in navigating, brand building, and accelerating sales across all e-commerce marketplaces, both domestically and internationally. Since 2012, the brand has secured 45 exclusive partnerships with beauty, health, and wellness brands like Glow Recipe, Youth to the People, and HUM Nutrition to control the channel, protect brand integrity, and drive growth on Amazon.
In an attempt to capture the full opportunity at hand while breaking through the noise by adding value to current clients and creating differentiation in services, Fortress Brand has entered into a strategic partnership with beauty brand whisperer Christopher Skinner and his powerhouse creative agency School House. Fortress Brand and School House connect creative and commerce to create a first-of-its-kind global omnichannel accelerator.
The companies will continue to operate independently, but the relationship will be deeply integrated across in-house teams and capabilities to drive growth across the entire brand lifecycle. School House's cutting-edge creative will power forward omnichannel brand experiences and conversions, while Fortress Brand's proprietary technology will inform data-driven brand positioning, product positioning, and campaign messaging.
“The accelerating number of beauty, health, and wellness brand launches, combined with rising global supply chain concerns and competition, underscores Fortress Brand's primary focus on identifying forward-thinking solutions for its client needs," noted Alex and Matt Beer, Fortress Brand's co-CEOs and founders. "The collective Fortress Brand and School House vision is to redefine the concept of client relations and brand partnerships by thoroughly understanding our brand partners' every need. Together, we can then drive growth through each stage of the brand lifecycle, equipping our brand partners with the right tools, teams, and support to meet those needs. The School House partnership represents an important milestone in our continued evolution into the leading global omni-channel accelerator for beauty, health, and wellness brands.”
The next phase of the strategic partnership will be the School House Studios, an immersive physical creative content studio, which is set to open in New York City in spring 2022.
“At School House, our mission has always been to ensure a distinct point of difference in every beauty brand we touch—from voice and tone, visual identity, and creative strategy, to campaign content and environmental design. This is our mainstay. The creative outcome is always unique," commented Christopher Skinner, founder and Principal of School House. "We are thrilled to now expand this philosophy by offering our clients a trusted partner in Fortress Brand that can continue the brand's lifecycle through a powerful presence on the world's most rapidly growing marketplaces and channels.”
