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Amazon Consultant: Senior Operators, Not Repackaged Agency Services
A senior amazon consultant for brands selling through Amazon, Walmart, Target+, and the broader retail-media ecosystem. Strategy across listing, advertising, brand store, fulfillment, and DTC-Amazon interlock, independent of any agency.
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A senior amazon consultant for brands selling through Amazon, Walmart, Target+, and the broader retail-media ecosystem
Why teams hire a Chameleon Amazon consultant
Strategy first, not ad-spend management
Most Amazon consulting is repackaged ad-management, campaign optimization on Amazon DSP and Sponsored Ads delivered as monthly retainers. That's an execution layer, not strategy. Real Amazon consulting starts with category strategy, channel role, listing architecture, and DTC-Amazon interplay, then decides what ad management looks like. We don't sell ad management; we sell strategy.
DTC + Amazon as one operating model
The brands that win on Amazon don't run it as a separate channel. They wire Amazon to DTC: pricing strategy, brand-protection, content reuse, customer-list portability, ad-spend allocation. Our consultants build the cross-channel operating model rather than optimizing Amazon in isolation.
Retail-media ecosystem fluent
Amazon is the largest retail-media platform but no longer the only one. Walmart Connect, Target Roundel, Instacart, Kroger Precision Marketing, and TikTok Shop are all real retail-media surfaces. The right strategy decides where to invest beyond Amazon, not just how to optimize within it.
Why hire an Amazon consultant from Chameleon Collective
Amazon as a channel is one of the most strategically misunderstood surfaces in eCommerce. The default approach, sign with an Amazon agency, hand them Sponsored Ads management, optimize ACOS, is execution against an unclear strategy. The real questions are upstream: should we sell wholesale (1P) or third-party (3P) or hybrid? Does Amazon cannibalize our DTC or extend it? Are we building a brand on Amazon or running it as a clearance channel? Is the retail-media ecosystem starting to favor Walmart or TikTok Shop over Amazon for our category? Most brands skip these questions and pay agencies to optimize against the wrong shape.
1P vs 3P is the most consequential decision
Most brands start on Amazon via Vendor Central (1P, Amazon is the customer, you sell wholesale) and discover the economics are punishing, chargebacks, forced price reductions, opaque demand signals. Many would do better on Seller Central (3P, you sell direct to consumer, pay a referral fee, control pricing and content). Some need a hybrid. Most Amazon agencies don't have a stake in this decision and stay quiet on it. We don't sell ad management, so the recommendation matches the math.
Brand protection is half the work
Unauthorized resellers, listing hijacking, counterfeit products, MAP violations, the brand-protection workstream is where most brands lose value on Amazon without realizing it. Our engagements typically include a brand-protection audit and remediation plan: reseller policy enforcement, Brand Registry maximization, listing-hijacker takedowns, MAP monitoring, A+ content rebuilds that protect against compromise.
Retail-media beyond Amazon
For most CPG and home brands, the Amazon-versus-Walmart-Connect decision is becoming live, Walmart's retail media platform is growing 35%+ year over year and the audience for certain categories converts better there. TikTok Shop is a real surface for beauty, fashion, and impulse categories. Our consultants build the retail-media allocation model rather than defaulting to Amazon-only programs.
What our Amazon consulting engagements cover
- Channel strategy: 1P vs 3P vs hybrid, Amazon-as-extender vs Amazon-as-channel, DTC-Amazon pricing strategy.
- Listing + content architecture: listing optimization, A+ content, brand store design, video content, mobile-first design.
- Brand protection: Brand Registry maximization, reseller policy enforcement, listing hijacker remediation, MAP monitoring.
- Advertising strategy: Sponsored Ads, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display, Amazon DSP allocation; agency selection and oversight.
- Fulfillment + logistics: FBA vs FBM vs SFP, inventory planning, IPI optimization, multi-channel fulfillment integration.
- Retail-media diversification: Walmart Connect, Target Roundel, Instacart, Kroger Precision Marketing, TikTok Shop allocation.
- Reporting + reconciliation: Amazon profitability modeling, chargeback recovery, full P&L visibility.
- In-house team build or agency oversight: Amazon manager hire plan, or agency selection + brief + performance review.
How We Compare
| Feature | Chameleon Collective | Amazon agency / SP-network firm | In-house Amazon manager hire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategy independent of ad-spend economics | Yes, consulting fees, not ad management | No, retainer + media spend incentive | Yes |
| 1P vs 3P recommendation honesty | Default, recommendation matches the math | Often biased toward what they can manage | Hire-dependent |
| Cross-retail-media (Walmart, Target, TikTok) | In scope by default | Usually Amazon-only | Hire-dependent |
| Brand protection workstream | Standard part of the engagement | Sometimes; varies by agency |
Frequently asked questions
Common questions from teams evaluating Amazon and marketplace consulting.
For many brands, yes, but not all. 3P gives you pricing control, content control, faster payment cycles, and better data, at the cost of operating overhead (fulfillment, customer service, ad management). For brands with margin pressure, complex SKU sets, or 1P chargeback issues, 3P is usually the right move. For brands with low SKU counts, strong wholesale relationships, and clean demand signals, 1P can still work. Our diagnostic runs the unit economics and surfaces a recommendation tied to your specific situation, not a generalization.
Strategy is the focus. We design the ad strategy, set the targets, and oversee execution, usually delegated to an in-house team or to an ad-management agency we manage on your behalf. We don't sell ad management because the business model creates conflicts with strategic advice. Most engagements end with a clearer brief delivered to the existing or replacement ad partner.
Most engagements run $20K-$45K per month, scoped to outcome. A focused audit + 90-day strategy reset starts around $25K. Full multi-quarter engagements with channel-strategy rebuilds and retail-media diversification run 4-8 months at the upper end.
Yes. Amazon Business is a real channel for B2B brands and underutilized by most. Strategy patterns are different (longer purchase cycles, contract-pricing visibility, account-based selling) but the operating model translates.
In scope by default. For most CPG, home, and consumer brands the Amazon-vs-Walmart Connect decision is increasingly live, and TikTok Shop is meaningful for select categories. Our engagements build a retail-media allocation model across the major platforms, not Amazon-only programs.
Yes, RFP design, agency evaluation, contract review, ongoing performance oversight. We don't take referral fees from agencies, so the recommendation matches your needs.
Directly. Chameleon Collective is a senior-only collective. No account-management layer between you and the consultant.
Related Services
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Two-week diagnostic across channel strategy, brand protection, ad allocation, and retail-media diversification. Senior consultant on it from day one.
