Introducing the advantages, method, and flow for launching a brand
Here, we will introduce the advantages and flow for launching a brand, as well as how to build a brand using selling services on Amazon.
4,900 JPY a month (excluding tax) + selling fees
Advantages of launching a brand
Launching a brand involves the creation of a specific image for your products and services. The advantages are as follows.
▪ Differentiation from other companies' products
▪ You can create a specific image for your company and your products
▪ You can get more repeat customers and have an advantage over other companies
▪ You can create a specific image for your company and your products
▪ You can get more repeat customers and have an advantage over other companies
Amazon has prepared various programs to support the launch of brands and sales. Once you have acquired a trademark and are enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry, you can promote the launch of your brand by using a program to build and protect the brand.
Brand building program you can use with Amazon Brand Registry
Amazon Brand Registry is a program for brand owners that can be used by sellers with valid registered trademarks. If you enroll in Amazon Brand Registry, you can use a variety of programs to help you launch your brand. The following is an example.
Store page
Use your brand’s Amazon URL to help shoppers find your brand’s product lineup. Regardless of the size of the brand, the store provides an engaging place to introduce the brand's story, mission, and products to the audience.
Sponsored Brands
Sponsored Brands allows you to promote your brand and products with videos or still images. Engaging ads are useful for increasing brand awareness, encouraging purchases, and building long-term relationships.
How to launch a brand
You can launch your brand and sell offline (face-to-face) or online.
Offline: Establish a physical store, pop-up store, or flea market booth
Online: Open your own site or register on an existing ecommerce website
Online: Open your own site or register on an existing ecommerce website
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of each. Compare and consider them based on your business model, and launch your brand using the method that best suits you. Then, start selling.
1. Offline (face-to-face) sales
Selling in a physical store
Advantages
▪ Customers can actually hold the products
▪ Easy to get customer responses and impressions
▪ Customers can actually hold the products
▪ Easy to get customer responses and impressions
Disadvantages
▪ Likelihood of expensive startup costs such as tenant fees and renovations
▪ Sufficient preliminary investigation of the location is necessary
▪ Likelihood of expensive startup costs such as tenant fees and renovations
▪ Sufficient preliminary investigation of the location is necessary
Because customers can actually hold the product, it is easier for them to trust the product compared to an online shop where they cannot actually see the product until it arrives.
However, you will have to pay commercial rent and for renovations and other expensive startup costs, greatly increasing your risk.
However, you will have to pay commercial rent and for renovations and other expensive startup costs, greatly increasing your risk.
Pop-up stores and flea markets
Advantages
▪ Less costly than a physical store
▪ You can try opening stores in various places without limitations
▪ Customers can hold actually the product
▪ Less costly than a physical store
▪ You can try opening stores in various places without limitations
▪ Customers can hold actually the product
Disadvantages
▪ It is difficult to get regular customers, and you may not be able to establish a brand image
▪ You only have room for a small number of products
▪ It is difficult to get regular customers, and you may not be able to establish a brand image
▪ You only have room for a small number of products
Since pop-up stores only require renting an event space, the costs are lower than setting up a physical store.
On the other hand, if you do not set a target demographic or acquire regular customers, you might not be able to establish a brand image.
On the other hand, if you do not set a target demographic or acquire regular customers, you might not be able to establish a brand image.
2. Online (EC) sales
Compared to offline (face-to-face) sales, online sales have the following advantages.
Advantages
▪ Initial costs can be drastically reduced compared to offline sales, and it is possible to start with low risk
▪ You can reach customers all over the country
▪ Initial costs can be drastically reduced compared to offline sales, and it is possible to start with low risk
▪ You can reach customers all over the country
Disadvantages
▪ Since it is not possible for customers to hold the actual product, there may be a gap between the product and a customer’s expectations
▪ Since it is not possible for customers to hold the actual product, there may be a gap between the product and a customer’s expectations
Since the startup costs and the amount of labor required are low, online sales likely have the lowest barrier of entry. This method is especially recommended for beginners.
In order to sell your original brand online, set up a website and run an online store with your own domain name, sell products on an existing ecommerce website like Amazon.co.jp, or both.
Sales channel comparison
Own website
Amazon
(existing EC website)
Launching your own website with a unique domain name requires creating a website and doing marketing to attract customers, so the initial cost tends to be high. On the other hand, unlike an existing EC website, in many cases the profit margins are high because there are no selling fees.
By using an existing EC website that already has many customers, it is possible to start selling online faster and at a lower initial cost. If you’re selling online for the first time, we recommend going with an existing EC website.
By using an existing EC website that already has many customers, it is possible to start selling online faster and at a lower initial cost. If you’re selling online for the first time, we recommend going with an existing EC website.
With Amazon, you can reach over 300 million customers around the world. Right now, we are offering an Incentive program to promote sales for Professional sellers who have started selling by allowing them to test ad configurations for free.
If you are selling on Amazon for the first time
New Seller Incentives
We are offering an Incentive program to promote sales for Professional sellers who have started selling on Amazon.
▪ Get 10% back from your initial 7.5 million JPY in brand sales, and then 5% back until sales reach 150 million JPY
▪ 15,000 JPY
discount on inbound FBA shipping when using the Amazon Partnered Carrier program ▪ 7,500 JPY credit for Sponsored Product ads
▪ 7,500 JPY credit for coupons
3 steps to launch a brand
1. Market segment research
When launching a brand, it is vital to clarify which markets are best for success. To that end, we recommend that you conduct detailed research from the following three perspectives.
▪ Customer perspective:
- Grasp customer needs and trends
- Understand what customers are looking for
▪ Company (your company) perspective:
- Confirm your company's strengths and strategies
▪ Company (other company) perspective:
- Understand the conditions of other companies in the same industry
- Consider how your company can differentiate itself from other companies in the same industry
- Grasp customer needs and trends
- Understand what customers are looking for
▪ Company (your company) perspective:
- Confirm your company's strengths and strategies
▪ Company (other company) perspective:
- Understand the conditions of other companies in the same industry
- Consider how your company can differentiate itself from other companies in the same industry
By analyzing the market in detail from these three perspectives, it is possible to clarify which market is best to launch your brand. Also, it is important to differentiate yourself while utilizing your company's strengths within the most suitable market.
2. Brand concept design
When designing a brand concept, It is important to clarify 2 points: “for whom?” and “why?”
▪ For whom?: Who will use the product?
▪ Why?: Why use the product?
Try to create a specific image regarding what kind of value the product will provide for what kind of person. We recommend trying the “persona” method.
▪ For whom?: Who will use the product?
▪ Why?: Why use the product?
Try to create a specific image regarding what kind of value the product will provide for what kind of person. We recommend trying the “persona” method.
Specific example of a persona
• Name: Amazon Taro
• Gender: Male
• Age: 35 years old
• Residence: One of Tokyo’s 23 wards
• Occupation: Company employee
• Family composition: Lives with wife and daughter Household where both spouses work.
▪ Problem: Housework is difficult because both spouses are working.
• Name: Amazon Taro
• Gender: Male
• Age: 35 years old
• Residence: One of Tokyo’s 23 wards
• Occupation: Company employee
• Family composition: Lives with wife and daughter Household where both spouses work.
▪ Problem: Housework is difficult because both spouses are working.
Once the brand concept is clear, develop the product. It's also important to test whether the concept will be accepted by the intended customers.
The following page is recommended for the product development process.
The following page is recommended for the product development process.
3. Conduct promotions (advertising/attracting customers)
Once the brand's products are complete and ready to be sold, the final step is promotion (advertising/attracting customers). You can advertise with online advertisements or through social media.
Once you start selling on Amazon, you can promote sales at great prices by utilizing the benefits of free shipping fees when sending products to Amazon's Fulfillment Centers (logistics bases), and free credits that can be used for advertising. There are many other benefits, so you can execute an effective marketing strategy.
Once you start selling on Amazon, you can promote sales at great prices by utilizing the benefits of free shipping fees when sending products to Amazon's Fulfillment Centers (logistics bases), and free credits that can be used for advertising. There are many other benefits, so you can execute an effective marketing strategy.
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
Display the Amazon Prime badge for a product
With Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), you store your products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we pick, pack, ship, and provide customer service for the orders you receive. The Prime logo will appear on your products, which makes it easy for you to reach Amazon Prime members and many other customers. Help grow your business with FBA.
Advertising
Show off your products
Quickly create sponsored product ads that appear in relevant product search results and product detail pages to make it easier for buyers to find seller products. Pay only for the clicks your ads receive. Run deals or offer coupons to help increase conversion.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What should I prepare ahead of time to launch my brand?
In general, the things you should prepare before you launch a brand and start selling include:
- Initial cost (start-up capital): The initial costs required will vary depending on the scale of your business, whether you outsource product production or make them yourself, and other factors. If you are setting up a physical store, you need to account for costs like renovations and rent. The initial costs tend to be high.
- Notification of commencement of business: When launching a brand as a business, you must submit a notification of commencement of business. You need to submit it within one month from the date of the business start or other related events. Please check the National Tax Agency's website for details on the notification of commencement of business.
- Trademark registration: Trademark registration is not mandatory, but if someone else registers the same brand name, you will not be able to use it. Therefore, it is recommended to register your trademark in advance. Please check the Patent Office website for details on how to apply for trademark registration.
*The information above is current as of October 17, 2024, and we do not guarantee the accuracy, validity, or completeness of the content.
Also, when creating a brand and selling it online, create the online store account in advance. If you want to start selling on Amazon, you can create an account with the following 3 steps.
1. Go to the page to create an Amazon seller account.
2. Register an Amazon Seller Account.
• See the registration procedure in detail
• See details about the identity verification procedure required when registering
3. Provide information and undergo review on Seller Central to comply with the Installment Sales Act.
• See details about the review procedure for the Installment Sales Act
2. Register an Amazon Seller Account.
• See the registration procedure in detail
• See details about the identity verification procedure required when registering
3. Provide information and undergo review on Seller Central to comply with the Installment Sales Act.
• See details about the review procedure for the Installment Sales Act
Can I sell my original brand on Amazon?
Yes, it is possible. Amazon has prepared various programs and incentives to encourage brand sales. If you enroll in
Amazon Brand Registry, you can use various features to raise brand awareness, such as opening a brand store page, and features to protect your brand, such as tools to detect and report violations. Click here for information on how to protect and build a brand with Amazon Brand Registry.
Amazon Brand Registry, you can use various features to raise brand awareness, such as opening a brand store page, and features to protect your brand, such as tools to detect and report violations. Click here for information on how to protect and build a brand with Amazon Brand Registry.
Are there any advantages to launching a brand on Amazon?
The following are advantages of launching a brand on Amazon.
- Ability to attract customers: The number of monthly users in Japan has exceeded 60 million people1, allowing you to reach many users.
- Sales promotion support: Use Amazon’s tools for processing payments, managing reviews, running promotions, etc. Also, we are offering an Incentive program to promote sales for Professional sellers who have started selling on Amazon.
- Community: You can learn how to successfully sell online for free at Amazon Seller University. You can also ask questions and view other sellers' posts on Seller Discussion Forums, which is an online forum for Amazon sellers. These resources are valuable sources of information for online sales support and troubleshooting on Amazon.
- Brand building/protection: With Amazon Brand Registry, you can use brand building programs such as store pages and Vine, which gathers reviews, to improve brand awareness.
Amazon is also focusing on protecting brands so that brand owners can sell with peace of mind. Through continuous monitoring and prevention measures, over 99%2 of malicious listings are stopped before brand owners discover and report them.
Are there any incentives if I start selling a brand on Amazon?
We are offering an Incentive program to promote sales for Professional sellers who have started selling on Amazon. By taking advantage of the benefits, you can try out various sales promotion programs at a reasonable price.
The following is an example of the benefits.
The following is an example of the benefits.
*The benefits have certain conditions. Click here for details
*This program may end without notice.
*This program may end without notice.
- Get a 7,500 JPY credit for coupon fees
- Get a 7,500 JPY credit for using Sponsored Product ads
- Take 15,000 JPY off inbound FBA shipping using the Amazon Partnered Carrier program
- When you enroll in Amazon Brand Registry, you get 10% back on your first 7.5 million JPY in branded sales, then 5% back until sales reach 150 million JPY
4,900 JPY a month (excluding tax) + selling fees
Official social media accounts
Sell on Amazon operates official social media accounts.
Official YouTube Account
Sell on Amazon
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You can watch our videos from the button below.
You can watch our videos from the button below.
Official Twitter Account
@SellOnAmazonJP
LINE Official Account
@sellonamazonjp
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*Not all notifications from the categories above are available on LINE. Please continue to check your email and Seller Central.
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