April 13, 2015

By Tammy Sachs
 

Source: Amazon

When I first saw the Amazon Dash video, my immediate thought was "How much did Tide pay for product placement?" Now, I'm no cynic and if a marketer serves me well, I'm a happy, loyal convert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMacTuHPWFI

Soon after I joined Amazon Prime, I caught on to the fact that Prime items are often more expensive than those from other sellers and are guaranteed by Amazon. That's not a fair marketplace. A company either stands behind everything they sell or they don't. And if free immediate shipping is merely shipping cost baked into the purchase price, what's in it for the customer?

Source: Amazon

Seems as if Amazon (to beef-up the value of Prime) is trying out lots of things -- unlimited entertainment and now Dash. What if I prefer Tide but Wisk is on sale at Walgreens? How do I know what I'm paying for "Dash Tide?" What do I do when I run out of Glad bags? Remove the button from the box and put it on the new one?

The only time I feel an automated refill service could add value is with, say Brita filters, Sonic toothbrushes or Miele vacuum bags where refills are model specific and it is a real hassle if you buy the wrong kind.

Source: Amazon

In that case, I'd be happier to sign-up for a refill program with Bed Bath & Beyond where I bought all three products. They show me lots of love (a 20% discount) and it is easiest to do at point of sale, on-line or off.

Having a purchase button for my toothbrush, vacuum and dishwasher seems intrusive, not to mention, unattractive. It feels as if the Amazon drone entered my house and attached lots of buttons. What problem are they solving?

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