“We’re on Amazon Channels, but it feels like we’ve lost our identity. The UX is theirs, the data’s theirs, and we’re just another logo. How do we stay a brand and not just a backend content supplier?”
— Head of Distribution, Broadcaster
If you’re on Prime Video Channels, you’re not running a store. You’re renting shelf space. Let’s get that clear.
Once you’re in Amazon’s ecosystem, they run the show. They onboard the user. They control the interface. They own the data and the customer relationship. What you get is reach. What they get is control.
And that’s not evil. It’s just how retail works. Some people shop at big-box stores. Others prefer the butcher, the bakery, the boutique. The same logic applies here.
Prime Channels is the supermarket. It’s huge, efficient, and crowded. Great for getting found, but easy to get lost. You’re one option in a sea of tiles. Nobody’s logging in just for you.
Your direct-to-consumer app is the specialty shop. It takes more work to build and market. It’s harder to scale. But it’s yours. You control the experience, the journey, the data, and the churn.
So what’s the move? Maybe it’s not either/or. Maybe it’s both, if you’re smart about it.
Use Amazon for what it’s good at. But build a DTC presence that gives people a reason to come directly to you. Otherwise, why should they bother?
Are you premiering content on your own app first? Offering extras Amazon doesn’t? Running loyalty programs, live events, or exclusive drops? Can you deliver something people won’t get anywhere else?
If you want someone to make a second stop, that stop better be worth it.
But before you make any of those calls, ask the real question: What does your company actually want?
Do you want distribution? Then Amazon’s one of the best in town.
Do you want ownership, leverage, brand identity? Then you’re gonna have to earn it.
And that conversation isn’t easy. Especially when the answers change depending on who’s talking, who’s presenting, or who’s looking at the budget.
But until you’re clear on what you’re solving for, every step you take is going to feel like compromise. Because it is.
Skip Says
If you’re going to chase scale, get clear about what you’re trading. Distribution gives you reach, but direct-to-consumer gives you data, loyalty, and control. Run both, but don’t copy-paste. Make your platform worth the detour. Give people a reason to care where they click.
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