What Did Amazon Do This Week? - 09-04-2023 [+40 LINKS]
A WEEK WHERE KNIVES WERE SHARPENED
Even with +40 links, it’s a quiet week for Amazon. If there was ever an advert for a free and protected press, it’s looking at some of the pieces scrutinising Amazon’s recent moves. From drone regulatory failure to studio woes, journalists are doing deep, getting interesting sources, checking their facts and holding up magnifying glasses to Amazon.
The ongoing Amazon Studio woes are a big one to watch. Amazon can get you packages without flying them to your nose, but content is expensive, risky, takes time and, more importantly, is now intrinsically linked to the value proposition and future of Prime Membership, which is, per the interview I recently did with CIRP, is plateauing in the US. Amazon needs some killer content (it’s hoping ‘Citadel’ will get tongues wagging, but I am hearing ‘just so so’ rumours). Beyond this, according to reports, the studio needs a vision, and people need to row in the same direction. Both require leadership and focus.
SO WHAT?
Amazon looks more vulnerable than it actually is through these pieces. Sure, the company has issues, but it also has a war chest (despite some pricey outgoing quarters), billions to protect and multiple levers to pull before people start really sweating. The biggest issue facing them is the EU. Margrethe Vestager is not a fan, but nor is she anti-Capitalist either; she’s just anti-competitive behaviour, and, some argue(!) that’s Amazon. The EU can spank Amazon quite hard, likely encouraging the US to do the same. A situation that Amazon wants to avoid seeing come to play.
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