Oars + Alps
From Zero to Leader in Luxury Beauty
The Challenge
Oars + Alps is a natural, non-toxic premium skin care line with an outdoorsy edge. VCG began working with the start-up in April 2018, supporting their first retail product launch on Amazon by acquiring new customers and increasing sales.
With no existing brand awareness, to launch the product on Amazon we needed to ensure the product stood out in the highly competitive luxury beauty category.
The Solution
Prior to launch, Velocity consulted Oars + Alps on pertinent go-to-market decisions, beginning with analysis of the internal capabilities of the organization and determining that a 1st party vendor fulfillment model was most appropriate for launch.
We then conducted a price analysis for negotiated Amazon wholesale costs to ensure maximum profitability and developed an inventory forecast tool to ensure the brand could keep up with projected demand.
We also delivered and executed a launch plan, including best-in-class content, SEO, AMS and promotional opportunities to ensure product visibility while leveraging paid tools to eventually drive organic traffic. Based on our strong relationships with Amazon’s product teams, we were able to secure Oars + Alps as part of the initial beta test for In-App Video Ads.
Since the initial launch, we’ve utilized our proprietary SKU measuring system, Amazon HealthScore™, monthly to understand the immediate opportunities that can be addressed to continue to drive traffic and conversion.
VCG was pivotal in helping us build a major piece of our ecommerce business, Amazon. Their partnership and expertise supported our growth trajectory, and they always made sure to put the needs of our business first.
— Co-founder, Oars + Alps
The Results
We continue to drive month-over-month growth of the brand through content optimization, AMS campaigns and promotional opportunities, while identifying and integrating with appropriate beta opportunities.
The brand saw an impressive and sustained monthly growth rate of 30-50%, with no sign of plateau in the near future, and is now a leader in the luxury beauty category with an average 4+ star rating on Amazon. With these proven results, Oars + Alps has been able to expand distribution to other key retailers, continuing to gain a foothold in their category.
How We’ve Helped Other Brands
We’re proud of the successes that we’ve gained with clients, big and small.
Land O’Frost
With no brand awareness, Gone Rogue turned to VCG to ensure the product was visible within its categories on Amazon.
Read the case study
Cricket Wireless
Cricket Wireless began selling their SIM Card Kit on Amazon and due to increased competition within the category, was in need of an activation plan to drive higher search rank.
Read the case study
Oars and Alps
With no previous brand awareness, when it came to launching Oars and Alps’s product on Amazon we needed to ensure the product stood out in the highly competitive luxury beauty category.
Read the case study
Contact Us
What’s your HealthScore™?
Based on qualitative and quantitative analysis, our HealthScore™ indicates the strength of your brand across the ecosystem. If you’re selling online, contact us now for your complimentary HealthScore™ assessment. Or, just let us know what Amazon challenge you are facing and we will let you know how we can help.