[ BDSN ] 📕 LEAKED: Amazon China South City Playbook

SPECIAL NOTE: Because BDSS Market Masters is happening today, Kevin is busy hosting 60 of the world’s most amazing sellers and experts in a mansion in Austin, TX.

He won’t have the several hours I takes for him to personally write the newsletter, so this edition of BDSN is a “Best of” that features some of the most popular stories and tools you may have missed in the past few months.

🔥 WATCH BEFORE MONDAY:
The AI E-commerce Advantage You Can't Afford to Miss

5 underground AI experts just revealed their most powerful automation systems that are letting sellers crush it in 2024... while their competition keeps grinding manually like it's 2019.

In just 90 minutes you'll discover:
• How to build a 1000-bot army that sells your products on autopilot
• The "emotions matrix" that turns boring listings into buying triggers
• A 3-minute system for optimizing 10 listings (that actually convert)
• The workflow that creates weeks of content in minutes
• Advanced scraping techniques that give you supernatural market intel

Plus a special workshop offer that already has 200+ smart sellers jumping in...

⚠️ This replay comes down Monday (Feb 24) - so don't pull a "I'll watch it later" and miss out.

The e-commerce and selling landscape is about to change more in the next few years than the last 1000.

You can either be ahead of that wave ... or get crushed by it.

👉 Watch the replay from yesterday right now, then join us March 2 here.

🇨🇳 LAB WHERE BIG CHINESE AMAZON SELLERS are MADE

Dave Bryant of Ecomcrew recently had the opportunity to peak inside China South City and peel back the lab where big Chinese Amazon sellers are minted.

China South City in Shenzhen, often called the "Mecca" of Chinese Amazon sellers, is a hub where many of China's largest e-commerce sellers operate. It’s often likened to the "Wuhan Lab" of Amazon tactics due to its role in shaping both white hat and black hat strategies.

The Amazon Seller Ecosystem

• Scale & Scope: Home to thousands of sellers, including giants like AUKEY and Anker, as well as smaller operations. The building also offers affordable access to every service an Amazon seller might need—logistics, product photography, packaging, and more.

• Networking & Collaboration: Sellers operate in close proximity, fostering a mastermind environment for knowledge-sharing and strategy development.

2. Black Hat Tactics

• Review Manipulation: Many sellers historically engaged in fraudulent activities like buying fake reviews to boost rankings, leading to Amazon suspensions in 2021/2022. Some sellers lost entire businesses overnight.

• Duty Evasion: Sellers commonly under-declare the value of goods or use falsified HS codes to bypass hefty U.S. tariffs. Enforcement is limited, allowing these practices to persist with minimal consequences.

3. Government Support

• The Chinese government actively subsidizes areas like China South City, recognizing the economic benefits of nurturing e-commerce exports. This strategic clustering allows sellers to thrive by sharing tactics and resources.

China South City offers both inspiration and caution, showcasing the intense work ethic, resourcefulness, and strategic prowess of Chinese sellers while highlighting the importance of ethical practices and adaptability in e-commerce.

What to know what Chinese Amazon sellers are thinking and doing? Use Google Translate and read this website.

🔊 HOW to USE SOUND to SELL MORE on AMAZON

Did you know customers are willing to pay more for products as long as they get to hear what they SOUND like first?

The Swiss cough-drop maker Ricola faced a major problem as it tried to expand internationally.

Almost nobody in America knew the brand existed. 

Halls and Vicks dominated the market, accounting for ~67% of all US cough-drop sales in 1987.

Ricola, which entered the US in the mid-1980s after decades of crafting herb-based lozenges in the Alps, was a non-player.

So Ricola brought in a yodeler. And an alphorn player.

And in a famous 1994 commercial, they stood in the shadow of the Matterhorn and belted out a sound that echoed through the mountains.  

RI-CO-LAAAAA!

Soon, the brand’s jingle, or what’s called a sonic logo, was everywhere.

Coca-Cola launched the images above with the tagline: "Try not to hear this"

"The images create the effect of synesthesia: When two senses cross in the brain at once - sight and sound."

Here is an example of how to do it for your e-com products:

💰 HOW to CRUSH IT with SPONSORED BRAND VIDEO

What is Sponsored Brands Video (SBV)?

Sponsored Brands Video (SBV) ads are not traditional TV commercials, product unboxings, or talking-head reviews.

Instead, they are direct, engaging, and problem-solving video ads designed to capture a shopper’s attention before they even realize they need the product.

These ads appear in Amazon search results and help shoppers make faster purchasing decisions by presenting a clear and compelling value proposition​.

How SBV Works

1. Captures Attention Quickly: The first 0-3 seconds are critical. The video should immediately hook the viewer with an engaging problem statement or an unexpected visual.

2. Communicates Value Efficiently: The ad must quickly and clearly explain why the product is the best option, without requiring sound (since most shoppers browse with sound off).

3. Encourages Action: A clear call-to-action (CTA) should be included to drive clicks and conversions​.

Tips from Premiere Creative for Maximizing SBV Effectiveness

• Hook Viewers in the First 3 Seconds: Use attention-grabbing visuals, a pain point, or a bold statement to stop shoppers from scrolling past your ad.

• Assume Shoppers Have Sound Off: Less than 5% of Amazon shoppers will turn on sound. Rely on bold visuals and clear text on the video to communicate your message.

• Keep it Under 15 Seconds: Anything beyond this won’t be watched, so make every second count.

• Use Minimal Text: Shoppers don’t like to read. Keep on-screen text short, bold, and highly legible, especially on mobile devices.

• Avoid White Backgrounds: Since Amazon's search results page has a white background, videos need bold colorsto stand out.

• Show the Product Immediately: Establish your product visually right away—don’t waste time on slow introductions or unnecessary branding.

• Use Lifestyle Imagery: Demonstrate how the product fits into the shopper’s life rather than just showcasing it in isolation.

• Always Include a CTA: Even if it’s subtle, a call-to-action improves conversion rates​.

By following these best practices, SBV ads become an effective tool for increasing conversions and standing out in Amazon’s crowded search results.

I highly recommend you watch this reel of well-done SBV:

Additionally, Amazon sellers can now use Luma AI Ray2 in Amazon Bedrock to generate high-quality, realistic video clips from text, making it easier than ever to create compelling product visuals for your listings and ads.

This advanced AI model understands natural language prompts to produce smooth, cinematic 5- to 9-second videos with lifelike motion and interactions. Whether for advertising, content creation, or enhanced product listings, sellers can leverage this Amazon tool to showcase products dynamically, experiment with different camera angles, and boost engagement.

Getting started is simple via Amazon Bedrock, where videos are stored in an S3 bucket for easy access and integration on Amazon.

🛍️ ADD YOUR PRODUCT to any IMAGE or AVATAR

Want to showcase your product in an AI video?

With HeyGen’s new Product Placement, you can upload your Amazon product (or paste a link to your product page) and bring it to life on any avatar!

Instantly create on-brand images for ads, product pages, and more.

🔥 Here's how:

• Log in to your HeyGen account

• Go to Photo Avatar on and navigate to the Generate Looks feature

• Input a prompt and specify the desired Orientation/Pose/Style.

  • Ideally upload at least two images for product placement.

    • Product Only: A clear image of product by itself

    • Product in Use: An example of someone wearing, holding, or interacting with your product if you have it for context

• Add motions to your generated looks with a prompt.

  • Add specific keywords to your prompts to control the motion, such as "zoom out slightly," "zoom in slightly," "walk slowly and naturally," "keep in the center," or "look at the camera." You can also include states to adjust the character's motion, like "enjoying music."

Watch the tutorial below for more details, and don’t forget to save the date: Sunday, March 2. That’s when the AI for E-commerce virtual workshop I am co-hosting is happening to show lots more cool things you can do with AI and e-commerce.

✌🏼 Have a great weekend.

See you again on Monday.