Podcast Summary: The CPG Guys – Episode 500: Brand Building Through Superior Media Capabilities with Amazon's Tanner Elton

Release Date: June 18, 2025

In the landmark 500th episode of The CPG Guys podcast, hosts Peter V.S. Bond and Sri Rajagopalan celebrate their milestone by engaging in a profound conversation with Tanner Elton, Amazon’s Vice President of US Advertising Sales. Recorded live at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France, this episode delves deep into the intricacies of brand building through advanced media capabilities, the evolving landscape of consumer behavior, and the future of advertising in an increasingly digital world.

1. Celebrating a Milestone

Sri Rajagopalan opens the episode with reflections on the podcast’s journey, reminiscing about its humble beginnings in Chicago in 2018 and how it has evolved into a comprehensive media platform addressing brands, retailers, and service providers. The hosts express astonishment at reaching 500 episodes, emphasizing the hard work and dedication required to maintain consistency.

[02:03] Sri Rajagopalan: "What's harder to believe is this is a full time job."

2. Introducing Tanner Elton

Peter V.S. Bond warmly welcomes Tanner Elton, highlighting his impressive 13-year tenure at Amazon and his role in advertising sales. The hosts share a light-hearted moment about awarding Tanner a varsity leather arm wool jacket for his appearance, showcasing the camaraderie and rapport among the participants.

[03:36] Peter V.S. Bond: "We are incredibly pleased to welcome... Tanner Elton."

3. Tanner’s Role and Responsibilities at Amazon

Tanner Elton provides a comprehensive overview of his responsibilities at Amazon, encompassing large customer sales, mid-market teams, account management, and agency business. He elaborates on how his team collaborates with top-tier brands and focuses on advertisers not solely selling on Amazon, highlighting Amazon's expansive role in the advertising ecosystem.

[04:48] Tanner Elton: "I oversee the advertising sales organization in the US For Amazon Ads..."

4. Leadership and Innovation at Amazon

The discussion shifts to innovation, a core aspect of Amazon’s DNA. Tanner emphasizes the importance of Amazon’s leadership principles in fostering a culture of innovation. He introduces his "Six Cs of a Successful Culture," which include Community, Collaboration, Creativity, Credibility, and Cheer. This framework underlines the significance of a supportive and collaborative environment in driving creative solutions and sustaining innovation.

[08:33] Tanner Elton: "One of my favorite things about Amazon is our leadership principles... Community, Collaboration, Creativity..."

5. Consumer Behavior Trends Impacting Advertising

Tanner identifies key consumer behavior trends influencing advertising strategies today. He underscores a persistent demand for the greatest selection, best pricing, and utmost convenience. Additionally, he highlights the shift towards simplicity, aiming to reduce friction in consumer interactions. A significant challenge mentioned is the fragmentation of consumer behaviors across platforms, necessitating strategies that simplify engagement and transaction processes.

[14:33] Tanner Elton: "Customers are going to want the greatest selection at the best price as conveniently as possible... shift to simplicity."

6. The Future of Advertising Sales: Streaming and E-commerce Integration

Envisioning the future, Tanner discusses the convergence of premium content and e-commerce, particularly through Amazon’s partnerships with streaming services like Roku and Disney. He elaborates on the integration of authenticated customer data, expanding audience reach to over 80 million households, and the seamless connection between content consumption and transactional opportunities. This integration aims to create friction-free experiences from browsing to delivery, enhancing brand-consumer interactions.

[16:29] Peter V.S. Bond: "Now that is phenomenal."

[20:31] Tanner Elton: "Shop the show where you can watch the show and see the product real time… that's going to be the future."

7. Evolving Relationships with Major Brands

Tanner explores how relationships with major brands have evolved at Amazon. Initially perceived as a straightforward retail platform, Amazon has transformed into a multifaceted media partner. Brands now seek to leverage Amazon’s capabilities to drive sales both on and off the platform, emphasizing the importance of relevancy and innovation in their collaborations.

[22:13] Tanner Elton: "The evolution of those relationships, how we think about, again, the art of the possible..."

8. Challenges in the Advertising Industry and Amazon’s Solutions

Addressing industry challenges, Tanner points out the difficulty in changing established habits and behaviors among advertisers. He advocates for simplification as the key solution, making it easier for brands to adopt Amazon’s advanced advertising tools without being overwhelmed. Tanner also touches on the potential of AI and language models to enhance advertising performance, emphasizing the importance of user-friendly interfaces.

[28:05] Tanner Elton: "The biggest challenge that we have is moving people away from what they're used to."

9. Best Practices and Advice for Advertisers

In offering advice, Tanner urges advertisers to approach partnerships with Amazon without preconceived notions, encouraging them to bring challenges and collaborate on solutions rather than imposing predetermined strategies. He emphasizes the importance of openness to innovation and fully leveraging Amazon’s diverse advertising platforms to maximize brand potential.

[31:42] Sri Rajagopalan: "Bring the challenge at hand, try to solve it and then look for the tools..."

10. Concluding Remarks and Announcements

As the episode wraps up, Tanner shares exciting announcements about Amazon’s partnerships with Roku and Disney, enhancing addressability and integration with premium content. The hosts congratulate Tanner and reflect on the seamless integration of Amazon’s services into everyday life, humorously sharing personal anecdotes about package deliveries.

[34:05] Tanner Elton: "We also made an announcement in a partnership that we have with Disney..."

Final Thoughts:

The CPG Guys 500th episode serves as a comprehensive exploration of brand building within the digital advertising landscape, enriched by Tanner Elton’s insights from one of the most influential companies in the space. From fostering a culture of innovation to navigating consumer behavior trends and evolving advertiser relationships, the conversation provides valuable takeaways for brands aiming to thrive in an omni-channel environment.

Notable Quotes:

• [08:33] Tanner Elton: "One of my favorite things about Amazon is our leadership principles... Community, Collaboration, Creativity..."

• [14:33] Tanner Elton: "Customers are going to want the greatest selection at the best price as conveniently as possible... shift to simplicity."

• [28:05] Tanner Elton: "The biggest challenge that we have is moving people away from what they're used to."

• [31:42] Sri Rajagopalan: "Bring the challenge at hand, try to solve it and then look for the tools..."

This episode not only marks a significant milestone for The CPG Guys but also offers an in-depth look into the dynamic world of CPG and FMCG eCommerce, making it an invaluable resource for brands and retailers seeking to navigate and excel in today’s digital-driven marketplace.