Vorys Attorney and Ex-Amazon Manager Co-Author Book to Help Brands Gain Control On Online Marketplaces

The rise of Amazon and other online marketplaces has left many brands struggling to survive the consequences of uncontrolled online sales. Unauthorized sellers are selling poor-quality products without customer service and other benefits that accompany authorized sales. Product descriptions and listings are inconsistent and incorrect. And brick-and-mortar sellers are growing increasingly frustrated. Brands of all sizes are failing to control their marketplace sales and consequently are struggling to preserve and protect their brand equity in the Amazon era.

Whitney Gibson, partner and chair of Vorys eControl, and James Thomson, an ex-Amazon manager and now partner of Buy Box Experts, have co-authored a first-of-its-kind book to help brands control and grow their online marketplace sales. "Controlling Your Brand in the Age of Amazon: The Brand Executive’s Playbook for Winning Online" helps brands understand what they can do to navigate this evolving eCommerce environment. From managing unauthorized sellers to achieving internal alignment, the book highlights both legal and business strategies that brands can employ when faced with threats posed by online marketplaces.

“It was important for us to share both legal and business perspectives in this book,” Gibson said. “We have worked with hundreds of brands and understand that this is a complex problem that demands comprehensive, multi-disciplinary solutions.”

With online marketplaces accounting for more than half of global web sales, the need for brands to take proactive steps and protect their equity online is imperative. Often, fragmented approaches and “whack-a-mole” strategies leave brands struggling both offline and online. In this book, brands can learn more about the evolution of this problem and read case studies from several brands that have successfully taken control of their online marketplace sales.

“As someone who has worked with hundreds of brands over the years, I have seen firsthand what online marketplaces have done to undermine brand equity,” said James Thomson, who is a former business head of Amazon Services. “Rogue sellers, bad listings and negative reviews can all impact a brand both on online and offline channels. Our goal for this book was to provide brand executives a place to start in order to solve these problems.”

"Controlling Your Brand in the Age of Amazon: The Brand Executive’s Playbook for Winning Online" is available for purchase on Amazon. For more information, visit http://www.controllingyourbrand.com.

About Whitney Gibson:

Whitney Gibson is a partner and chair of Vorys eControl. He has developed customized programs for companies confronting unauthorized sales, grey market sales, counterfeit sales, channel conflict and other online sales issues. He has been quoted in Forbes, The Washington Post, Corporate Counsel, and The Cincinnati Enquirer. Whitney attended the University of Cincinnati College of Law and received his undergraduate degree from Penn State University.

About James Thomson:

James Thomson is a partner at Buy Box Experts, and former business head of Amazon Services. He co-founded the PROSPER Show, and co-authored the book The Amazon Marketplace Dilemma. James has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Wired, Forbes, Washington Post, Consumer Reports, Entrepreneur, Inc., CNBC, and Bloomberg. He holds a Ph.D. in Marketing from Northwestern University.