This Issue's TLDR...

• Gambling with other peoples' money
• DTC offers that make money
• How to navigate "make me an offer" situations

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If you're ever tempted to play fast and loose with Amazon image guidelines during a high traffic event period, just...don't.

Glanbia Performance Nutrition (owner of major brands like Optimum Nutrition, BSN, Isopure, and Amazing Grass) is doing this right now.

Or, more likely, their Amazon agency thought that pushing the boundaries on CTR and CVR best practices would be a smart needle-mover during Prime Day.

Here's where they missed the mark with this tactic...

First of all, these little "digital additions" to main images and product packaging are commonplace.

And, they genuinely work.

Yes, in a strict reading of Amazon ToS, they violate Amazon's image guidelines.

But, the typical enforcement is an image suppression, which can be easily fixed.

For the record, I'm a proponent of enhancing main images with larger font, flavor and ingredient call-outs, and keyword overlays.

Especially when those enhancements are overwhelmingly favored by shoppers.

That's where I think what Glanbia did here went astray.

Take a look at this PickFu poll.

By a 60-40 margin, most shoppers don't actually like this "Prime Day Deal" overlay.

Now, maybe my sample here (n=50) was too small.

Or maybe the audience wasn't dialed enough.

Let's say with the larger sample and more targeted audience, the outcome shifts to 60-40 in favor of the overlay.

In my opinion, that's not enough to make the risk-return profile make sense here.

Prime Day is among the highest traffic periods of the year.

A listing being suppressed for minutes (or hours) can cost a brand like Glanbia *millions* of dollars.

And when the incremental customer may or may not favor this "Prime Day Deal" overlay?

Not worth it.

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BEST from X

Super practical, and actionable, guidance here.

Print this and keep it on your desk.

Davie Fogarty @daviefogarty Every ecommerce founder should bookmark this: the complete guide to offers that actually make money. 3:32 PM • Jul 9, 2025 41 Retweets 524 Likes Read 10 replies

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BEST from YouTube

I'm a fan, and heavy user of Genspark.

It's been a huge time-saver for me, especially when I load it with SmartScout and Amazon Seller Central data, and ask it to analyze a market for me.

It definitely shines in idea synthesis, customer insights, and productivity acceleration...especially when paired with other tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Manis.

That said, it's rough around the edges (design, UI, and occasional misfires), and for some reason I'm getting billed twice each month and support hasn't been able to help.

Anyway, have a watch of Greg's review and give Genspark a shot this weekend.

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"Jon, what does it mean when a listed business doesn't have an asking price? Should I avoid?"

I got this email question from a reader that was looking at this listing.

My response:

I wouldn't necessarily stay away. Usually, this means a few things:

1. Broker is trying to start a bidding war
2. Seller is testing the market
3. Seller is open to creative structures
4. Seller is hiding weak financials or other issues that might make it hard to justify a valuation

In lower middle market deals, I think of "make an offer" as an opportunity to shape the deal on your terms...provided you move quickly, ask smart questions, and stay disciplined.

My process is, roughly:

1. Gather information. At minimum, you need P&Ls. Balance sheet also helps if asset-intense or inventory heavy. Good line to use: "I'm happy to make you an offer, but I need some basic information to do so."
2. Value the business. Research multiples, run a DCF, pay an outside advisor. Do whatever you need to do to get to principled number.
3. Present & explain the valuation. This is where these deals are won. There's a lot of psychology that goes into this step. More than I can go over in this newsletter.
4. Don't get into a bidding war. That is, stand firm on your valuation and be willing to walk away.

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