Amazon Launches ‘Creator University’ & ‘Creator Connect’ With An Eye On Influencer Economy

Amazon has rolled out new creator-focussed initiatives in India. The ecommerce major has launched education initiatives Creator University and Creator Connect to cater to the growing number of influencers in the country. 

The company said that the Amazon Creator University will offer video tutorials, articles,  actionable insights, workshops and case studies to enable creators to sell their products on the marketplace. It will cater to both established and aspiring influencers.

“Through a curated selection of resources, the program provides participants with the foundational knowledge and practical strategies to cultivate a sustainable business on the Amazon marketplace,” the ecommerce platform said in a statement. 

Meanwhile, Creator Connect will conduct in-person events and workshops for creators and attract new creators to its flagship Amazon Creator Program. Under this, Amazon will also conduct interactive workshops (led by influencers) and will look to foster a community of creators ahead of its big-ticket sales events later this year. 

“Creator Connect is a series of in-person events designed to foster connections, learning, and growth for creators within the Amazon ecosystem. These events are strategically timed around major sales and Amazon initiatives to achieve two goals: generate excitement for upcoming promotions and attract new creators to the Amazon Influencer Program,” the statement added. 

With this, the US-based ecommerce giant is looking to tap into the growing Indian creator economy, which has erupted into prominence in the past few years. For context, social media juggernaut Meta, in a report last year, noted that a majority of surveyed Indian online shoppers discovered beauty brands on social media. 

The report also underlined that 76% of surveyed consumers found fashion brands on social media. And these are the two core categories that Amazon aims to tap to spur sales and mount an effective offensive against its competition and Walmart-backed ecommerce giant Flipkart. 

However, this is not the first time that Amazon has launched a create-focussed initiative. In 2022, it roped in content creators to showcase products and answer customer questions  for its live commerce platform Amazon Live.

Alongside, it also runs the Amazon Influencer Program to enable influencers to monetise their content on the marketplace and earn commissions on qualified purchases.

These slew of offerings come at a time when Amazon has rapidly scaled up its presence in the country. Last month, Inc42 reported that the ecommerce giant was set to close the acquisition of Times Internet-owned video streaming platform MX Player for $100 Mn. 

This follows Amazon India receiving INR 1,660 Cr from its US parent last month. Prior to this in February, it also raised another INR 830 Cr from its parent company. 

The ecommerce major’s India marketplace arm saw its standalone net loss widen 33% year-on-year (YoY) to INR 4,854.1 Cr in the financial year 2022-23 (FY23). Meanwhile, Amazon Seller Services increased its operating revenue by a mere 3.4% to INR 22,198 Cr in the year ended March 2023 from INR 21,462 Cr in FY22.