Social Listening Blog: Amazon
Why I Picked Amazon
I chose Amazon because it’s one of the biggest global brands and always in the mix of marketing innovation and consumer reaction. Recently I noticed a lot of chatter online about its big sale events (especially Prime Day 2025) and wanted to explore how Amazon uses social media, how people respond, and what lessons we might draw for marketing. Since it is relevant, visible, and has many marketing layers, it makes a good case for “social listening.”
Background: Amazon & Its Value Proposition
Amazon is a massive e-commerce and technology company offering everything from retail, digital content, logistics, cloud services, to advertisement platforms. Its value proposition to consumers: wide selection,fast delivery, convenience (and for Prime members, additional benefits like exclusive deals, streaming, etc.).
In marketing terms, Amazon often promotes major events such as Prime Day to reinforce exclusivity for Prime members, drive sales volume, build brand loyalty and keep its ecosystem strong.
What People Are Saying: Three Key Themes
Here are three issues/topics that I found people talking about lately online in relation to Amazon. (Note: you’ll need to capture screenshots of actual posts and include links when you paste this into your blog.)
1. Mixed Sentiment about Deals and Event Hype
Some users feel Amazon’s huge sale events (like Prime Day) are exciting; others feel the deals are weaker than promised. For example:
“2025 I have been averaging… this Prime Day I averaged $18/day. I wanted to be hopeful but was just disappointed.” — Reddit user in r/Amazon_Influencer. https://www.reddit.com/r/Amazon_Influencer/comments/1lzmgca/prime_day_2025_was_a_dud_even_amazon_has_to/?utm_source=
This shows that while Amazon markets big savings, some fairly engaged users believe their experience didn’t match the hype.
2. Continued Innovation in Advertising and AI-Tech
Amazon is making bold moves in advertising formats and embracing technology, which has drawn commentary (both positive and curious).
For example, Amazon launched new “contextual ads” on its video service using generative AI and shoppable formats. Digital Marketing News | Marketing Dive
This indicates a marketing challenge: staying ahead technologically, but also making sure consumers trust and understand the value.
3. Brand Trust & Consumer Expectations
Because Amazon is so big and influential, people also comment on trust, transparency, and how the brand treats customers or sellers.
Example: a news article noted that “nearly a third of social media posts promoting boycotts against Amazon … were generated by AI bots.” > “A whopping 35% of … accounts posting about Amazon … were fake.” https://nypost.com/2025/07/09/business/ai-bots-fuel-boycotts-against-amazon-mcdonalds-over-dei-reversal-
This raises marketing questions about how genuine user sentiment is, how a brand monitors that, and how it protects its reputation.
Social Media Presence & Strategy
Amazon has a very large social media footprint (across Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube, etc.) which allows it to promote events (like Prime Day), new ad-formats, and its services.
The brand content mixes: big event promotion (Prime Day deals), technology/innovation stories (e.g., Amazon Ads formats), and celebratory/experiential campaigns.
For example, Amazon’s 2025 Prime Day commercial “Feel the Deal” (with celebrity tie-in) tapped entertainment + hype.
Marketing wise: Amazon uses storytelling (big sweep shopping events), uses user/review focus (they highlight customer reviews in ads) and uses technology/trend-leverage (like AI ads).
Challenge: While posting and promotion are strong, the mixed sentiment suggests that engagement isn’t uniformly positive; users expect value, clarity, authenticity.
Marketing Challenge & How They Are Doing
What’s the marketing goal?
Amazon aims to:
Drive large-scale sales during events (Prime Day)
Reinforce membership value (Prime)
Build brand perception as innovative and go-to shopping ecosystem
Stay ahead in a competitive retail + e-commerce market
Are they succeeding?
In many respects yes: the brand is hugely visible, continues to expand, and has major events that generate buzz.
But in terms of consumer sentiment: There is evidence of disappointment (deal quality), concern about trust/expectations, and noise around too much hype vs. real value.
The lesson is that big campaigns generate attention, but if consumer experience doesn’t back it up, you risk negative sentiment.
How Did Amazon Respond / What Could They Do Better?
Amazon has responded by adding new ad formats, expanding the event duration (Prime Day 2025 was four days). They also emphasise technology innovation.
But what could be improved:
Be more transparent in deal communication (if deals are fewer/deeper, explain how value is being delivered)
Improve consumer-facing messaging about how to get value (so users don’t feel short-changed)
Engage more with social media feedback (ratings, review complaints) and make sure criticism is addressed publicly/credibly
Ensure the hype aligns with clear consumer benefit (avoid overselling if deal value is moderate)
If I Were the Brand Manager…
Here’s what I’d do:
Pre-event teaser campaign: Use social media influencers/users to show real “deal finds” ahead of time—focus on authenticity, not just extreme discount claims.
Customer engagement mid-event: Monitor real-time social posts about the event (#PrimeDay2025 etc), pick up underperforming categories, and pivot messaging (“more great home deals coming!”)
Post-event transparency: Share a recap of “top value deals” + “how we listened” + “what’s next” to build trust for next year.
Improve social listening: Beyond tracking mentions, segment by positive vs negative sentiment, reactions, review complaints, and respond or show improvement.
Broaden the message: Rather than just “big deals,” emphasise community, convenience, sustainability, or how Amazon helps real people—this builds emotional connection, not just transactional hype.
What I Learned
This assignment taught me that:
Big brands can generate huge social media volume, but sentiment matters just as much as reach.
Social listening (what people say, how they feel) gives marketers a reality check—campaigns might look great in theory, but consumer reaction can differ.
Aligning brand promise + consumer experience is crucial: if customers feel over-hyped or under-delivered, the brand reputation may suffer.
Technology and innovation (AI ads, new formats) are energising for marketing, but they must be matched with clarity, authenticity, and value.
In a blog post format, you can bring together marketing theory (value proposition, 4 P’s, audience) with actual social media feedback and brand action to show real life in motion.
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