A note from our CEO

Hey everyone,

The eCommerce world is off to a strong start in 2025 with many record sales months on Amazon. Cartograph is growing too: we’re bigger than ever with nearly 85 full-time employees. We’re looking forward to delivering industry-leading growth for our clients in 2025.

In this newsletter, you’ll find:

• My key considerations for 2025 from our year-end meeting

• Our company-wide themes for 2025

• Last month’s sales and ad spend index for our portfolio

• A recap of Amazon’s biggest search term trends from 2024 and our predictions for 2025

As always, I’d love to hear from you — just reply directly to this email. If you enjoy the newsletter, feel free to share it with someone who might find it valuable.

Best regards,
Chris

Last month’s numbers

Considerations for CPG brands in 2025

We shared these considerations in our December annual summit, anticipating a year of significant change. Since then, many of these have materialized, yet feel far from settled.

1. Uncertainty in antitrust, FDA regulations, and labor policies

The uncertain political climate poses challenges for emerging CPG brands, potentially increasing costs and complicating compliance. These shifts could also provide tailwinds for challenger brands, as larger food and beverage companies may adapt more slowly to evolving FDA rules and national dietary guidelines.

2. Unstable economic climate

Potential tariffs and import/export challenges could rapidly impact profitability and disrupt sourcing strategies. These shifts may force brands to re-evaluate supply chains, explore alternative suppliers, or pass increased costs onto consumers.

3. Amazon’s advertising toolkit is expanding rapidly and more brands are leveraging a wider suite of Amazon ad strategies.

This year, Amazon reinforced its position as a full-funnel advertiser with enhanced tools across DSP, AMC, and Streaming TV. Brands are adopting more sophisticated tools and strategies to engage consumers across multiple touch-points as these interactions continue to grow before purchase. Amazon has a distinct advantage for brand marketers: the ability to measure campaign impact to both Amazon and DTC channels.

Cartograph’s Themes for 2025

For the last 5 years, Cartograph has chosen 3 guiding themes that shape our focus and are reviewed weekly during our company all-hands meetings. Below are the three themes for 2025.

2024 Search Trends Recap & 2025 Predictions

Photo from our recent leadership retreat!

At the end of the year, our leadership team gathered in Arizona to reflect on the past year and plan for the future. During the retreat, we also enjoyed an amazing hike through Antelope Canyon!