Twitter and #AmazonBasket

A Twitter integration with Amazon has just been launched:

Brands can post out offers from their Amazon inventory using the #AmazonBasket hashtag.



Shoppers can connect their Twitter account to their Amazon account, and then when they reply to a tweet that uses the #AmazonBasket hashtag (making sure to use the hashtag in the reply) that item is added to their Amazon basket.

Commission goes to the tweeting seller (definitely), and to Twitter (presumably)

Brands are already experimenting, for example:

The easy way to get your Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo with just a click. http://t.co/7ZHepeVPXK reply #AmazonBasket to get yours!
— Cadbury UK (@CadburyUK) May 6, 2014

& also:

Pre-order @edsheeran's new album 'x' on Amazon now (out on 23 June) http://t.co/BgGaQyZlQl Reply with #AmazonBasket to add it to your Basket
— Atlantic Records UK (@AtlanticRcrdsUK) May 6, 2014

I think that this is potentially very useful for Twitter users, and very good for Amazon.  Amazon must know what % of items in baskets eventually get bought, and I'd guess that it's pretty high.

I think that it fits my trend of 'Frictionless Payment' from late last year, by cleverly taking the payment aspect of it out.

However I'm more positive about it than many.

Econsultancy thinks that it's a gimmick, and Vice isn't impressed either.

Oh - and a nice 'explainer' Vine from Amazon