Darren Campbell’s Growth Program touts itself as the ultimate toolkit to scale your Amazon brand to $1 million. But here’s the catch: most of the advice it offers could be summarized in a single, uninspired Google search.
When clients pay £150 per month for ongoing mentorship, they expect cutting-edge strategies, insider knowledge, and expert guidance. Instead, they’re handed cookie-cutter advice that wouldn’t even pass muster on a free YouTube tutorial. Let’s dive into just how underwhelming this “elite” program really is.
You can view an example video from the program below.
Here's a list of the videos you get access to for £150 per month.
- Daily Checks
- Log in to Seller Central daily to monitor performance.
- Check for stranded inventory and suppressed listings.
- Review sales and advertising data for anomalies.
- Weekly Checks
- Analyze PPC campaign performance and adjust bids.
- Monitor account health metrics.
- Ensure inventory levels align with sales projections.
- How to Create a Coupon
- Instructions for setting up coupons on Amazon.
- Encourage customers to use the discount for higher conversion rates.
- Liability Insurance
- Overview of the importance of liability insurance for sellers.
- Tips on finding a provider but no specific recommendations or cost breakdowns.
- Bulk Review Request
- How to send a bulk request for customer reviews through Amazon.
- Importance of reviews for brand credibility.
- How to Respond to a Bad Review
- Thanking customers for their feedback.
- Offering a resolution but no strategies for requesting feedback removal or dispute escalation.
- Brand Referral Bonus
- Amazon’s Brand Referral Bonus program explained.
- Suggestion to promote external traffic to listings for potential bonuses.
- Brand Registry Troubleshooting
- Steps to resolve issues with Amazon Brand Registry.
- Basic guidance on documentation requirements.
- Account Health
- Importance of maintaining a healthy account.
- Strategies to resolve policy violations.
- Creating an MCF Order
- How to set up a Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) order in Amazon Seller Central.
- How to set up a Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) order in Amazon Seller Central.
- Power of Influence and Audience Building
- Build a presence on social media.
- Use influencer marketing to engage potential customers.
- What to Do When You Run Out of Stock
- Temporarily pause PPC campaigns.
- Communicate with customers about restocking timelines.
- How to Run a Lightning Deal
- Submit deals through Amazon.
- Ensure inventory availability but no insight into cost-benefit analysis.
- How to Upload Video to Amazon & Seller Central
- Steps to upload videos to product listings and Amazon Store.
- Suggested types of video content, like product demonstrations.
- GETIDA – MUST DO FOR REIMBURSEMENTS
- Overview of GETIDA as a tool for claiming Amazon reimbursements.
- Encouragement to track lost inventory but no alternatives or ROI assessment.
How Does This Help Anyone Reach $1 Million?
The Growth Program videos are packed with generic instructions that lack depth, nuance, or context. Take the Power of Influence and Audience Building video, where participants are told:
“Use social media to showcase your products and engage with your audience.”
That’s it. No framework for identifying an audience, no strategies for building an engaging campaign, and no discussion of how to measure the ROI on influencer marketing efforts. It’s as if they think saying "use Instagram" will magically generate followers, sales, and profit.
For a program claiming to help clients scale to $1 million, this advice falls embarrassingly short of even the basics of digital marketing.
Lightning Deals? Or a Lightning Mess
Amazon’s Lightning Deals are a cornerstone of Darren’s supposed growth strategy. Yet in How to Run a Lightning Deal, clients are advised to:
“Submit your deal through Amazon and make sure your inventory is ready.”
No discussion of costs. No warning about the potential for reduced margins. No explanation of how to calculate whether a Lightning Deal is even profitable.
This kind of shallow guidance leaves clients unprepared for the financial risks involved. And for those hoping to make an informed decision? Good luck, because the video doesn’t offer a shred of actionable advice to help you weigh the pros and cons.
PPC Campaigns: You Deserve Better
Amazon PPC is a critical component of scaling any brand. Yet the advice given in the Weekly Checks video reads like a watered-down checklist:
“Focus on keywords that are getting clicks and spend less on ones that aren’t.”
Where’s the detail on creating high-converting ad copy? Where’s the insight into using negative keywords to reduce wasted ad spend? Darren’s program seems to confuse “basic observations” with “expert strategies.”
For £150 a month, participants deserve more than the same generic suggestions they could get from Amazon’s Seller University—free of charge.
“Daily Checks” That Waste Your Time
In the Daily Checks video, clients are advised to log in daily to monitor their Seller Central accounts and check for issues like stranded inventory. While regular monitoring is crucial, Darren doesn’t offer any tools, workflows, or efficiencies to streamline these tasks.
Why should clients pay £150 a month for advice that doesn’t go beyond “check your dashboard every day”? It’s a waste of time and money disguised as actionable guidance.
Responding to Negative Reviews: The Bare Minimum
Negative reviews can sink an Amazon listing, so you’d think the program would arm clients with advanced strategies for managing them. Instead, the How to Respond to a Bad Review video says:
“Thank the customer for their feedback and offer a resolution if possible.”
Not a single word on requesting feedback removal through Amazon’s policies. No tips for turning bad reviews into opportunities to build trust with customers. Just a reheated version of basic customer service advice.
For £150 a month, clients deserve strategies, not platitudes.
GETIDA for Reimbursements: Missed Opportunities
The GETIDA - MUST DO FOR REIMBURSEMENTS video introduces clients to a third-party tool for tracking Amazon reimbursement claims. While it’s a useful resource, Darren doesn’t provide any guidance on whether the tool is necessary for all sellers, how to calculate ROI on the service, or what alternatives exist.
It’s another example of throwing out a tool without context or critical insight.
Weekly Meetings That Rehash the Basics
The Growth Program includes access to weekly meetings, which are pitched as a chance to get direct advice and mentorship. But as we’ve reported before, these sessions rarely go beyond vague motivational rhetoric.
One participant described the meetings as “the same recycled advice, week after week.” Another shared how they left the sessions more confused than when they started, with no clear next steps for their brand.
Selling the Dream, Delivering the Basics
Darren Campbell’s Growth Program is nothing more than a paywall to common-sense advice that most sellers could find for free online. It’s a scheme to keep clients paying £150 a month for mentorship that doesn’t mentor and strategies that don’t scale.
All these resources below are free and provide actionable advice to help sellers start and grow their Amazon businesses. By leveraging these, you can learn more than what Darren’s program offers without spending £150 a month!
Here’s a list of free resources where aspiring Amazon sellers can learn the same concepts covered in the FBA Brand Builder Growth Program without spending a dime:
Amazon’s Own Resources
- Amazon Seller Central Help Pages
- Comprehensive documentation covering all aspects of managing an Amazon business, from setting up a seller account to creating listings and managing PPC.
- Amazon Seller University
- Free video tutorials provided directly by Amazon, covering topics like account setup, advertising, and inventory management.
- Amazon Brand Registry FAQ
- Detailed information about enrolling and troubleshooting brand registry issues.
YouTube Channels
- Tatiana James
- Offers a range of beginner to advanced FBA strategies, including product research and PPC management.
- Jungle Scout YouTube Channel
- Tutorials on launching products, optimizing listings, and scaling sales.
- My Silent Team
- Valuable insights into running an Amazon business, including managing reviews and troubleshooting account issues.
- Kevin David
- Videos covering branding, influencer marketing, and other advanced FBA techniques.
Blogs and Websites
- Jungle Scout Blog
- Articles and guides on everything from keyword research to running successful ad campaigns.
- Helium 10 Blog
- Detailed breakdowns of Amazon seller tools, listing optimization, and managing account health.
- EcomCrew
- Offers free insights on building and scaling e-commerce brands, with a focus on Amazon FBA.
Forums and Communities
- Amazon Seller Forums
- A community of Amazon sellers sharing advice, troubleshooting tips, and best practices.
- Reddit – r/FulfillmentByAmazon
- Discussions on all aspects of selling on Amazon, including resources, tips, and real-life experiences.
- Facebook Groups
- Join groups like “Amazon FBA Rockstars” or “Amazon Sellers Group” for networking and free advice.
Free Tools and Resources
- Helium 10 Free Plan
- Basic access to keyword research and product research tools.
- Google Keyword Planner
- Use to find relevant keywords for your product listings.
- Canva Free Plan
- Design free product listing images, infographics, and promotional material.
- GETIDA Free Plan
- Sign up for free to manage Amazon reimbursements.
Miscellaneous
- PPC Entourage Blog
- Free resources on optimizing PPC campaigns for Amazon.
- Google Digital Garage
- Free training on digital marketing strategies that apply to Amazon businesses.
- Alibaba’s Knowledge Center
- Learn how to source products from Alibaba, including dealing with suppliers and negotiating costs.