---
id: "entity-amazon-d5"
type: "entity"
entityType: "organization"
canonicalName: "Amazon"
aliases: []
canonical_url: "amazon.com"
source_timestamps: ["¶4", "§ What Comes Next: Competing for an AI Customer's Preference"]
tags: ["retailer", "walled-garden"]
related: ["entity-rufus"]
sources: ["geo"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-geo"
originDay: 3
articleStem: "hbr-tier2-05-market-to-ai-customer"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/06/how-do-you-market-to-an-ai-customer"
sourceTitle: "How Do You Market to an AI Customer?"
---
# Amazon

Contrasted with [[entity-walmart-d3]]'s open-protocol hedging strategy, **Amazon's bet is that it must own the shopping agent entirely.** Its strategy revolves around its proprietary agent, **Rufus** ([[entity-rufus]]), which [[entity-kartik-hosanagar]] describes as *"underwhelming so far."* Amazon is depicted as holding back from open protocols (ACP/UCP) to maintain a **walled garden** over the customer relationship.

*Enrichment note (canonical: amazon.com):* Global e-commerce and cloud platform; has launched internal AI shopping features (e.g., Rufus) and is often characterized as favoring a walled-garden approach rather than open protocols. Amazon's positioning is drawn largely from general knowledge rather than protocol-specific documentation.