Amazon’s (NASDAQ: AMZN) Dash button is a model of simplicity in the complex world of the Internet of Things. Press a button at the point of need and the replenishment order is placed.

But beneath that simplicity is a marketing machine that prompts customers to re-order products without any outside influences, thus providing a wealth of sales data. It’s a good example of the “Zero Moment of Purchase,” said Anil Kaul, CEO of Absolutdata, a data analytics firm that works with major brands.