Affiliate Marketing
Most affiliate programmes pay commission on sales they never generated.
Partner programmes restructured around incremental sales rather than last-click credit.
62%
Share of affiliate-attributed revenue proven incremental in testing
The challenge
The affiliate channel looks great on paper because it is measured at the moment of purchase. Voucher, cashback and loyalty partners are positioned at the bottom of the funnel by design, and last-click attribution gives them the sale no matter who actually created the demand. The outcome is a channel that looks like your most efficient and is partly a discount scheme you pay an agency to run. Meanwhile, content partners and genuine publishers who bring in new customers are under-rewarded and move on.
Our process
Our approach
Understand what the channel is really doing
Before changing any commission rates, we group partners by role: content and review sites, cashback, voucher and discount codes, loyalty, sub-networks, brand-bidding partners, and technology partners such as on-site coupon tools. We then measure new-customer rate and basket mix by partner type. The picture is rarely the one the network dashboard presents.
Test incrementality instead of debating it
Affiliate incrementality can be tested. Pausing a partner group in matched regions, blocking on-site code injection or running holdouts on cashback exposure gives a reliable view of what is lost when a partner stops. We run these tests intentionally and accept the outcome — including when it favours the partner.
Reward the behaviour you want
A flat commission for every partner type rewards whoever is closest to checkout. We move programmes to tiered and conditional terms — higher rates for new customers, lower or zero for code-driven repeat orders, rate cards by product margin tier, and negotiated tenancy or hybrid deals for content partners whose value is not last-click.
Keep the programme clean
Programme hygiene is unglamorous, and it is exactly where money and brand risk lie: brand-bidding breaches, unauthorised sub-affiliates, expired or fake voucher codes, trademark misuse and cookie-stuffing. We monitor it continuously and enforce the terms, rather than simply logging breaches and presenting them to you as diligence.
Deliverables
What you receive
Partner segmentation by role, with new-customer rate and average order value reported for each segment
Commercial terms review: tiered commission for new versus returning customers, and by product margin tier
Incrementality tests on defined partner groups, scheduled ahead with the method and success criteria agreed before each test
Compliance reviews on an agreed schedule covering brand bidding, trademark misuse, unauthorised sub-affiliates and outdated voucher codes
Publisher recruitment focused on content and review partners in your sector and markets, with outreach volume and response rates reported
Network and platform management on Awin, Impact, Partnerize, CJ, Rakuten or Webgains, including de-duplication rules against paid search and paid social
Programme review of partner concentration risk — what happens commercially if your biggest partner walks away
Industries
Sectors where we deliver this
Ecommerce
Paid acquisition managed to contribution margin and breakeven efficiency, not the return platforms report.
Finance
Acquisition for regulated firms, where every advert is itself a regulated document.
iGaming
Affiliate-driven player acquisition for licensed operators, where one compliance failure outweighs any efficiency gain.
Common questions
Our affiliate programme already reports a strong return. Why would we change it?
Because reported return and incremental return are two different figures, and only one of them ends up in your bank account. A programme led by cashback and voucher partners can show an outstanding last-click ROI while adding far less new revenue than it seems. A test takes a few weeks and gives a clear answer either way.
Will removing voucher and cashback partners reduce sales?
Usually a little. The real question is by how much, and whether the margin saved is worth it. We rarely suggest removing them entirely — they play a genuine role in conversion and customer reactivation. We recommend paying them a rate that reflects what they contribute rather than their position in the click path.
Will you work with our current network or move us to another?
We work with your current network by default. Migrating is disruptive, can damage partner relationships, and only makes sense for a specific reason — typically tracking limitations, de-duplication that cannot be configured, or terms that cannot be set by partner type.
Who owns the partner relationships?
You do. Partners are contracted to your programme, on your terms, in your account. We manage those relationships for you and document everything so the programme can be handed over at any time.
Begin with an audit.
The audit has a clear scope and a clear output, and it stands on its own — no obligation to continue. If it shows your current setup is working well, that is a perfectly valid result and we will tell you so.