Marketing in a recession: benefits of affiliates and partnerships
Rising interest rates and inflation, dampened economic activity, and trade uncertainty – economies worldwide face the prospect of a tough fourth quarter of 2022. As a result, marketers are increasingly looking for cost-effective strategies that maximize return on investment and minimize risk.
Since its emergence in the early 21st century, affiliate and partnership marketing has proved a fertile source of commercial return and growth; its value in the current recessionary environment could be greater than ever, according to Maura Smith, CMO at Partnerize.
Catalyst to decision-making
“Recent events have served as a catalyst for companies to expedite their decision-making,” says Smith.
“Affiliate marketing gives marketers a means to access their target audience through the power of partnerships. The channel offers the necessary combination of scale and automation, delivering a strong 12-to-1 return on ad spend. That level of return is hard to turn down,” she adds.
A recent report from the Performance Marketing Association and PwC estimates the affiliate marketing channel is now worth over $9 billion a year thanks to its combination of diversification, compensation, influence and conversion.
As a sector, affiliate and partnership marketing began to mature in the 2010s, as dynamic commissioning and compensation models became more sophisticated, enabling more flexibility and accurate partner incentives.
Ahead of the pandemic, in 2018, publishers began to diversify their marketing options and content producers began to receive more tangible benefit through affiliate marketing, as coupon and cash-back offers…
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