Affiliate marketing has long existed in its own strange silo.
Rakuten Advertising Launches An Affiliate-Inspired Take On Publisher First-Party Data Tech
It can’t be targeted to specific users and it’s tough to sell on a CPM basis, which means programmatic is an awkward fit.
Rakuten Advertising Launches An Affiliate-Inspired Take On Publisher First-Party Data Tech
But, increasingly, the marketers who control affiliate investments are also buying CTV, social media and search. And “they’re accustomed to being able to identify and acquire the audience of the publisher,” said Anthony Capano, North America managing director for Rakuten Advertising.
Rakuten Advertising Launches An Affiliate-Inspired Take On Publisher First-Party Data Tech
On Tuesday, Rakuten Advertising announced the launch of Audience Engine, a CRM onboarding and optimization product that treats affiliate more like search and social media. In other words, addressable affiliate.
Rakuten Advertising Launches An Affiliate-Inspired Take On Publisher First-Party Data Tech
Rakuten Advertising Launches An Affiliate-Inspired Take On Publisher First-Party Data Tech
With Audience Engine, Rakuten Advertising is making its entrée into a new world of publisher first-party data and embracing online shopping trends.
Rakuten Advertising Launches An Affiliate-Inspired Take On Publisher First-Party Data Tech
In practice, Capano said, advertisers can set their acquisition rates and commission structures for specific audience targets or types of audience segments.
Rakuten Advertising Launches An Affiliate-Inspired Take On Publisher First-Party Data Tech
Another benefit for advertisers is that whereas advertising with Amazon or Walmart drives sales to Amazon or Walmart, the affiliate channel sends people back to a buyer’s own site.
Rakuten and the publishers in the Audience Engine program will direct traffic – and valuable first-party customer data – back to the brand.
“A great aspect of the affiliate industry is that it’s the one transparent channel and, therefore, low risk,” Capano said.
The product requires advertisers to upload their data to Rakuten Advertising. But Rakuten also needs publishers to bring their server-side data so that it can be matched with advertiser data and Rakuten data in a privacy compliant way.
Audience Engine’s public launch partners include Dealmoon, Slickdeals and 55Haitao. Dealmoon and…
..