There are a lot of ways to approach affiliate marketing. Here are a few of my favorite tips.Feature Co-branded Messaging –Among the fastest-growing areas of affiliate marketing, loyalty and cash-back sites have come to play an increasingly important role in affiliate programs. Given that these types of sites are responsible for delivering a huge number of sales and often … [Read more...]
Integrity Above All
As we all know, the performance marketing industry is growing rapidly. Due to economic conditions, more marketers are moving online and more online marketers are using the pay-for-results model to deliver the results they seek. Add to the mix the rapid pace of technological innovation and the desire for more brands and agencies to sink their teeth into our industry and … [Read more...]
Shine a Light
It's been seven years since interactive agency Razorfish embarrassed itself on national television. When reporter Mike Wallace of CBS' "60 Minutes" asked the agency's co-founders what the company does, the answer was none too clear. Jeff Dachis, co-founder of Razorfish, said to Wallace, "We've asked our clients to recontextualize their business." Asked for … [Read more...]
Taking It Offline
If baseball is the thinking person's game, then online advertising is the thinking person's medium. Much like the national pastime, part of the draw of online advertising comes from the ability to break down performance into limitless particles of useful (and useless) information, such as batting average with runners in scoring position after the 7th inning, or the clickthrough … [Read more...]
Big Brands Believe
TV commercials and print ads aren't dead yet. Major brands still believe in traditional media. After all, a blockbuster commercial with a catchy jingle can positively boost brand equity. No one cares to dispute the power of a well-placed Madison Avenue ad. But nowadays, marketing teams are increasingly feeling pressure to account for the dollars they spend; they need to show … [Read more...]
Fair Game
In-game advertising offers geotargeting of a captive and highly lucrative audience.National advertisers looking to reach mass audiences have had few choices online. The highly fragmented Web lacks properties that can match the millions of viewers who routinely view network TV.However, online gaming (not to be confused with online gambling) sites are now accruing the millions of … [Read more...]
An Unbridled Love of Shopping: Q & A with Michelle Madhok
Michelle Madhok has a lot of experience mixing content and commerce online. She has worked at CBS Broadcasting as a director of entertainment marketing for the new media group and was group director of editorial products for AOL. Madhok understands the power of promotion when it comes to the world of online shopping. Her latest venture, SheFinds.com, offers information to busy … [Read more...]
Look Ma, No Print: Q & A with Michelle Bottomley
Traditional Madison Avenue advertising agencies have taken their share of lumps lately. More companies are spending bigger bucks to advertise online than ever before. Overall spending on advertising is expected to reach $279 billion this year.That's a 5.4 percent jump over 2004. However, Internet advertising is forecast to grow 15 percent over last year and hit nearly $8 … [Read more...]
Off the Mark
Affiliates and Web publishers who sell goods from the most popular brand name merchants are losing traffic and revenue to Web sites that lure consumers by deceiving them with unauthorized use of trademarked products. This happens when a Web publisher embeds the most popular brand names into their site in order to attract consumers who are using a search engine to find specific … [Read more...]
The Color of Success
Color is often a forgotten factor in online design. Online merchants spend millions to hone their Web site designs, but they sometimes forget to research their color choices as well. That interferes with their attempt to build a brand relationship with their customers and also affects purchasing behavior. Color invokes a physical reaction in the human brain. These reactions can … [Read more...]