During a recent visit to the 7thingsmedia New York office, the team enjoyed a packed schedule; including a fulfilling (but tiring) day at the Linkshare Symposium, and a bit of much-needed downtime at the Yankees & Mets game!

At the Linkshare symposium, our founder Chris Bishop along with Fi and Jen attended a session led by Andy Hoar from Forrester Research on the direct and indirect value that affiliates offer advertisers; a topic which Chris Bishop appraised in an article for Econsultancy.

The article – which has been of considerable interest and value to those involved within affiliate marketing, highlights and evaluates the findings of the Forrester Research study.  Interestingly, the study states that the common assumptions regarding voucher code and deal sites are flawed and should definitely be questioned.

Some key highlights from the study:

-Only 8% of people surveyed felt that companies who run such a promotion degrade a brand’s reputation.

-47% of shoppers agreed that they are more likely to partake in such a deal if it appears on multiple sites.

-People buy through deal sites irrelevant of their salary-level – and in this particular sample over half were on a salary of $78k (£50,000) or above.

Chris also goes on to explain that brands should look at all channels with the same intent, concluding that this new research reinforces the need to explore opportunities without prejudice; letting data lead strategy, rather than assumptions.

Click to read the full article on  The value of affiliates today on Econsultancy.

Posted by Rhi