Category: Network News

ShareASale reveals new initiative to support an inclusive, ethical platform publishers can use to easily identify and partner with certified brands.

Over 80% of US
consumers are reported to want to buy from
small and diverse-owned businesses that align with their own beliefs and
lifestyles. As we recover from the pandemic, consumers are increasingly
ethically minded when it comes to their purchase decisions. Larger
organizations are also becoming more conscious of their own inclusivity
efforts, listening to and understanding consumer demand for better
representation and equality from their favorite brands.

However, it’s not
always easy for companies, and thus consumers, to know which businesses are
small, woman, LGBTQ+ or minority owned. This challenge extends to publishers,
with cashback, coupon, media sites and influencers having few sources of where
they can identify diverse businesses their customers and followers want to
endorse.

First highlighting its commitment
to ethical ecommerce in the Awin Report 2022: Power 100, ShareASale’s
innovative partnership with Sertify is a
significant step for the leading affiliate marketing platform, enabling it to drive better
awareness for under-represented retail businesses and minorities while
simultaneously driving value for consumers who are eager to back them.

Who is Sertify?

New York-founded Sertify is a community of
technologists, marketers and social impact leaders passionate about helping
small and diverse-owned businesses.

Sertify works in two
ways. It helps publishers identify small, and diverse–owned businesses so they
can partner, promote and support these businesses to their audiences. Sertify
also provides vetted merchants with digital Sertify badges to help enhance
their online presence and become searchable by publishers, categorizing the
business based on its ownership profile:

Small businessWoman-ownedMinority-owned (Black, Hispanic,
Asian, Native American)LGBTQ+-ownedDisability-ownedVeteran-owned

How can brands use
Sertify?

For a discounted rate of $90, ShareASale merchants can apply via the Sertify website, taking three simple steps to prove their identity, receive approval and promote your sertification within days.

Sertify merchants are
then shared with the ShareASale team, who will regularly update its publisher
base with lists of the latest businesses so they can easily search, discover
and connect.

Commenting on the
partnership, Christopher Floccare, Publisher Success Team Lead at Awin and
ShareASale, says, “Our publishers often struggle to discover the ownership
status of our brands. This strategic partnership with Sertify enables
ShareASale partners to easily identify and promote those companies that are
small and diverse owned. This will allow their users to better support brands
that align with their values, beliefs and interests. We are excited to see our
small and diverse-owned ShareASale merchants, publishers and their consumers
benefit from Sertify and look forward to making it available on Awin, too, in
the future.”

Dennis Tze,
Co-Founder & CEO, at Sertify says: “Since 46% of US GDP is driven by small
business with 70+% of them being diverse-owned, we’re excited to support their
growth by partnering with ShareASale who is a leader in performance marketing
for small businesses.”

If you’re a small, diverse ShareASale merchant, get sertified for a special rate of $90 for the first year. Apply today

If you’re a publisher who wants to support
small, diverse businesses on the ShareASale platform, please get in touch at ShareASale@ShareASale.com.

The post ShareASale partners with Sertify to support small and diverse-owned businesses appeared first on ShareASale Blog.

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The FIFA World Cup kicks off this winter for the first ever time, breaking a 92-year-old precedent. So, how will the planet’s biggest sporting event affect peak trading for affiliate marketers? 

Campaigns kicking off earlier 

The
timing of the World Cup will likely drive trading globally over a more
prolonged period this Q4. Previous years’ data indicates brands increasingly
start their Cyber Week promotions earlier and earlier. October 2021 saw steady
year-on-year increases, with sales up 6% across several sectors. Fashion,
health & beauty, home & garden and electronics are all sectors that
witnessed positive sales growth compared to 2020.  

In
2022, this trend will continue thanks to the World Cup. With matches coinciding
with key trading days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, brands around the
world will want to offset the likelihood of shoppers being distracted by the
tournament. 

Some
sectors, especially electronics, will likely execute longer periods of
heightened marketing with leading offers launching earlier in October in an
attempt to drive traffic and sales in advance of the football kicking off
during Cyber Week. Promotions for products like televisions, projectors and
soundbars will appear earlier as retailers aim to capture inevitable consumer
demand. 

For affiliate marketers, content creators, media houses and CSS (Comparison Shopping Services) partners will be key allies during this time. At the time of writing, content publishers on Awin and ShareASale globally have seen an average increase of 20% in sales across our network in H1 2022 vs 2021 (Figure 1).  

Robust
growth from traditionally upper-funnel partners supports a trend of more
considered purchasing lately. This has been exacerbated by inflation and the
subsequent living increases. Consumers are conducting more research before
committing to spend. Trusted opinion from review sites and influencers, for
example, is driving increased sales compared to discount and cashback partners that
are seeing lower or even negative growth. 

CSS
publishers have also risen in profile across Europe, with a 57% increase in H1 compared
to 2021. While CSS partners on the platform have seen continually strong growth
since the EU Commission’s anti-competition ruling against Google, they’ve seen
the greatest percentage growth out of any publisher type this Q3. With European
consumers getting savvier, CSS provides a comprehensive view of their market to
filter and choose from, no matter the product they’re looking for. We expect
this trend to continue as more advertisers realize the benefits of
integrating CSS into their campaigns, providing better product coverage across
a key discovery channel. 

A winter of sports 

While
the World Cup’s timing will inevitably drag promotions ever earlier in Q4, the
tournament’s length (the final doesn’t take place until December 18) means it
may extend promotions even later than usual, too.  

Historically,
match days regularly witness spikes in demand from those watching across a
range of sectors. Purchase behaviors during Euro
2020 highlighted this
trend and sportswear brands will undoubtedly attract hordes of fans seeking
replica shirts and other soccer paraphernalia as their teams compete. 

A popular choice for holiday gifting, December is frequently a strong month for sportswear retailers on Awin and ShareASale. December sales in 2021 were up 18% on the previous year’s volume (Figure 2) and we expect that to continue this year as the World Cup generates renewed demand from these brands.  

Not
to be left behind, we also expect a halo effect for other clothing retailers
who will be putting a spotlight on their own athleisure and sportswear during
this period, while home & garden and sports equipment advertisers will also
likely see increased traffic and conversions for any soccer-related kit they
sell. 

Meeting demand at the right time 

FMCG,
alcohol and food & drink advertisers will also be looking to take advantage
of World Cup match days, focusing their strategy and messaging to drive
impulsive sales around games. The time-sensitive nature of these promotions
requires a more dynamic marketing approach with clear calls-to-action (CTA).
Therefore, discount and coupon code partners will invariably play a key role. 

Takeout
and food delivery advertisers are prime candidates for this type, using match-themed
offers to quickly convert customers within the intended timeframe. The
combination of time pressure and highly-targeted CTAs are a proven sales-driver
while offering greater control for advertisers compared to an extended, generic
promotional period. 

Cost
conscious shoppers will also be on the lookout for discounts and other savings
in the lead up to big games when buying from FMCG retailers. The chance to buy
in bulk on food & drink essentials and make larger savings may mean we see
sales volume drop but average order values increase as shoppers aim to get more
for their money. Expect spend-and-save codes as well as tiered cashback to be
popular promotional offers, encouraging greater spend from consumers. 

A World Cup clouded in uncertainty 

Whether
the current economic climate puts a damper on global soccer fever remains to be
seen. Do not underestimate Europe’s (especially the UK’s) love for the game.
Four million viewers tuned in for England’s opening match in this year’s Women’s
Euros – almost double are expected for the World Cup.  

With its coincidental timing during Q4’s peak, advertisers need to strike the right combination of enticing promotions and brand building activity across the extended period to ensure they’re front of mind for the world’s football fans.  

Access the Awin Report 2022 to learn more about the 100 most innovative #Power100 partners on our global platform who can help you tackle the busiest trading period of the year.

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