Already this is causing a huge impact on cashflow for affiliates with a number suggesting that adspend in the vital 4th quarter may be affected. Other in the cashback sector are having to pass on the unpleasant news to their customers that the expected cashback they were to receive shall no longer be available or that they are dipping into emergency funds to pay consumers.

The discussions at Affiliates4U concerning this debacle are becoming heated and quite rightly so. Affiliates seem to be at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to payment protection. In addition, hundreds of retailers are now having to endure additional expenditure switching network programs or even taking affiliate marketing in-house.

The impact for retailers cannot be understated. Many successful affiliates and affiliate companies have potentially lost significant sums of money. Retailers looking for strong promotion by affiliates over the coming months could find that some affiliates they would usually rely on to generate vast numbers of sales for them, are restricted in what they can allocate in terms of resources for successful marketing campaigns.

What I find absolutely incredible is that networks generally have no mechanism in place to ensure protection of affiliate earnings. Some networks like Paid On Results do require that merchants Pre Pay on their accounts. Others like Affiliate Window operate a traffic light system which advises affiliates on which retailers to safely promote.

However no network to date separates the revenue allocated for affiliate commissions into escrow, separating these monies from their general expenditure. This means that there is no underlying guarantee of payment protection directly for affiliates. Reputable networks like Affiliate Window spend huge sums of money on credit insurance each year. This ensures that the network gets paid for all merchants in the event of merchant defaults and this goes some significant way to ensuring affiliates get paid. Yet what precise level of protection does ANY network provide to protect affiliates from network over exposure beyond the laudable activities of voluntarily provided information on merchant credit protection and an alert system on merchants behind with payments? There is no mechanism in place which states that affiliate earnings are ringfenced and will be paid even if the network folds.

The prestigious A4U Awards, highly compared as the “Oscars” of the marketing world, comes to London at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London on the 9th June 2010.

The awards are like no other and it is such a prestigious occasion that it forms the benchmark for many in the industry for the year to come. This year is even more special. I have succeeded thanks to the community at Affiliates4U, in being submitted to the final selection for an award, to be presented that evening.

Being a Finalist is a huge honour and I would like to thank the many members in the community for nominating me. Formal voting for the final selection takes place from Monday 22nd March 2010 and I would urge you all to cast your vote.

Thanks to the many who listed me, I have been shortlisted as a finalist in one of the Publisher Choice categories for Affiliate Manager In-House Or At An Agency.

On behalf of Affiliate Program Advice, may I just say it is with humility and a touch of pride, that I now go into the final voting for this highly contested award.

The competition is fierce and the full list of finalists are reproduced below.

The shortlists for the five community choice awards are:

Publisher of the Year

eConversions / VoucherCodes.co.uk

Quidco

ShopStyle

Skimlinks

TopCashback

Affiliate Manager: In-House or at an Agency

Daniel Austin – R.O.EYE

Naomi Brown – Firebox

Karen Clayton – Azam

Joanna Halstead – i-level

John Jupp – Affiliate Program Advice

Joshna Patel – Red Letter Days

Hannah Swift – Existem-am

Chris Worthy – R.O.EYE

Best Account Manager at a Network

Anne Budden – AffiliateFuture

Helen Collins – affilinet

James Little – AffiliateFuture

Darren Newmark – LinkShare

Aga Marchewka – buy.at

Chantal Williams – Affiliate Window

Julie Wood – Affiliate Window

Affiliate Marketing Blog of 2010

AffiliateStuff.co.uk

DavidFiske.com

eBay Partner Network Blog

Here.org.uk

Lammo.net

OneLittleDuck.co.uk

Best Affiliate Marketing Network

Affiliate Window

Affilinet

Affiliate Future

Commission Junction

LinkShare

Paid On Results

The final round of voting opens to affiliates4u.com members on Monday March 22, with the winners announced at this year’s a4uAwards ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on June 9, 2010.

The final submission deadline for the judged awards is the 19th of March. Table bookings are coming in fast so for the best positions within the great room book a table today.

Recently named 12th in the Sunday Times Fastrack 100 (another superb achievement with Affiliate Program Advice), the personalised gifts retailer found itself at the very top of the Affiliate Window Index for the month of December for all giftware merchants.

The program is managed by myself  (John Gilbert-Jupp) in conjunction with a great team over at GettingPersonal.co.uk

What an outstanding achievement.

The Sunday Times Fast Track 100 league table ranks Britain’s 100 fastest-growing private companies, based on sales growth over 3 years.

Fast Track 100 is compiled by Fast Track and published in The Sunday Times each December, with an awards event at Richard Branson’s Oxfordshire home in May and follow-up regional dinners throughout the year.

This is a fantastic achievement for the Manchester based retailer which has seen phenominal growth under our affiliate management.
A typical Fast Track 100 company:

• is owned and run by entrepreneurs
• has between 50 and 250 staff
• has average sales growth ranging between 50% and 400% pa
• has sales ranging between £5m and £500m (typically £5m – £100m)
• 20% of the companies have venture capital backing

GettingPersonal.co.uk has a list of 1,116 gifts that attract the 15 – 17.5% commission structure now all in one location for affiliates to view within the actual site.

Simply visit the HIGHER COMMISSIONS products and select from the 1,116 gifts on offer to promote, thereby earning you the higher value commissions on offer.

I specifically asked GettingPersonal.co.uk to put together this and they very kindly also listed this as a special affiliates section so that affiliates can find the products to individually link to for hard promotion.

These products are massive sellers and in very high volume. I want affiliates to have a cracking Christmas promotion with GettingPersonal.co.uk so this list is the best way I can steer you to the really high value commission items.

John Gilbert-Jupp
Affiliate Program Advice

I am absolutely delighted to advise all affiliates that with immediate effect Affiliate Program Advice shall be administering the affiliate program for GettingPersonal the personalised giftware supplier on Affiliate Window.

One of the biggest names in the UK in personalised gifts and with a huge campaign planned for this XMas and beyond, GettingPersonal is one of the powerhouses of the UK giftware ecommerce sites.

You will also be delighted to know that your affiliate manager is yours truly.

So tomorrow, I shall be logging in for the first time and overviewing the program in detail. One of the things we’re keen to get produced immediately is branded content units. I am also overviewing the feed right now to make sure that in future it follows better categorisation. New creative is also on the cards and the first newsletters on what we have planned for the XMas season will be prepared soon and sent out to all affiliates.

So please give me a few days to bed in. Then I’ll be firing on all cylinders to put into action a seriously rampant XMas campaign for you all.

GettingPersonal pays tiered commission up to 17.5% and with XMas coming up this can be achieved by a large number of affiliates.

More soon……………

Sponsored by My Rock City.

Affiliate program on Paid On Results the award for Best Album is always highly contested.

Here’s a full list of all the evenings winners…

BEST BRITISH NEWCOMER: In Case Of Fire
Presented by Relentless Energy Drink

BEST INTERNATIONAL NEWCOMER: The Gaslight Anthem
Presented by Criminal Damage

BEST SINGLE: The Prodigy – Omen
Presented by Red Stripe

BEST VIDEO: Mastodon – Oblivion
Presented by Rival Colour

CLASSIC SONGWRITER: Linkin Park

SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE: The Wildhearts

ICON: Alice In Chains
Presented by Orange Amplification

BEST ALBUM: Metallica – Death Magnetic
Presented by My Rock City.com

BEST LIVE BAND: Slipknot
Presented by Marshall Application

INSPIRATION: Machine Head

HALL OF FAME: Limp Bizkit
Presented by: Russian Standard Vodka

BEST BRITISH BAND: Bullet For My Valentine
Presented by Roadrunner Records

BEST INTERNATIONAL BAND: Slipknot
Presented by Guitar Hero

My Rock City pays on 1st order 30% commission on a 90 day cookie with 15% on recurring sales.

The superb marketing profile engaged by My Rock City has drawn close attention amongst the music industry and the fashion sector.

So what’s next? Well My Rock City intends to promote a number of gigs and festivals throughout the UK and is also exploring promotions in the USA. One of the longer term aspirations is to sponsor an award at the MTV Music Awards, so MTV if you are reading this, then get in touch real quick.

Affilicon Europe – Affiliate Marketing Conference & Exhibition
Berlin, Germany, October 20-23, 2009 in cooperation with

Your opportunity to meet face-to-face with top international people in the business. Affilicon Europe is the premier yearly event for European Affiliates, Global vendors, affiliate networks and specially German vendors who look to extend their business over the Internet.
Berlin is perfectly located in between Western and Eastern Europe. This vivid, cosmopolitan, will attract affiliates from the German speaking countries, Poland, Ukraine, Russia Hungary and more, all within a few hours car drive. Additional super affiliates from all around Europe are expected to attend and turn this conference to the biggest affiliation event in Europe.
The quality of the European affiliates makes Berlin a great place for Affilicon and its partners. Book your calendar and make sure you attend this event and expand your reach.

Register Now for early bird prices.

Check out too the Conference Agenda.

Affiliate Program Advice shall be attending this prestigious European event. As part of our continuing domination in the Affiliate Marketing management sector, Affiliate Program Advice is now expanding throughout the USA and Europe. With many exciting clients being taken to the next level in Europe, it is essential for us (and for you) to attend this event.

Affiliate Program Advice endorses Affilicon.

If we don’t see you in Berlin maybe we’ll see you in Beijing at the Affilicon conference there?

There’s been a few headaches this month with the Isango affiliate program.

A lack of sales tracking for a start, which resulted in brownouts and suspensions etc etc.

The tracking issues have been fixed across all networks. Final testing shall be carried out today and tomorrow to ensure that all tweaks haven’t upset the apple cart.

Then I have the mammoth task of crediting affiliates for missing sales transactions and with so many networks to cover, it’ll be a big effort so please bear with me.

In some cases I have referring site, rather than affiliate id as data, so I shall be cross referencing where applicable to get those commissions distributed.

Now for the good news.

Affiliate Program Advice is extending our contract with Isango and I am now heading up the affiliate program in the USA too.

Isango operates presently on the following networks:

Affiliate Future (APA managed)
Commission Junction (APA Managed)
Shareasale (APA managed from August 1st 2009)
Webgains (APA managed)
Zanox (German program not APA managed).

In addition it is Isango’s intent to expand operations in North America, Europe and the Far East over the next 24 months. Affiliate Program Advice shall be lead Consultancy for this and I look forward to setting up a Chinese based affiliate program by 2011 and an Indian based affiliate program in the latter part of 2010. European expansion is currently being reviewed.

So profound apologies for the lack of sales stats this month across all networks. It’s been a seriously protracted issue getting everything functioning properly, following a major site upgrade (don’t you just love it when they happen?).

I do however have a full list of every sale referred by affiliates and my task over the next few weeks (there are quite a lot you see) is to attribute those sales to the correct affiliate.

Thanks for you patience and if you’d like to chat about this further then either email me or if you happen to be at the G2G in London on the 29th, then seek me out, lets get drunk and you can cry into your glass of wine how frustrating it is when this happens.