Comments on: Affiliate landing pages and brand bidding using closed groups. Good or bad? http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html Welcome to Kieron's blog - the life and times of an Internet Marketeer Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:10:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Tradedoubler leave London office and affiliate cookie theft | Doug's mouthpiece http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-6753 Tradedoubler leave London office and affiliate cookie theft | Doug's mouthpiece Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:12:06 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-6753 [...] day the user does a search for expedia and clicks on the ppc advert from one of the lovely brandbidding groups approved by [...] [...] day the user does a search for expedia and clicks on the ppc advert from one of the lovely brandbidding groups approved by [...]

]]> By: Brand Name Bidding “Corruption” - Put up or shut up http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-4283 Brand Name Bidding “Corruption” - Put up or shut up Sat, 20 Oct 2007 16:11:33 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-4283 [...] wrote about brand bidding before and put together some pros and cons for whether or not it should exist at all. However it [...] [...] wrote about brand bidding before and put together some pros and cons for whether or not it should exist at all. However it [...]

]]> By: Ian http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-1113 Ian Thu, 12 Jul 2007 12:28:29 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-1113 Kieron, in a word, with generic terms only. Sky have put their foot down with all suppliers recently. There is reasons behind it but they are a little 'legally-sensitive' and wouldn't want to post on your site for obvious reasons. The other annoying thing of it is that Sky are clamping down on payouts, which is why some/most affiliates are not gaining the conversation rates from Sky they'd expect/hope for. Worst of all they announced at the end of June that they will no longer pay suppliers commission for subscriptions, yet at the same time announced massive bonuses to affiliates for sending customers there way! Frustrating! Will be interested to see what happens in August when 'all' PPC campaigns using 'sky' should be stopped. If it doesn't happen, i'll be considering action :) Kieron, in a word, with generic terms only. Sky have put their foot down with all suppliers recently. There is reasons behind it but they are a little ‘legally-sensitive’ and wouldn’t want to post on your site for obvious reasons. The other annoying thing of it is that Sky are clamping down on payouts, which is why some/most affiliates are not gaining the conversation rates from Sky they’d expect/hope for. Worst of all they announced at the end of June that they will no longer pay suppliers commission for subscriptions, yet at the same time announced massive bonuses to affiliates for sending customers there way! Frustrating! Will be interested to see what happens in August when ‘all’ PPC campaigns using ’sky’ should be stopped. If it doesn’t happen, i’ll be considering action :)

]]> By: Kieron http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-1109 Kieron Thu, 12 Jul 2007 08:41:50 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-1109 Ian, I see your point. Its a bit bizarre that you can't use the term "Sky" on your website though? How the hell are you supposed to sell Sky services then? Ian, I see your point. Its a bit bizarre that you can’t use the term “Sky” on your website though? How the hell are you supposed to sell Sky services then?

]]> By: Kieron http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-1108 Kieron Thu, 12 Jul 2007 08:40:34 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-1108 Yo Yo, I know that only Sky approved affiliates ads are showing, that was the whole point of my post. Did you read it? Yo Yo, I know that only Sky approved affiliates ads are showing, that was the whole point of my post. Did you read it?

]]> By: Ian http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-1107 Ian Thu, 12 Jul 2007 07:40:06 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-1107 The frustating thing about the specific example you've used is that affiliates are squeezing the market preventing all competition/merchants of Sky services being able to advertise. No merchants (i being one of the most well known) are able to brand bid anymore, and Sky have recently prevented all merchants selling Sky products to use the term 'sky' on their websites, in an excuse they use of "avoiding confusion for visitors". Ultimately Sky will only allow brand bidding on those they feel give them the biggest business...such as the super affiliates you mentioned. Can't blame them but its difficult from a merchant point of view. Come August though in accordance with buy.at's communications, all brand bidding on 'Sky' must be removed by affiliates, so i'm not so convinced its super affiliates but actually those hanging on til the last minute. Most trademark companies have now gone down the route of not allowing any use of the key term, so ultimately a search for Sky will bring back no PPC results, and just their website at the top! I have two merchant sites, both sitting within the top 20 for this term organically, but was at one point 2nd, unfortunetly Sky's 'breaking up' of their site into seperate sub-domains has resulted in them dominating the first page, regardless of PPC or not, they own that first page!!! The frustating thing about the specific example you’ve used is that affiliates are squeezing the market preventing all competition/merchants of Sky services being able to advertise. No merchants (i being one of the most well known) are able to brand bid anymore, and Sky have recently prevented all merchants selling Sky products to use the term ’sky’ on their websites, in an excuse they use of “avoiding confusion for visitors”. Ultimately Sky will only allow brand bidding on those they feel give them the biggest business…such as the super affiliates you mentioned. Can’t blame them but its difficult from a merchant point of view. Come August though in accordance with buy.at’s communications, all brand bidding on ‘Sky’ must be removed by affiliates, so i’m not so convinced its super affiliates but actually those hanging on til the last minute. Most trademark companies have now gone down the route of not allowing any use of the key term, so ultimately a search for Sky will bring back no PPC results, and just their website at the top! I have two merchant sites, both sitting within the top 20 for this term organically, but was at one point 2nd, unfortunetly Sky’s ‘breaking up’ of their site into seperate sub-domains has resulted in them dominating the first page, regardless of PPC or not, they own that first page!!!

]]> By: Yo Yo http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-1095 Yo Yo Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:26:50 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-1095 Sky have stopped people bidding on their term. Take a look in Google, the only ads showing are for approved Sky affiliates. Yes. Sky have stopped people bidding on their term. Take a look in Google, the only ads showing are for approved Sky affiliates.
Yes.

]]> By: Kieron http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-1064 Kieron Mon, 09 Jul 2007 06:56:08 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-1064 Yes, the affiliate will earn commission from offsite links to other related companies such as Virgin Media. However, if you were Sky and you had set up a controlled group of ppc affiliates allowed to bid on your name, would you be happy? So as an affiliate its not a con but as a merchant I would say it is. Sky have stopped people bidding on their term. Take a look in Google, the only ads showing are for approved Sky affiliates. Generic term or not, they have it trademarked and protected well. Yes, the affiliate will earn commission from offsite links to other related companies such as Virgin Media. However, if you were Sky and you had set up a controlled group of ppc affiliates allowed to bid on your name, would you be happy? So as an affiliate its not a con but as a merchant I would say it is.

Sky have stopped people bidding on their term. Take a look in Google, the only ads showing are for approved Sky affiliates. Generic term or not, they have it trademarked and protected well.

]]> By: Chris http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-1062 Chris Mon, 09 Jul 2007 01:17:19 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/2007/07/affiliate-landing-pages-and-brand-bidding-using-closed-groups-good-or-bad.html#comment-1062 Number 4 of the con discussion mentions a consumer / visitor clicking an offsite link to a competitor - you mentioned sky. Aren't affiliates now building like you have done with your credit card site, say still on the topic of sky - Sky, Virgin Media ect.. comparison sites directing visitors to either one through an affiliate link meaning no loss in visitor conversion - it may even increase although it depends on the payout per user from these companies whether your income will increase or decrease. Can sky stop people bidding on this? - i mean it's a generic term although it's obviously related to the company. Number 4 of the con discussion mentions a consumer / visitor clicking an offsite link to a competitor - you mentioned sky. Aren’t affiliates now building like you have done with your credit card site, say still on the topic of sky - Sky, Virgin Media ect.. comparison sites directing visitors to either one through an affiliate link meaning no loss in visitor conversion - it may even increase although it depends on the payout per user from these companies whether your income will increase or decrease.

Can sky stop people bidding on this? - i mean it’s a generic term although it’s obviously related to the company.

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