Comments on: Next - do you allow affiliates to brand name bid or not? http://www.here.org.uk/2008/05/next-do-you-allow-affiliates-to-brand-name-bid-or-not.html Welcome to Kieron's blog - the life and times of an Internet Marketeer Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:22:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Jules http://www.here.org.uk/2008/05/next-do-you-allow-affiliates-to-brand-name-bid-or-not.html#comment-7638 Jules Thu, 08 May 2008 09:45:30 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=795#comment-7638 The BNB stopped yesterday morning - interesting isn't it? The BNB stopped yesterday morning - interesting isn’t it?

]]> By: gadget http://www.here.org.uk/2008/05/next-do-you-allow-affiliates-to-brand-name-bid-or-not.html#comment-7637 gadget Thu, 08 May 2008 09:43:58 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=795#comment-7637 Look on the bright side - at least they're listening - lol! Look on the bright side - at least they’re listening - lol!

]]> By: Kieron http://www.here.org.uk/2008/05/next-do-you-allow-affiliates-to-brand-name-bid-or-not.html#comment-7634 Kieron Thu, 08 May 2008 08:23:33 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=795#comment-7634 Interesting to see that the brand name bidding on "Next" seems to have now stopped. Interesting to see that the brand name bidding on “Next” seems to have now stopped.

]]> By: Chris http://www.here.org.uk/2008/05/next-do-you-allow-affiliates-to-brand-name-bid-or-not.html#comment-7620 Chris Wed, 07 May 2008 12:42:25 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=795#comment-7620 I was asked if I was going to blog about this, but to be honest I simply couldn't give a**ed. Its been bad from the very beginning, and I did think things would change with the voice conference. As I say, I had hoped that "proven affiliates" would mean just that, sadly I dont think it does. Its all very wishy washy IMO and I think the voice conferences, although welcomed, hasn't changed a single thing. I was asked if I was going to blog about this, but to be honest I simply couldn’t give a**ed.

Its been bad from the very beginning, and I did think things would change with the voice conference. As I say, I had hoped that “proven affiliates” would mean just that, sadly I dont think it does. Its all very wishy washy IMO and I think the voice conferences, although welcomed, hasn’t changed a single thing.

]]> By: David Furlow http://www.here.org.uk/2008/05/next-do-you-allow-affiliates-to-brand-name-bid-or-not.html#comment-7609 David Furlow Tue, 06 May 2008 20:36:53 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=795#comment-7609 Ive been following the Next stories with interest, even though im not a retail based affiliate. Suffice to say I wont be touching any ilevel managed programs in the future. Ive been following the Next stories with interest, even though im not a retail based affiliate. Suffice to say I wont be touching any ilevel managed programs in the future.

]]> By: Moose http://www.here.org.uk/2008/05/next-do-you-allow-affiliates-to-brand-name-bid-or-not.html#comment-7608 Moose Tue, 06 May 2008 20:36:01 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=795#comment-7608 Will there be a name change to I-Liar-Evil (say it quickly)? Will there be a name change to I-Liar-Evil (say it quickly)?

]]> By: shane http://www.here.org.uk/2008/05/next-do-you-allow-affiliates-to-brand-name-bid-or-not.html#comment-7604 shane Tue, 06 May 2008 18:31:33 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=795#comment-7604 you couldn't make it up could you ! So rather than take 3 affiliates who did many generic sales(who knows why at the rate they pay), they've picked 3 guys with a "proved track record in the space" who can do exact match [next] better than everyone else .. all the untrained generic chumps out there huh.. well it is a tall task, not every affiliate can do it.. well only those over the age of 6, with opposable thumbs and penchant for bananas etc. .. for gods sake any chimp can brand bid !! why does everyone think it's a freakin science, dark art, black magic only worthy of being practiced by a chosen few !? In fact the only one better I've heard is of a merchant who's reducing commissions by 30%, removing cookies !! and gone from 1 to 3 monthly reporting and is still expecting affiliates to send traffic.. now there's a some forward planning ideas for Next ! why don't agencies reward the guys driving generic sales before this "proved track record in the space" culture bites them in the butt, all it's doing is winding up genuine affiliates who drive generic sales !! As a result of seeing how this has been handled I'd rather send traffic to a dead page in preferance to next or any other I-Level managed merchant ! If the next/I-level saga were a film I'd be saying it was a poor script with non existant dialogue, skeleton characters showing zero knowledge, intelligence and wit! an extremely poor job from start to finish and the sequel sucked even more ! in fact the best thing about it was the way out sign at the end ! you couldn’t make it up could you !

So rather than take 3 affiliates who did many generic sales(who knows why at the rate they pay), they’ve picked 3 guys with a “proved track record in the space” who can do exact match [next] better than everyone else .. all the untrained generic chumps out there huh..

well it is a tall task, not every affiliate can do it.. well only those over the age of 6, with opposable thumbs and penchant for bananas etc. .. for gods sake any chimp can brand bid !! why does everyone think it’s a freakin science, dark art, black magic only worthy of being practiced by a chosen few !?

In fact the only one better I’ve heard is of a merchant who’s reducing commissions by 30%, removing cookies !! and gone from 1 to 3 monthly reporting and is still expecting affiliates to send traffic.. now there’s a some forward planning ideas for Next !

why don’t agencies reward the guys driving generic sales before this “proved track record in the space” culture bites them in the butt, all it’s doing is winding up genuine affiliates who drive generic sales !!

As a result of seeing how this has been handled I’d rather send traffic to a dead page in preferance to next or any other I-Level managed merchant !

If the next/I-level saga were a film I’d be saying it was a poor script with non existant dialogue, skeleton characters showing zero knowledge, intelligence and wit! an extremely poor job from start to finish and the sequel sucked even more ! in fact the best thing about it was the way out sign at the end !

]]> By: DougS http://www.here.org.uk/2008/05/next-do-you-allow-affiliates-to-brand-name-bid-or-not.html#comment-7602 DougS Tue, 06 May 2008 18:30:25 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=795#comment-7602 Why don't merchants just open it for to everyone rather than closed groups? Doug Why don’t merchants just open it for to everyone rather than closed groups?

Doug

]]> By: Keith http://www.here.org.uk/2008/05/next-do-you-allow-affiliates-to-brand-name-bid-or-not.html#comment-7597 Keith Tue, 06 May 2008 17:36:42 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=795#comment-7597 Fiona As we discussed by email this morning, I am pretty certain this was not discussed during the affili.net teleconference (although from Chris's reference above it sounds as if it was discussed in the buy.at teleconference). Either way, as I pointed out, the minutes of the teleconference should have reflected this and they clearly do not, which has me slightly worried as to what else may have been omitted. I don't quite buy the 'no time to do an RFP' argument either - given that the teleconference was in early April I would have thought three weeks would have been ample time - a week for affiliates to respond and a week to consider the replies should be plenty of time - if everyone gets their act together there is no reason why it should take longer than that. Fiona

As we discussed by email this morning, I am pretty certain this was not discussed during the affili.net teleconference (although from Chris’s reference above it sounds as if it was discussed in the buy.at teleconference).

Either way, as I pointed out, the minutes of the teleconference should have reflected this and they clearly do not, which has me slightly worried as to what else may have been omitted.

I don’t quite buy the ‘no time to do an RFP’ argument either - given that the teleconference was in early April I would have thought three weeks would have been ample time - a week for affiliates to respond and a week to consider the replies should be plenty of time - if everyone gets their act together there is no reason why it should take longer than that.

]]> By: Jules http://www.here.org.uk/2008/05/next-do-you-allow-affiliates-to-brand-name-bid-or-not.html#comment-7594 Jules Tue, 06 May 2008 12:33:18 +0000 http://www.here.org.uk/?p=795#comment-7594 For any company that sells their own exclusive products I see limited value in affiliates having brand permissions. If you're searching for Next, you're looking for Next - it makes little difference whether M&S or Dorothy Perkins is listed alongside it unless they try to run spolier ads with compelling pricing or offer led creative. In light of the negligible competitor ads it's stretching credibility to see where the value ad is here – I would imagine Next’s CPAs on brand terms has sky rocketed whilst content affiliates have also taken a bashing. It’s also worrying that more often than not the ‘official’ Next ad either doesn’t display or alternates where it is positioned. Compare this to ‘M&S’ on Google. Given they’re not bidding on their brand, content affiliates aren’t hit on brand cookie overwrites and competitors are firmly on the right hand side of the page. Not to mention the absence of PPC spend. Anyone who’s seen eyeball tracking software in action will know how little traffic M&S will be losing. For any company that sells their own exclusive products I see limited value in affiliates having brand permissions. If you’re searching for Next, you’re looking for Next - it makes little difference whether M&S or Dorothy Perkins is listed alongside it unless they try to run spolier ads with compelling pricing or offer led creative.
In light of the negligible competitor ads it’s stretching credibility to see where the value ad is here – I would imagine Next’s CPAs on brand terms has sky rocketed whilst content affiliates have also taken a bashing. It’s also worrying that more often than not the ‘official’ Next ad either doesn’t display or alternates where it is positioned.
Compare this to ‘M&S’ on Google. Given they’re not bidding on their brand, content affiliates aren’t hit on brand cookie overwrites and competitors are firmly on the right hand side of the page. Not to mention the absence of PPC spend. Anyone who’s seen eyeball tracking software in action will know how little traffic M&S will be losing.

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