To help inform advertisers and publishers about the strategic role that the affiliate channel is now playing in marketing strategies, Rakuten Advertising has produced a 5-stage blueprint to design high-performance affiliate marketing programmes.

This blueprint is based on input from members of the Rakuten Advertising International Collective (RAIC) – representatives from affiliate marketing specialists around the world – and includes insights from leading advertisers and publishers, including Harvey Nichols, Microsoft, Reward, Beyond China, RetailMeNot and others.

For advertisers, the blueprint demonstrates how different affiliate models can be combined to enable them to find and influence new customers throughout the customer journey, from discovery to conversion. For publishers, the blueprint offers guidance on how they can enhance, extend and further monetise their offering, building deeper relationships with existing advertisers and attracting new partners.

Wherever you are on your affiliate journey as an advertiser, or if you’re a publisher looking for new ways to monetise your platform and deliver value to advertisers, the 5-Stage Blueprint for High-Performance Affiliate Marketing aims to inspire and inform.