78% revenue growth
from the affiliate channel YoY
112% rise in website sessions
over the campaign period
86% rise in ‘sale active’
publishers and 85% increase in ‘click active’
ScS
Sitting pretty following impressive affiliate growthScS is one of the UK’s leading home retailers specialising in sofas and flooring. Following strong performance post-Covid, we partnered with the retailer to drive its next stage of digital growth.
The challenge
Affiliate marketing was already playing a key role in ScS’s performance marketing mix, but to meet ambitious online growth targets, we needed to take the affiliate channel to the next level.
We were on a mission to double website traffic, increase revenue contribution from the affiliate channel, and expand the no. of ‘click active’ publishers.
The solution
Buying a sofa or flooring is a considered purchase with a high level of exploration and evaluation. We needed to select affiliate partners which had a broad audience appeal that would drive visibility throughout the journey.
We diversified the affiliate mix to reach our audience in new places and reduce revenue reliance on cashback partners.
Amplification of offers
To maximise the reach of ScS’s strong offers, we aligned key placements with publishers to increase the visibility of the brand during those key moments, utilising bespoke commisson structures to secure exposure.
Taking an incremental approach to cashback
Whilst reducing reliance, cashback publishers still played a role in the campaign. We planned exclusive cashback rates aligning to key moments to increase the effectiveness of stronger rates. To drive incremental volume, we implemented a minimum spend threshold to protect margins and increase AoV.
Working with niche publishers
We partnered with affiliates who specialised in the home furnishing space (such as ‘ufurnish’) to drive traffic during the consideration phase of our audience’s buying journey. To maximise reach, we implemented a bespoke CPC contract which gave the partner increased flexibility to target traffic on a product level utilising a dedicated product feed to push traffic to site.
Putting affiliate relationships first
To drive competitive advantage, publisher relations were paramount to success. We amplified our comms to publishers to drive even greater engagement and success for ScS.
Implementing a strategic planning cycle
We embraced a quarterly planning cycle to enable strategic alignment with ScS’s wider marketing plans, and utilised GAP analysis and sector benchmarking to identify opportunities and drive performance.
Return on imagination
The work was awarded 'Best Affiliate Campaign' at the Northern Digital Awards 2024 and had a significant impact on the ScS business:
- ScS26’s team have gone above and beyond to deliver results that have been felt throughout the business. Their collaborative approach to working closely with our internal team has been paramount to achieving targets and surpassing expectations.
Proactivity to improve our partner mix and uncover new opportunities, as well as creative thinking around how we use influencers, has helped affiliates become one of our most valued digital channels to-date.