Introducing Mike Currey
Mike began his profession in advertising and marketing within the music and leisure trade earlier than working in media gross sales after which on the company aspect at Razorfish. He’s since been working with associates on the model aspect at corporations like T-Cell and Blue Nile, alongside along with his present position at Quince, the place he leads their affiliate and show efforts. Mike was additionally just lately a speaker at PI Dwell 2023 in Miami.
What are your day-to-day duties?
Oversee program technique, finance, operational build-out, a staff of three, and ideate product build-outs inside and exterior. Collaborate with different inside companions to construct technique and attribution. Handle a subset of publishers outdoors of content material commerce.
How did you get into affiliate marketing online?
I joined T-Cell on contract to assist launch their show retargeting and handle a dormant associates program. After three months, I got here on full-time for an affiliate and handed on the show to a different new rent. That gig lasted virtually six years earlier than transferring into different consulting/manufacturers.
What are your most necessary KPIs?
Specializing in retail — margin after which return charge. I can drive visitors and income all day lengthy however on the finish of the day, if the model will not be earning profits after media spend/commissions, then is the tactic working? Additionally, not all publishers are equal. Some have an viewers that likes to return merchandise however commissions have been paid out.
What’s your largest pet peeve in regards to the affiliate trade?
Lack of higher management help. The affiliate technique has been round because the early ’90s and helped launch Amazon; Amazon appears to have labored out okay. There may be worth within the effort however plenty of management solely sees it as a lower-funnel low cost channel. It does come right down to affiliate managers and companies, too. Many load up packages with last-click companions, so that’s what management sees. We as an trade must be extra accountable and diversify packages that present the worth of the channel. A lot collaboration with different inside media and fee fashions may be finished for the total funnel. We simply have to include it into our packages and have seen many transferring into this with the adoption of PR into the writer combine.
What’s your ideally suited accomplice combine?
The Quince model is younger, so getting the title out via product opinions is our present combine. I’d say 80% of the companions are content material and 20% are a mixture of gated relationships via provides/rewards.
What have you ever finished within the final 6-12 months to enhance your affiliate marketing online efforts?
This system I walked into was beforehand managed by an company that loaded this system up with coupons, sub-networks, and toolbars. Management took discover and had the information scientists do a deep dive. The outcomes confirmed most of it was not incremental and began to maneuver away right into a content-based program. I got here on a few months later. Instantly I began to take away the entire toolbars lingering, cleaned up our promo code construction for the corporate, shifted away from multi-use codes, and cleaned up publishers that had been hijacking hyperlinks, codes, and content material. That was the primary three months, so now I’m centered on constructing service reductions and offline methods.
“Affiliate” or “accomplice”?
I’d lean in the direction of “accomplice.” Affiliate has a little bit of taboo lately and a Wild West which means. “Accomplice” brings within the notion two individuals are working collectively to construct a technique collectively. Wild West versus one-to-one.
What’s the largest mistake you’ve made in affiliate marketing online?
In all probability not going to as many affiliate conferences through the years. So many relationships have been cast there and I do know lots of people over e-mail, however this trade is so personable. In-person does make a distinction.
How necessary is following the journey of a consumer after you (or your advertisers) first purchase them or after their first buy?
The journey earlier than and through checkout is necessary to me. I wish to know the media combine and which flows offline drive the best conversion charge. Even onsite, understanding what funnel by the writer by writer kind drives the most effective conversion charge. This actually relies upon lots on the affiliate platform used, although.
Do you will have a particular technique for influencers?
The Quince influencer staff builds model consciousness via partnered campaigns and UGC for different groups to whitelist. The affiliate staff focuses on the natural aspect via long-tail opinions. I wouldn’t say it isn’t a lot than different retail manufacturers.
