Publications abstract

Feb 2008: Affinity Marketing - Everybody is Somebody's Customer

Affinity marketing is a well-understood concept where one brand introduces another to one of its existing customers. Used well, this is a highly effective way of not only extending your marketable universe but also of enhancing your brand – we all know how much better we respond to genuine recommendation from someone we trust; in affinity marketing, the same principle applies.

This is why the country’s best-loved brands typically invest 20% of their marketing budget in such activities. However, we’ve found that rather than basking in the warm glow of higher response rates and increased brand loyalty, poor execution often restricts use of this rich seam to a poorly targeted insert approach that gets the response it deserves – that is, little or none. In this paper, Nick McCarthy, a Director at Experian, argues that too many affinity relationships are created for short-term gains, rather than cultivated as long-term strategic relationships. With highly practical advice for acquisition marketers, it’s time for affinity marketing to operate to the same levels of diligence and rigour as the other parts of the marketing mix. For those marketers who are delving into acquisition-focussed affinity marketing for the first time or perhaps feel they are not maximising their existing partnerships, this guide provides some useful tips on how to get the best from your partner and affinity marketing relationship.

The guide provides top tips on:

1. Choosing the right partner
2. Agreeing the relationship boundaries
3. Assessing the opportunity
4. Aiming for a marriage rather than a 'date'
5. Agreeing a contact strategy
6. Using business-as-usual learnings
7. Setting shared goals
8. Closing the loop
9. Sharing in rewards and failures

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