Splash DVD promotes five other merchants to every visitor

[Azam.net]

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Splash DVD is now promoting five other affiliate programs via a prominent pop-up. I was wondering how much commission Splash DVD affiliates receive on sales made at these other merchants?

This is the pop-up that appears on the home page:
http://www.sweepstakesuk.co.uk/pop1.htm

[CMG]

Thank's for posting that, there is no way I would promote them after looking at that, I manage Clix yet they are promoting Greasy Palm which I a brilliant site, but still a competitior.

[Supercod]

Mmmmm not good, hands up who has reported it to Malcolm and ask him to look into getting it removed from the affiliate traffic?

I will contact Malcolm first thing on Tuesday as just started promoting this merchant and I have done 62 sales in 13 days and would kind of like to keep promoting this merchant.

This is nothing against you Neil, just so you know I am all for affiliates doing cool promotional stuff like this, but hey I am also for making sales with my customers too.

I have no problem with merchants doing this kind of thing as long as they don't show it on affiliate traffic, unless they all gave a percentage of commission that is and it's possible in this day and age for sites to cross promote each other and share a percentage or even all the commission with the affiliate generated part of the traffic

[Azam.net]

Not necessarily suggesting you should dump them, but just think it's a tad unfair as our hard-won traffic all of a sudden goes towards promoting affiliate programs we earn no commission from.

But as anybody who has been hanging around the Affiliate 4 u forums for the last few years knows, I have ZERO faith in most merchants treating their affiliates like true partners (that's why we now earn less than 50% of our revenue from pay-once affiliate programs when it used to be 90%).

Hopefully the promotion of the five other affiliate programs at Splash DVD will only be a temp. thing as it says:
"The sweepstake runs between Monday 11th August 2003 and Sunday 7th September 2003."

We have shifted our links to Benson's World, but will prob. return them to Splash DVD on 8 September if the pop-up is no longer there.

[Supercod]

One other thing I would like to add, Splash DVD is not just with Buy.at plus it isn't just them running this pop-up thing. It's all the merchants listed and Buy.at have nothing to do with them so it kind of looks un-fair as if this post is just against buy.at when really I think just about every affiliate network has a merchant that's involved.

Don't want to sound like a moan, but I guess it can't be helped LOL but rather they all done it with the non-affiliate traffic only, I means was that not what all the fuss about The Arndale and t4biz was all about.

[NeilDurrant]

To illustrate what we are up to here, especially as I am responsible for organising this initiative!

It's a co-operative marketing arrangement whereby each participating merchant contributes to the sweepstake prize and each merchant pools resources to extend their marketing reach of the competition entrants.

I was wondering how much commission Splash DVD affiliates receive on sales made at these other merchants?

Nothing! Each merchant participating simply places the pop under as their contribution to the campaign. They are not being compensated for any sales driven to the other retailers.

BTW, most importantly most of the merchants are NOT using affiliate links on the reply thank you email sent to entrants.

Unlike the arndale pops discussed in the past this isn't diverting traffic to a directory thats competitively showing their own affiliate links.

Another important consideration. All action is taken within the pop-under - its a case of user submits entry (still within pop creative and then closes window to continue shopping at that merchant). Every effort is made to ensure traffic is not diverted from the site.

The promotion is now into its 3rd week and closes in week 4.

I would happily distribute revised code to all particpating merchants to prevent the pop being shown to affiliate driven traffic - however I really don't know how this is achieved from a technical point of view?

- Neil

[Azam.net]

You are right Supercod. I have no grudge against Buy.at, which is an excellent network with a fab. affiliate manager. Similarly, Neil is one of the most reputable guys in the business and in no way to blame. Like you said, Splash DVD are on another affiliate network as well and they also show the same pop-up.

Sorry Supercod/Malcolm/Neil - nothing against you guys

Splash DVD should have considered/consulted their 'partners' first. They are a decent merchant with excellent customer service, but the affiliate gets zilch from this new set-up.

Benson's World have had four DVD sales from us in the last four hours. They could have gone to Splash DVD. Just like merchants exploit the free market to make their $$$, we can too, to ensure that we are renumerated fairly.

[Malcolm Cowley]

Hi all

Ill have a word in the morning and voice your comments Nadeem , I am at home now so will have a proper look in the morning and speak to the gent at Splash.

[CMG]

Originally posted by NeilDurrant
To illustrate what we are up to here, especially as I am responsible for organising this initiative!

It's a co-operative marketing arrangement whereby each participating merchant contributes to the sweepstake prize and each merchant pools resources to extend their marketing reach of the competition entrants.



Nothing! Each merchant participating simply places the pop under as their contribution to the campaign. They are not being compensated for any sales driven to the other retailers.

BTW, most importantly most of the merchants are NOT using affiliate links on the reply thank you email sent to entrants.

Unlike the arndale pops discussed in the past this isn't diverting traffic to a directory thats competitively showing their own affiliate links.

Another important consideration. All action is taken within the pop-under - its a case of user submits entry (still within pop creative and then closes window to continue shopping at that merchant). Every effort is made to ensure traffic is not diverted from the site.

The promotion is now into its 3rd week and closes in week 4.

I would happily distribute revised code to all particpating merchants to prevent the pop being shown to affiliate driven traffic - however I really don't know how this is achieved from a technical point of view?

- Neil

Hopefully you can appriciate that the fact that this merchant is promoting greasy palm in a pop under totally rules out me being able to promote it, as would it rule out you promoting it if the merchant were to serve a popup with clix in it.

[loquax]

"Hopefully you can appriciate that the fact that this merchant is promoting greasy palm in a pop under totally rules out me being able to promote it, as would it rule out you promoting it if the merchant were to serve a popup with clix in it"

That's not Neil's fault, nor is it his problem. The merchant has optted for this business decision and it is them you need to discuss your position with.

Jason

[Malcolm Cowley]

Ok Folks here is my take on this situation.

I'm here to make sure affiliates get a fair deal when dealing with our merchants.

As far as I can see this promotion has been running for 2 weeks and has 2 weeks left.

If the person was being redirected to another site and buying there so as not being able to track comm for affiliate then I would want something done.

As it stands all action is taken in the pop up window whereby e mail data is captured.

Sales for this merchant have not been effected over this two week period and so one could assume that the next two weeks will be the same.

If sales are down ( I will now be watching more closely ) then I will review it again but as it stands if affiliates are not affected by this then no action needs to be taken.

I do not see it in the same league as T4 biz or Arndale at this time.

[CMG]

The merchant has optted for this business decision and it is them you need to discuss your position with.

I think it was a great business decision for both the merchant and Neil, however I was pointing out that if affiliates are to promote a merchant, they don't want the merchant then promoting other affiliates.

[John]

hmmm, not good at all. I won't be promoting Splash whilst this pop-up remains.

Regardless of whether Splash are remunerated for any sales occurring at any of the other merchants, the fact remains that I would be sending my traffic (in some cases paid-for traffic) to Splash, only for them to promote other merchants that I promote.

The simple fact is, that by sending traffic to Splash, I will more than likely lose sales that I may have made to the other merchants, as a direct result of this popup.

Fair enough on their own traffic, but this kind of thing should not be allowed to spawn on affiliate traffic.

I fail to see how this is any different to the Arndale/T4biz etc. In my book, it's still theft of affiliate traffic.

[Malcolm Cowley]

Hiya John,

I can see where your coming from but its a short term thing with only a week left to run and no ones sales are down for the merchant as a result.

I am v pro affiliate when it comes to our merchants and just dont see it in the T4 biz league with no dorect sales resulting from the pop up on affiliates traffic.

[John]

Fair enough Malcolm, I can wait a week

I appreciate that "no ones sales are down" for this merchant, but my concern is that promoting Splash would cost me sales at the other merchants.

As long as it's not there for the xmas run-in, no worries