IAB AMC MEETING - 25th FEB 2010

[KevinEdwards]

Tweet

Hi there,

The February IAB meeting is taking place next Thursday at the IAB's offices at 3pm and we're looking for agenda points to be added.

If you have anything you'd like to be raised or discussed please drop me an email.

Thanks,
Kevin

[KevinEdwards]

Hi,

The agenda for Thursday is still being put together but we'll essentially be focusing on the proposed changes to the structure of the meetings.

There seems to be a consensus that as the number of people attending grows so the meetings can lose focus. Given the significant progress the Council made last year we obviously want to ensure this momentum isn't lost so following feedback we've created an alternative structure that should ensure efficiency and effectiveness.

Following on from this we need to discuss future projects and focus for the Council. Ideas still welcome.

Let me know if you have any questions.

[ian]

Hi Kevin,

Voucher codes have become a bit of a beast over the last year or so, yet the systems have not grown to accommodate them. Controls have to be put in place using the merchant terms and conditions, which can leave affiliates (and networks) out of pocket if sales are being cancelled due to non-affiliate codes being used though no fault of their own. There has also been discussion of customers seeing a blank voucher code box, and going off in search of voucher codes, only to have cookies dropped at the last minute. Leaving the right and wrongs of cookie napping, could the council discuss the merits of adding some voucher code parameters to network tracking links to allow merchants and affiliates to control the use of codes. Ideally I'd like to see a minimum of a "yes no flag" that will show or hide the voucher code input box on the merchants website. But if you're going to add that, you may as well have a parameter that affiliates can use to pre-populate the voucher code box.

If these parameters were in place, voucher code traffic can be sent with the code already in place and the Y/N flag set to 'yes', non-voucher code traffic can be sent with the flag set to No, leaving non-vc site affiliates a bit happier knowing that the customer won't see the voucher code box and click off to a voucher code site. This will make it more difficult for for affiliate traffic to have non-approved codes used in the sales process. Merchants can also set up deep links with the code already in place rather than having to set up landing pages that explains what they have to do with the code.

Obviously it would take time for merchants to adapt their sites to use the extra parameters, but I think it's a good starting point that will allow merchants and affiliates to have some control over codes and their use. Discuss....

[KevinEdwards]

Hi Ian,

As I understand it there are two areas for discussion here.

The VC regs that have been in force for over a year now were developed to provide both best practice guidance and to address what were considered to be some of the grey areas of promotion that were causing unease from all sides of the industry.

These in context can be seen as a significant first step.

Where additional future discussion can be conducted is around more 'best practice' elements of coding and this could be more merchant focused.

As the Council develops into 2010 and it gains further acceptance and established working practices so project groups can look to evolve this guidance.

I'm happy to collate all comments like the above for distribution at the relevant time when the subject is revisited.

It's worth bearing in mind that we'd all like the AMC to drive more and more of these initiatives but the Council is only as strong as the individuals and companies that contribute and the resource they dedicate.