Subscribe to Our Newsletter.

What will drive partner marketing growth in 2021? A review and predictions

Dec 7, 2020 by Martech Record
In December Martech Record is focused on examining growth drivers in the partnership marketing space. Our articles, events and reviews will take on these topics with the mission of helping your brand, agency or publication take advantage of these trends in 2021. The following are some of the themes and questions we will be tackling along with 2021 predictions.

Organic Industry Growth

  • e-commerce is the key growth driver for the channel and 2020 feels like an acceleration of inevitable trends. But the big question is: how much of the shift to e-commerce did affiliate capture? There were clearly opportunities and this should be a “grow the pie” year for the partner market.

Growth from New Markets

  • Partnerships are colliding with other channels like PR. Deftly managing relationships with publishers presenting them with a consistent media plan is crucial in nurturing and growing your relationships. Channel conflict can destroy a relationship with a partner.
  • Improved technology and access to new publishers opens new verticals. Specifically verticals with more complex sales and higher price points. B2B & Health Care are prime examples.

Growth from Acquisition

Since late 2019 the industry has seen a series of investments and acquisitions. Trends are becoming clear.

Partner Marketing Predictions for 2021

  • To arrest downward pricing trends a traditional “network” acquires a SaaS platform (or vice versa). (Partnerize’s acquisition of Pepperjam led the way).
  • A SaaS platform acquires an agency and provides full service affiliate in direct competition with the networks. The difference between SaaS and Network continues to dissolve.
  • One of the global agencies makes a bid for an OPM as global ecommerce grows in importance and margins on search and social shrink.
  • To stabilize pricing on service, LaSalle Capital continues to consolidate traditional OPMs who have stayed close to traditional business models.
  • Acceleration Partners makes an acquisition into an adjacent channel.
  • Publisher consolidation by vertical accelerates with financial providing a path.
  • Integration between mobile networks and desktop will happen via acquisition.
  • Affiliate marketing sheds its reliance on big box retail. In doing so innovates and becomes Partner Marketing.
This content is available for signed-up members only.