Introducing Mike Currey
Mike began his profession in advertising within the music and leisure trade earlier than working in media gross sales after which on the company facet at Razorfish. He’s since been working with associates on the model facet 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 not too long ago a speaker at PI Reside 2023 in Miami.
What are your day-to-day duties?
Oversee program technique, finance, operational build-out, a group of three, and ideate product build-outs inner and exterior. Collaborate with different inner companions to construct technique and attribution. Handle a subset of publishers outdoors of content material commerce.
How did you get into affiliate internet marketing?
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 vital KPIs?
Specializing in retail — margin after which return fee. I can drive site visitors and income all day lengthy however on the finish of the day, if the model is just not earning money 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 for the reason that early ’90s and helped launch Amazon; Amazon appears to have labored out okay. There may be worth within the effort however numerous management solely sees it as a lower-funnel low cost channel. It does come all the way down to affiliate managers and businesses, too. Many load up packages with last-click companions, so that’s what management sees. We as an trade have to be extra accountable and diversify packages that present the worth of the channel. A lot collaboration with different inner media and fee fashions might be performed 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 supreme companion combine?
The Quince model is younger, so getting the identify out by way of product critiques is our present combine. I might say 80% of the companions are content material and 20% are a mixture of gated relationships by way of provides/rewards.
What have you ever performed within the final 6-12 months to enhance your affiliate internet marketing 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 info 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 all the 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 “companion”?
I might lean in the direction of “companion.” Affiliate has a little bit of taboo today and a Wild West which means. “Companion” 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 internet marketing?
Most likely 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 electronic mail, however this trade is so personable. In-person does make a distinction.
How vital 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 vital to me. I wish to know the media combine and which flows offline drive the best conversion fee. Even onsite, understanding what funnel by the writer by writer sort drives the most effective conversion fee. This actually relies upon lots on the affiliate platform used, although.
Do you’ve a particular technique for influencers?
The Quince influencer group builds model consciousness by way of partnered campaigns and UGC for different groups to whitelist. The affiliate group focuses on the natural facet by way of long-tail critiques. I wouldn’t say it’s not a lot than different retail manufacturers.
