• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, October 13, 2020

Acceleration Partners’ September 2020 report on global affiliate trends shows an 18% increase in revenue for the month compared with August 2020, driven by apparel, education and household items. The markets pushed up advertising as consumers finalized plans for back-to-school.   

Despite the rise in affiliate advertising, consumer spent less in September, particularly in the United States. The end to unemployment benefits for some in July contributed to a decrease, according to Acceleration Partners.

Revenue for household brands rose 16% in September compared with the prior month, with strong promotions on furniture and mattresses during Labor Day.

Revenue driven by mass media partners rose 80% in September compared with the prior month, with some partners contributing to revenue increases of over 100% and successful product roundups and best of web promotions.

Consumers are more mindful about where and how they spend, taking more time to research brands and products before making a purchase, which Acceleration attributes to the rise in affiliate marketing.

Orders also rose 8% month-over-month, but clicks fell 8%, reinforcing that consumers were spending more time browsing and researching in August than purchasing or converting in September.

While all the types of affiliate partner- and publisher-brand partnerships were up month-over-month, the largest increases were seen in Deal partners, up 25%; and Mass Media, up 80%. 

Affiliate marketing has seen a boost this year with companies like Button partnering with Rakuten to support customers like Sam’s Club.

In the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pepperjam cited data from its index that suggested brands were looking for guarantees through the channel.