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ACCM MultiChannel Merchant Show Presentations: 2007

by Jeff Molander

2007’s Annual Conference for Catalog and Multi-Channel Merchants (ACCM) featured a dynamic panel like no other I’ve pulled together… and I’ve been doing this since 2000. We scored VERY well thanks to my bold, generous and talented panelists — higher than any other affiliate marketing panel in the history of the conference.

Featured affiliate and search marketing experts were:

Amanda Watlington, Principal, Searching for Profit
Carol Steinberg, VP eCommerce (not pictured)
Stephen Fuller-Rowell, Chinaberry Inc.

All provided remarkably candid, experience-based comments that fly in the face of much of what we hear at other conferences and in trade magazines (no sunshine, lollipops or 1999 flashbacks were to be found). Running a successful affiliate program (and not being afraid to define success in specific, measurable terms!) isn’t as easy as assigning resources to an affiliate program with Ms. Steinberg who is, so far, voting “no” on an affiliate program at David’s Bridal (after cutting her teeth with all forms of performance based Web advertising at multi-channel Goliath, QVC).

Why? Concerns over multi-channel confluence wherein affiliate marketing artificially inflates and/or deflates measures of other online and offline marketing campaigns/strategies. Lack of flexibility among affiliate tracking and reporting solution providers was also cited.

Mr. Fuller-Rowell offered up remarkably candid graphs (sharing REVENUE numbers no less!) demonstrating channel confluence between search and affiliate marketing programs.

Dr. Watlington shared remarkable perspectives on how search has been and continues to drive dramatic change in affiliate marketing. Dramatic may be an understatement so be sure to flip through her slides too!

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Jeff Molander
Amanda Watlington
Stephen Fuller-Rowell