Brand-to-Brand Partnerships in Affiliate Marketing: What You Need To Know

Brand-to-brand partnerships in the affiliate channel have recently seen a real boom, with new solutions and a refocus on tapping into aligned audiences, creating innovation in the space.  But what exactly is a brand-to-brand partnership, and how does it actually work in the affiliate space? Let’s break it down.

What is a Brand-to-Brand Partnership?

At its simplest, one brand showcases an offer from another brand on its site. This is a form of retail media. You’ve probably seen it before at checkout, when a tempting offer pops up just as you’re about to hit buy.

The commercial model is usually commission-based or CPA (cost-per-acquisition) payouts. For example, you reach the basket on a brand’s site, and to encourage you to check out, you’re shown offers you can claim if you make a purchase. Sometimes these are linked to a KPI (like “spend £10 more and unlock this awesome reward”), nudging your average order value up a notch. However its worth noting some sites can give better prominence for an exposure package like a tenancy placement or for a higher CPA combined with offer strength: 

In this setup:

• The host is the brand displaying the offer.
• The advertiser is the brand providing the offer.
  
  

For the host, these partnerships are brilliant. They can:

• Earn commission on sales they drive, basically turning their website into a mini publisher.
• Offer free perks to users, which can increase conversion rates.
  
  

There’s a catch, though: hosting usually works best for larger brands. Brand-to-brand tech platforms tend to require high traffic volumes to make hosting worthwhile.

The most active advertisers tend to be subscription-based brands, think HelloFresh, Audible, or Fiit. Incentives usually come in two forms:

1. Gift with purchase, usually a free trial for a subscription.
2. Reward – an exclusive discount code.

The reason subscription brands work so well is that they can offer things like a free trial, and it's a relatively low barrier to entry for a customer to make that decision. Think of the journey. You am in a checkout for Wild deodorant. You really want the deodorant, but you may not be interested in buying something else, but if you can sign up for a free trial for 3 months of a food box, then you am more likely to say yes! Its effectively in this case, creating a lead. The reward model means even retail brands can take part, but in reality, subscription brands dominate this space.

What’s New: Tech Platforms

Brand-to-brand partnerships themselves aren’t new. What is new is the rise of brand-to-brand tech platforms like Brandswap, Sovendus, and Tyviso. These platforms make running campaigns easier, more accessible, and just a few clicks away from accessing a huge portfolio of potential hosts. Basically, they remove the heavy lifting and open up opportunities that were previously out of reach for many advertisers.

Why This Matters

Brand-to-brand campaigns are a win-win:

• For hosts: an additional revenue stream by turning their website into a publisher, and if traffic is high, that revenue can be seriously lucrative.
• For advertisers: a powerful way to reach new, engaged audiences, provided the incentives are strong and relevant.

In today’s ultra-competitive retail landscape, where finding and converting relevant customers is key, brand-to-brand partnerships aren’t just a nice-to-have; they’re a serious opportunity.

Thanks to evolving affiliate tech, running these campaigns is easier than ever. And for brands willing to experiment, the potential payoff is huge.