Outsourcing management works for Jos. A Bank’s affiliate program

A marketing staff that numbers four people doesn’t leave a lot of extra time for hands-on management of the online affiliate program at multi-channel retailer Jos. A Bank, so the company has found an affiliate solution that doesn’t require it, Pete Zophy, divisional vice-president of e-commerce, tells Internet Retailer. Bank’s affiliate program is growing rapidly and now represents about 10% to 20% of online sales, but Zophy spends only a few hours a day specifically on the program.

Affiliate services provider Performics does what Bank doesn’t have staff resources to do, Zophy says. Performics identifies, recruits, and manages Bank’s affiliates, including performance tracking and payment processing. Peformics sends weekly or even daily performance reports when needed to Zophy. Zophy also has periodic longer strategy sessions with Performics, including a monthly session that looks at the month’s performance on sales goals and future opportunities.

The affiliate provider works with top affiliates on program opportunities on Bank`s behalf. As is frequently the case with affiliate programs, about 10% of the affiliates produce 90% of the program’s sales. Finding, recruiting and fostering the relationship with top affiliates that fit Bank’s needs, something Zophy currently doesn’t have sufficient time to pursue, has helped affiliate sales grow steadily as a percentage of online sales at Bank, Zophy says.

In the process, Performics has actually reduced by about 25% the number of affiliates Bank had under an earlier program with another affiliate services provider. “Targeting affiliate partners has been a good fit for us, because we’re in a tightly targeted market,” Zophy says. “We work closely with the partners that drive the most volume.”