David Fiske Affiliate Marketing & Web Development

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to have lunch with Joshna from Red Letter Days. We had tried to have a few meetings before but never managed to meet at the same place. So she hopped on a train and we "did lunch" in Bellini's Express, a modern Italian restaurant in Cardiff's St David's Centre.

It was a very enlightening lunch, and very productive too.
 
Why did Joshna visit me?

Joshna is already a fantastic account manager as it is, being a highly commended Affiliate Manager of the year 2010. Whereas some big brand affiliate managers tend to focus on the high earners (those with the loudest voices), Joshna appreciates the entire chain so over the course of the next few months she is trying to meet as many affiliates at all levels of the chain. It's going one step beyond being a great account manager, and as she is visiting affiliates, it means she becomes more accessible to affiliates. It's taking affiliate marketing outside of London, which is great news for those who can't afford a London presence :-)

What did we talk about?

We talked a lot about affiliate marketing, both in general and specifically. It was great to hear the perspective of an account manager and surprisingly we seem to have a of common beliefs and interests, which is great news.

What did I learn?

Back in June Red Letter Days scooped the Best Affiliate Incentive award at the A4uAwards. It was interesting to learn that a lot of affiliates genuinely and actively participate in this, trying to push themselves to the next level each time. It's great to see that this is the case and it is a genuine incentive rewards scheme - certainly something other merchants should be looking into.

I also learned that affiliate marketing is huge (in terms of the numbers that Joshna manages) and that Theo Paphitis is a down-to-earth kind of bloke ;-)

Was it worth it?

From my perspective, it most certainly was. Having been a RLD affiliate for a while, a paying customer and an incentive winner, I was able to give feedback on all aspects of the site and programme, which seemed to help.

Also, having met my account manager (my first account manager meeting ever!), I can put a face to a name and feel closer to the brand. In the run up to Christmas this will hopefully prove fruitful for both parties.

Would I do it again?

The best thing about this lunch was the fact that Joshna came to me. Whilst that's a little selfish, it meant I could get some face time without having to journey to London, which from a non-Londoner's perspective is a little scary!

<advert for cardiff> Let's face it, Cardiff is cheaper too :-P </advert for cardiff>