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In 2010, Dune wanted to increase their online sales and to explore the opportunities available through online promotions. Dune launched their first affiliate program in August 2010 with LinkShare.
Through partnering with a variety of content sites, blogs, cashback and loyalty affiliate this has certainly been achieved and the program is now central to Dune’s online presence. The program has seen steady and impressive monthly growth across all key performance indicators – impressions, clicks, orders, GMS, AOV and conversion.
Brief
Dune is one of the UK’s leading footwear retailers and a brand of choice for many celebrities. The Dune brand appeals to a wide audience offering uniquely designed footwear for the fashionable customer seeking affordable luxury. Dune has over 40 UK stores, an international website and supplies Selfridges, John Lewis, House of Fraser, Debenhams and ASOS among others.
Strategy
Dune partnered with LinkShare in August 2010 to launch its first ever affiliate program. Dune wanted to increase their online sales and to explore the opportunities available through online promotions. The objective was for the affiliate program to become a key marketing channel for Dune contributing meaningful sales. We have certainly achieved this and the program is now central to Dune’s online presence.
Execution
Rob Bostock, Head of Ecommerce at The Dune Group, has worked closely with their LinkShare account manager in developing close relationships with a wide spectrum of affiliates. The key to their successful partnerships is that they approach each group of affiliates with a specific strategy in mind.
Not surprisingly for a brand-conscious advertiser, the opportunity to work closely with Content and Blog sites was an enticing one for Dune. They have been successful by partnering with a number of sites through product inclusions and competitions.
Dune is tactical in the way they use vouchers, offering exclusive codes to one voucher site at a time, leaving a significant period of time between offers. In order to develop good relationships with Cashback and Loyalty sites such as Top Cashback, Incentive Networks and Asperity Dune are happy to increase commission for good performers.
Dune’s flexible approach to working with different types of affiliates and their dedication to swift activation meant that despite being a relatively new program to a lot of affiliates they managed to get onto the top sites in the run up to Christmas when placements can be difficult to secure.
Dune have a good communication strategy. Regular newsletters update their affiliates with tracked links for all their current bestsellers, recommending what affiliates should be promoting to maximise conversion.
Results
The Dune program has so far seen steady and impressive monthly growth across all key performance indicators – impressions, clicks, orders, GMS, AOV and conversion.
“We are delighted with the success we have seen in the affiliate program since working with LinkShare and the genuinely visible results mean that affiliate marketing now forms a key part of our e-commerce approach and is planned accordingly. Consumers use many different mediums to shop and it is clear that brands are missing opportunities if they do not cover all bases across online, print and mobile.” - Rob Bostock, Head of Ecommerce at The Dune Group
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