Streamlining processes and finding efficiencies is important to every business, but the bigger the company, the bigger the stakes. A multi-billion dollar global organization cannot afford to let communication breakdowns and inconsistent best practices get in the way of success. When tech giant, Lenovo, noticed that its global affiliate program needed a refresh it tackled the problem head on.
Lenovo’s affiliate program had grown to span 12 regional networks around the world. This complex cocktail of network and agency relationships had resulted in a fragmented affiliate program that lacked holistic reporting and customer journey insights. The company wanted to explore new partnership opportunities, but found itself limited by its agreements. It decided to centralize its affiliate program on the Impact Radius platform and take full ownership of the affiliate channel.
One Platform for Global Affiliate Program Management, Reporting and Collaboration
Centralized Management
The Lenovo team needed to monitor affiliate performance on a global scale. They wanted reporting capabilities at both the regional and aggregate levels and they needed to be able to compare data without concern for currency differences. By bringing all of its regional affiliate programs onto one platform, Lenovo was able to realize communication and reporting efficiencies.
The Impact Radius platform allows the company to accept and make payments in local currency, then convert to USD for apples-to-apples corporate reporting. This change helps to keep everyone on the same page – working toward the same goals and using the same metrics.
Ownership of Program
Lenovo wanted to bring management of its affiliate partnerships in-house. This would allow it to nurture relationships on its own terms, save on network fees and expand to regions that traditional networks did not support.
The company also wanted to protect its data and partnerships by bringing it all under one roof. With Impact Radius they were able to migrate their entire program onto one platform and eliminate network relationships that required them to pay a percentage of their revenue.
Deeper Insights
Lenovo needed deep, granular marketing insights. They also wanted to be able to slice and dice this data so they could examine the success of their marketing efforts in depth.
The Impact Radius platform tracks all conversion path data, not just affiliate sales. This has allowed Lenovo to see how the affiliate channel fits into its overall marketing mix and gain a better understanding of its value. The platform has become Lenovo’s single source of truth for digital marketing – providing the company with insights that drive important marketing decisions.
“Impact Radius provides me with the information I need to be an agile marketer. With all of the control and data, I can test and learn much more quickly.”
– Robert Javier, Digital Marketing Strategist, Lenovo
By migrating its global affiliate program onto the Impact Radius platform Lenovo took its future into its own hands and prepared for expansion. The company now owns its affiliate partnerships. It has the freedom to grow its program in new regions and engage with non-traditional partners that wouldn’t typically join affiliate networks. With a truly global affiliate partnership program, Lenovo is realizing the efficiencies of cross-channel insights and streamlined workflows.
“Impact Radius gives us data we’ve never had before, providing a view into our global campaigns across devices and channels. We saw immediate savings on network and agency fees and have found our offers being supported on sites within a day, not weeks.”
– Priest Willis, Global Affiliate Marketing Manager, Lenovo
If you would like to explore Lenovo’s success further, feel free to contact us or download the full case study.
