In this conversation, we sit down with Marc Yott, former Ubisoft Global Affiliate Manager and founder of Uptake Affiliate Services, to discuss what’s driving success in affiliate marketing today, common pitfalls brands make, and where the channel is heading in 2025.
Q1. What originally pulled you into affiliate marketing, and why did it stick?
In the digital media landscape, affiliate marketing consistently delivers among the strongest ROAS when it’s set up correctly. It’s performance-based, measurable, and naturally aligned with business outcomes. I’ve worked across a multitude of verticals and supported or led every major digital channel including paid search, paid social, SEO, email, PR, and influencer marketing. What I love is how affiliate touches all of them. Our impact spans the full funnel: discovery through content partners, mid-funnel consideration with newsletters and comparison sites, and conversion through well-governed deals and incentives. Few channels offer that full-funnel leverage with this level of attribution discipline.
Q2. What’s the most important foundation for new or maturing programs?
The foundation is alignment between investment, expectations, and delivery. Brands need a realistic test budget and enough runway to gather meaningful data. Success can’t just be measured on last-click revenue; you also have to look at AOV, new-to-file customers, assisted conversions, and even SEO lift. Finally, consistent delivery matters most. Programs rarely fail because of affiliates; they fail when goals and execution aren’t aligned week after week.
(For more on setting sound program foundations, read Avoid These Top 4 Affiliate Marketing Platform Blind Spots.)
Q3. Why commission only, and how does it change the conversation with brands?
Commission only allows me to be honest. If a company isn’t ready for affiliate marketing, I can say so and point them toward other solutions. When they are ready, I lead with a clear blueprint: establish the foundation, expand categories and placements, and then scale the best partners. There’s no need to justify retainers because the model keeps everyone focused on results.
Q4. Where should brands prioritize: content, coupons and cashback, or influencers?
Priorities depend on the stage. Coupons and cashback, while polarizing, are often the quickest way to validate conversions and get initial traction. From there, brands should move up-funnel with influencers and publications to drive reach and authority. Once the program matures, focus should shift toward content and niche communities with tight controls to ensure incentives are fair and placements are genuine.
(See Where Do I Start? Influencer, SEO, or Affiliate Marketing? for a deeper breakdown.)
Q5. What’s changed in the last two years, and how should brands adapt?
The biggest shifts are privacy, attribution, and content. With tracking limitations, brands must adopt server-side tagging and lean on first-party data. Attribution is moving away from last-click toward incrementality and multi-touch views. Meanwhile, AI has raised the bar on content; thin or recycled material doesn’t perform. Compliance rules are stricter, and social commerce is exploding. Success now comes from strong data infrastructure, partner governance, and rapid adaptation to these new realities.
(Read Why Calculating ROAS in Affiliate Marketing Is Essential for more on measurement best practices.)
Q6. What are quick wins for small and mid-sized brands without big budgets?
Start with a low-risk pilot instead of locking into big contracts. Keep offers simple with one evergreen promotion and a seasonal push, and make sure codes are trackable. Focus on seeding products to creators and journalists, and fix the basics on your site like speed, trust signals, and clear returns policies. Just a handful of quality partners can outperform a long list of inactive ones, as long as you track performance cleanly and consistently.
(Check out 5 Steps to Streamline Product Seeding Campaigns Today for more on seeding strategies.)
Q7. What excites you about the future?
I’m excited by how the industry is evolving. Innovation is happening in dynamic commissioning and AI-driven matching between brands and creators. Transparency is improving with clearer dashboards and incrementality reporting. Expansion is massive with cross-border growth, B2B ecosystems, and the blending of PR with affiliate opening entirely new opportunities.
Q8. Best advice for launching and scaling in 2025?
Learn quickly, build a business case for every decision, and stay consistent. Talk to your customers and turn their insights into partner content. Every commission change or placement should have a clear goal and be measured against it. Most importantly, run affiliates like a sales force with regular check-ins and updates, not as a passive channel. Consistency is what drives scale.
Conclusion: Affiliate Marketing Without the Retainer Risk
Affiliate marketing is evolving fast as privacy shifts, AI, and new creator channels reshape how brands grow. But the fundamentals remain the same: aligned incentives, disciplined execution, and the right partners. If you’re looking to build or scale your program without expensive retainers or vague promises, reach out to Uptake Affiliate Services. With a commission-only model, we focus on delivering results first and only win when you do.
