The Partnership Economy

In this episode, Adam Glazer, President of Partner Commerce—a leading affiliate and partner marketing agency specializing in B2B brands—joins host Todd Crawford to discuss the key differences between B2C and B2B affiliate marketing. They dive into the unique challenges of tracking the impact of B2B affiliate marketing and explore strategies to overcome them. Adam also shares insights on how B2B organizations can determine if affiliate marketing is the right fit for their business, emphasizing the importance of alignment with business development, sales, and other internal teams. Adam highlights the need for ongoing education to ensure success and maximize results, in addition to the opportunities for higher efficiency using partners. This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

In this episode of the Partnership Economy podcast, Dave Yovanno interviews Jackie Pimentel, Senior Global Director of Core Ads Product Marketing at Meta, about her extensive 14-year career with the company. Jackie shares her journey from an entry-level position to leading a global team, along with tips for advancing your career. The conversation covers her involvement in the launch of Threads, the evolution of Meta’s advertising model, and the critical role partnerships play in building and scaling platforms. Jackie emphasizes the importance of adaptability, humility, and accountability in her career growth and discusses how Meta’s partnership strategies have evolved to engage creators and businesses in meaningful ways.This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

Lacie Thompson is the Chief Growth Officer of New Engen, and in this episode, shares that brands are starting to plan for Q4 earlier than ever in an effort to get access to prime publisher placements and partnerships. Lacie and Todd explore how to approach Q4 planning – using data to your advantage, navigating the changes in Google SERP, and tackling Cyber Week strategically, despite the saturated holiday season. Lacie also shares her insights in working with content publishers and emphasizes the importance of transparency with partners; working with them to ensure you’re aligned on goals and KPIs to make the most of your partnerships heading into Q4 and beyond. This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

In this episode, host Dave Yovanno sits down with Vana Han, manager of global partnerships (SMB) at TikTok. As someone who has played a pivotal role in building TikTok’s monetization arm from the ground up, Vana offers unique insight into the strategic business planning behind the mega-successful social media app that we all know and love. TikTok for Business is focused on getting brands and advertisers to use the platform, and Vana’s main focus right now is on growing strategic partnerships at the company. She explains how partnerships with agencies, creators and strategic partners have proved to be most effective, whereas traditional partners don’t quite fit the TikTok model. Vana also shares her greatest takeaways and challenges from working at a company that has experienced rapid growth and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down soon.This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

The Partnership Economy by impact.com is going on a brief hiatus, but we’ll be back soon with new episodes. Stay tuned for more great conversations with the industry’s best and brightest partnership experts.

In this episode, host Dave Yovanno sits down with Dan Armstrong, the EVP of Distributed Commerce at Ticketmaster. An expert on partnerships and eCommerce strategy, Dan has been driving real innovation in the live ticketing industry for a decade. He’s passionate about the importance of storytelling and uncovering the shared purpose that keeps his team, as well as his partnerships, aligned. Together, Dave and Dan discuss tips to level up within an organization, how to manage a diverse partnership program from affiliates to B2B partners, and where a thriving partnership program sits within a company’s broader marketing mix. Dan also shares the secrets of the live ticketing industry, which can be mystifying to say the least.This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

In this episode, host Todd Crawford dives into the creator economy with his guest Jeanette Okwu, the founder and CEO of Berlin-based creator marketing agency Beyondinfluence. Jeanette founded the influencer and brand ambassador marketing agency to help her clients break into the next wave of marketing and drive growth. Todd and Jeanette discuss starting an influencer program from scratch, including managing budgets, strategy, and KPIs. They also take a look at the best ways to work with influencers from a creative perspective, and how non-traditional and B2B brands can empower themselves through influencer marketing. This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

Jennifer Bentz is VP of Affiliates, Influencers, and Partnerships at Resident Home, a company that owns famous mattress brands like Nectar and DreamCloud. Jenn wasn’t always in the mattress space, and has over two decades of experience across industries, experiencing the evolution of affiliates and partnerships. Jenn and Todd discuss focusing on all stages of the funnel with your affiliate and influencer partnerships, Jenn’s learnings from working in the D2C space, and the role of partnerships on the path to purchase, especially when it comes to products with higher AOV. This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

When Marcel Floruss started his blog in 2013, it was because he had a passion for men’s apparel and fashion. Over the following years, he has built a massive audience on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube- with over 1 million subscribers on YouTube alone. He and host Dave Yovanno discuss Marcel’s journey as a creator, his connection with his audience and how he leveraged his success to become the Creative Director of Aetos Apparel. They also discuss the differences between social platforms, tips for brands and creators looking to build partnerships, and the importance of not seeking virality just for the sake of it. This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

Welcome back to the Partnership Economy podcast! We‘re starting Season 5 off strong, welcoming Kerry Curran, the former Chief Growth Officer at Gen3 Marketing, the oldest and largest affiliate specialty agency in the world. Kerry is a veteran of the marketing and partnerships space with over 17 years of experience and insights that she brings to this conversation. Kerry and host Todd Crawford discuss understanding consumer behavior in relation to affiliate channels and how Kerry has seen this shift over her career. They also discuss proving the partnership channel’s value to the C-Suite, understanding how consumers interact with affiliate content, and much more! This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

Season 5 of The Partnership Economy is here! We’re diving right back into interviews with leaders from all sides of the ever-evolving partnerships industry and answering the question on every marketer’s mind - how do I reach the modern consumer? Join your hosts, Todd and Dave, on April 9th for Season 5!This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

After witnessing the digital transformation in the early 2010s through her work in retail, Tara McNulty made a career pivot to focus on the e-commerce and affiliate space. Today, she manages strategic partnerships at YouTube Shopping- a new program from the video giant. Commerce existed on YouTube long before partnerships were standard, with creators doing reviews, unboxings and hauls beginning in the early days of the platform. Today, creators and brands are both empowered to monetize this content and drive significant business revenue. Tara and Dave discuss how YouTube Shopping is helping creators and brands create long-term partnerships that move the needle, the power of YouTube as a search engine, and what Tara sees as the future of commerce on the platform. This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

Jonathan Claydon is an affiliate and partnerships expert, having worked in the industry for years in a variety of niches. Today he is the Chief Development Officer at Acceleration Partners - the world's largest partner marketing agency. According to Jonathan, there is a shift happening in the industry. Brands are increasingly looking to measure the impact of influencer marketing and understand what impact influencer marketing has on customer acquisition, rather than just measuring brand awareness. He and host Todd Crawford discuss assessing the value of the content holistically by amplifying user-generated content after the campaign launch to maintain momentum and authenticity. They break down this shift, the difference between influencers who move products and those who build awareness, and more.We’ll be taking a short break for the holidays. Stay tuned for the S4 finale coming in January 2024. Happy holidays and New Year from Dave, Todd, and the impact.com team!This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

Erin Dwyer is the CMO of Matter of Fact, a skincare brand started by former K-Pop star Paul Baek, and a former professional dancer herself. Erin draws on her experience as VP of Digital at Drunk Elephant and OUAI, to build a brand in today’s competitive, noisy landscape. She tells Dave that being consistent with your messaging, no matter where a consumer is hearing about you, is crucial. She also emphasizes the importance of partnerships to acquire new customers in the beauty space, because the modern beauty consumer is savvy and does their research. Dave and Erin dive into her journey so far, and why Erin believes there is no ‘sales funnel’ but rather a ‘sales pinball machine.’ This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

Growth HQ is an affiliate and partnerships agency that works with a diverse range of clients, from DTC to fintech. The co-founder and CEO, Inez Miedema, thinks a lot of marketers have preconceived notions about affiliate programs and therefore don’t include them as a top channel. Miedema is pushing back against these notions and wants marketers to understand that affiliate programs should be about much more than coupons and cashback. She and Todd discuss the importance of adding new and diverse partners to your affiliate program, taking affiliate marketing as seriously as you do other top channels, and why creating partnerships shouldn't be one-sided. This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

Stephanie Schultz loves learning about new innovative technologies. It's a large part of the reason she’s stayed so long at American Express, where she is VP and Head of Partnerships. In her position, she gets to work with her team to uncover how new tech can bring better value to their customers and partners. She and host Dave Yovanno discuss getting their start in product, enriching experiences for customers after they’ve been acquired, and strategic partnerships to create differentiated experiences. Stephanie also gives insight into how Amex tests, builds and launches new products. This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

When Jason Fairchild started tvScientific, he wanted to democratize access to TV advertising. Today, the company does just that by allowing marketers to run paid campaigns on connected TV, allowing organizations to unlock the power of streaming services and Smart TV. He joins host Todd Crawford to discuss why advertising should ultimately always be connected to sales, the importance of what he calls radical transparency in TV advertising, and how to measure attribution on a medium without last-click attribution. Jason discusses why he thinks TV is the new paid search, and the mindset shift marketers need to make in order to reap the benefits of connected TV advertising. This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

Join host Todd Crawford as he sits down with Sagar Joshi, Director of Partnerships at Site Plug. Site Plug is a bottom-of-the-funnel performance partner that helps brands drive performance with touch bases across a variety of search engines and websites. He’s spent seven years in this role, and learned about the industry across a variety of locations including Europe and India. They discuss unique channels in the content marketing space, the importance of leveraging alternative search engines and improved transparency for brands on where their ads are appearing. This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

When Dave Bolotsky founded Uncommon Goods, he wanted to create something different. In his role as an e-commerce research analyst, he had seen a world of ‘sameness’ on the internet, and saw an opportunity to do something different. 25 years later, he’s still at it. Uncommon Goods is a leader at ESG, and is something Dave is passionate about. He thinks consumers need to examine companies’ practices to make sure they aren’t engaging in greenwashing, and are actually employing sustainable practices. He and host Dave Yovanno discuss becoming a B corp, liveable wages, and how to build your brand ethos into your partnerships.This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

In this episode, Todd sits down with Lee-Ann Johnstone, founder of Affiverse and an affiliate marketing expert with two decades of experience. Lee-Ann has witnessed digital marketing transform from a few links into the powerhouse it is today and has held a variety of roles that have allowed her to get a holistic sense of the industry.  Todd and Lee-Ann discuss how to decipher the difference between an affiliate and a creator, why you shouldn't ignore cashback partners, and how to navigate the future of affiliate marketing. This podcast episode was produced by Quill.