😯 The Surprising Return of a Former Affiliate Skeptic

Happy Tuesday!

Not to raise anyone’s heart rate, but we’re only 24 days away from Black Friday. The countdown is truly on.

You've got this. From what we saw at PI LIVE, the industry is in terrific shape right now – Kevin Edwards even agreed that we're in an “affiliate renaissance.”

We’ll be bringing you everything you need for coffee-break inspiration: insights, interviews, and a few moments to keep you entertained along the way.

Now, on with the news.

In today's newsletter:

• Pick of the day: “I Didn’t Think I’d Return” After Hardbacon’s collapse, Founder Julien Brault launches new affiliate business
• Trending: Reward Gateway | Edenred on Black Friday; and Kevin Edwards talks 'Affiliate Renaissance'
• Top Tip of the Week: Understanding Goodhart’s Law

Pick of the day

“I Didn’t Think I’d Return” After Hardbacon’s Collapse, Founder Julien Brault Launches New Affiliate Business

Julien Brault didn’t think he’d come back to affiliate marketing after the demise of his company Hardbacon – even going as far as to say, “If I had shares in any public company that does affiliate as revenue, I would sell them."

But, he’s returned with a new venture.

I caught up with him to find out why his formerly pessimistic view of the channel has changed, and what he thinks of the landscape now.

Trending

What's hot on Hello Partner right now

“We’re Providing Certainty in Uncertain Times” Reward Gateway | Edenred on Black Friday

Reward Gateway | Edenred is gearing up for a busy holiday season, with ambitious targets, new campaigns rolling out, and global expansion on the horizon.

Skip the AI Gimmicks and Start Building Something That Works

Don't get caught up in the AI gold rush, warns Tradedoubler CTO Victoria Normark. We've seen scenes like this before, and we know who the real winners will be.

Kevin Edwards on the Affiliate Renaissance

The APMA’s Founder and Director talks about challenges and opportunities in affiliate marketing.

Tip of the Week

Stay at the top of your game

As Dentsu's Matthew Higgins points out, every performance marketer should understand Goodhart’s Law: “Any observed statistical regularity will tend to collapse once pressure is placed upon it for control purposes.”

In practice, this means that if you optimise campaigns solely for ROAS, the system can get gamed.

The numbers may look good, but real business impact (revenue, profit, customer growth) can suffer.

ROAS is useful as a benchmark, but the true KPI should reflect what matters most to the business.

Optimising for the right outcomes – not just the metrics that look good on dashboards – is what drives genuine success.

Amusing Affiliates

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Until next time,

Sol Wilkinson Journalist Email me Connect with me on LinkedIn