In just five years, Tombras’ affiliate wing has moved from a nascent team of one to a high-performing team of five, with 12 USPA gold trophies under its belt.
“We’re just getting started,” Jonathan Mathes, VP of Affiliate Marketing, tells me over video call, from the Knoxville office.
Back in 2020, the agency had a strong grasp on paid media and SEO, but had yet to take the plunge into affiliate.
President Dooley Tombras saw an opportunity to leverage the agency’s rich data, gained from media and SEO, to drive powerful affiliate marketing strategies.
“Affiliate’s a way to fill in the gaps,” says Mathes.
Pretty quickly, Tombras was putting together full-funnel performance and affiliate campaigns for clients like RealTruck – work that would gain them major recognition at the US Partnership Awards. Their first award arrived in their second year of doing affiliate.
Over three ceremonies, Tombras acquired twelve gold trophies. Which are the most meaningful?
“Best Performance-Based Partnership, Best Full Funnel Strategy, and Best Influencer Marketing Partnership,” says Mathes. “What we’ve been able to do with RealTruck… we’re not just honed in on one type of affiliate, we have really tried to spread the gamut and get strategic partners across all stages of the funnel.”
Here, he is being modest. Mathes also earned himself the One to Watch award in 2024, with judges commending his stellar leadership and innovation.
Mathes calls all twelve awards “equally amazing.”
But, the wins with RealTruck, in particular, meant a lot. “To celebrate all the hard work, with the client there, makes it extra special,” he says.
How is Tombras able to progress so quickly, moving from strength to strength in a relatively short period of time?
Mathes puts some of this down to being independently-owned – Tombras is the largest family-owned agency in the US. “We’re nimble,” says Mathes. “We can test, learn, and adapt swiftly.”
What’s next for the agency? “The sky’s the limit,” says Mathes. “We’ll be back at the USPAs. We’re finding new ways to plug brands in across affiliate, influencer, and performance.”
You can enter the USPAs 2026 now. Download the entry kit and get started here.
Watch our full interview with Jonathan Mathes below.
