The Partnership Economy

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.