How VistaPrint Cut Affiliate Costs by 23% Without Losing Revenue
VistaPrint needed to prove the true value of its affiliate channel. AP built a bespoke incrementality framework to invest in partners driving genuine demand, redefining the channel as a driver of efficient, measurable growth.
- 2% increase in revenue
- 23% reduction in costs
- 33% decrease in average cost per action
Cost Reduction
Average CPA Decrease
| Website | www.vistaprint.com |
| Vertical | Web-to-Print E-Commerce |
| Markets | Global |
| Channel | Affiliate |
IN THIS CASE STUDY
CASE STUDY
AT A GLANCE
Business management expert Peter Drucker made this adage famous: “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” However, incrementality is often tricky to measure, specifically for affiliate marketing. For VistaPrint, a global Acceleration Partners client, senior leadership wanted to make sure the company’s investment in the partnership channel was at its most effective, that the partners in the program were driving revenue that wouldn’t have been there otherwise. The brand needed a system to measure partner incrementality and realize the program’s value.
VistaPrint and AP aligned on a strategy to:
- Showcase the true value of the partnership channel
- Increase overall incremental returns
- Build a system to measure partner incrementality quarter over quarter
OUTCOMES
THE RESULTS
VistaPrint’s incrementality initiative maintained revenue, with a 2% increase, while significantly reducing costs, leading to the following key outcomes.
INCREASE IN REVENUE
REDUCTION IN COST
DECREASE IN AVERAGE COST PER ACTION
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HOW WE DID IT
THE STRATEGY
The Incrementality Scorecard
To achieve its goals, AP and VistaPrint worked together to create a customized scorecard that assessed partner value every quarter.
The scorecard included Acceleration Partners’ proprietary incrementality calculator, which is based on a points-based system. This calculator analyzes elements of an order using indicators such as click-to-purchase time, customer status, and the partner’s role in the purchase journey. The scorecard also includes other meaningful data points: revenue, customer lifetime value, spend, average cost per action, and return on ad spend.
The scorecard benchmarks each data set quarter over quarter, offering directional insights to guide future investment decisions and review each partner’s contribution.
Optimizing the Program
The scorecard and incrementality calculator supported the VistaPrint team in optimizing partnerships and making informed decisions. The scoring system guided budget allocation for upcoming periods based on what was more valuable or incremental. VistaPrint was able to invest more with successful partners and decrease spend in areas that weren’t as incremental. With these adjustments to maximize the channel’s effectiveness, VistaPrint’s affiliate program hit the jackpot: maintaining revenue and decreasing spend.
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