Amazon reached out to some of its largest publishers in the Associates program during the height of COVID-19 demand, asking them to pull back on sending traffic as the platform prioritized critical item fulfillment. For publishers who relied heavily or exclusively on Amazon, the news was significant.
For affiliates looking to diversify, AP pointed to its own client portfolio as an immediate alternative, with programs actively seeking high-value publishers across a range of categories. The situation worsened in April 2020 when Amazon announced sweeping commission cuts across multiple categories, with rates on groceries and health products dropping as low as 1%, making the case for program diversification even stronger.