Buy.at: Wakeup Call for US Affiliate Marketing Networks

by Scott Jangro on 26 February 2007

Announced today via the launch of a branded forum on ABestWeb, buy.at has officially set foot in the United States.

Buy.at is one of the leading affiliate networks in the UK with many big-brand programs such as T-mobile and Capitol One, and Hertz. They’ll be running their U.S. operations from the UK with the assistance of Andy Rodriguez, outspoken affiliate marketing industry member and owner of a successful outsource affiliate program management firm.

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Their initial launch is with a single program, CD WOW!, and it’ll be interesting to see what sort of traction they can get with the big US brands. It sounds like they’ve got their sights squarely on Commission Junction’s client-base with CJ’s non-exclusive terms.

The US affiliate marketing industry has grown somewhat stale in the past several years with little visible growth in features and client-bases. In recnet years, Commission Junction absorbed the Be Free operations, migrating some programs over and losing others. Linkshare has stayed pretty much at status quo and Performics has come on strong in the past year with a renewed vigor toward their affiliate marketing business, fueled by fumbles and stumbles of the other two. This would appear to leave a door at least partially open for another player to move in and make some waves in the industry.

Buy.at’s first clients will set the stage for whether they’ve got what it takes to score some of the big brands or whether they settle in to the small and medium sized business market, encroaching on the market in which ShareASale and Kowabunga have been comfortably cleaning up. CD WOW is not exactly a recognizable brand here in the US and without some big, quick wins it’ll be a long road.

The good news is that Buy.at is well known for their ethical, affiiliate-focused approach to business, sounding much like the reputation upon which Brian Littleton at ShareASale has built his successful business. That as well as market pressures that new competition brings to affiliate marketing can only mean positive changes are in store for the US affiliate marketing space.

Best of luck to Malcom, Andy and team.

  • Hi Guys

    I'm spearheading the US launch and wanted to thank you for the feedback .

    We have made the sign up process a little less assumptive and more engaging hopefully .

    Mark ill get Kevin from CD WOW! US to comment on the court case you mentioned as he will be able to get information relating to that.

    I do hope you decide to join up and give us a try out.

    More merchants will be following soon and we really do want to make this work for everyone hence the quick changes on the sign up tunnel. We are listening and always learning:-)

    Mal
  • The bank info. was addressed in postings on ABW. They suggested you enter the word Test in each of the three fields. I tried it and it does work.

    Legally, though, they aren't supposed to pay you until they have a W-9 on file which there is no mention of on their site.
  • Scott
    yeah, that gave me pause as well, though in this case I went ahead.

    I do hate when networks require this information just to get in the door. It's stoped me from joining many before this.
  • So, I was going to sign up with Buy.at today, but their only option was to give them your routing & account number for the affiliate program.

    I am a bit uncomfortable taking this step with a company I do not know with an initial program brand I do not recognize.

    Bottom line - I decided not to sign up yet because they were asking for too much personal information up front. If they had a check mailing option, or if they let you create an account without some of the more personal information, so that I could get a "feel" for them, I might have been a bit more interested.

    I'll take a look at them again in a few months, I suppose.
  • Jonathan (Trust)
    That's what I was talking about a year and a half ago:

    "I don't see a minor competing with a major. I see a major competing with a major possibly next year if things work out. Time for another British invasion?"

    http://www.revenews.com/jeffmolander/archives/000922.html

    Glad to see it finally start happening. These major networks needed some real competition. Wouldn't mind seeing some other UK networks take a crack at the U.S. market also. Come on down.
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