Large Affiliate Networks Getting Lazy
June 7th, 2009 by Peter Glaeser |
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In my previous post I wrote about how smaller affiliate networks drive innovation. They feel the need to grow everyday and the only way to do this properly is through innovation. This strategy is quite promising actually since I observe more and more established networks falling behind.
For example let’s have a look at zanox. They’ve come out with an application store that encourages affiliates to make their own tools available to other affiliates as well. At first this may sound like a great idea.
But when you really think about it you start to realize that they’re trying to fool us here. In my opinion this application store is nothing else but their attempt to lower the internal IT cost and create some extra PR buzz on the side.
The message that zanox is sending out is: “We don’t want to innovate internally anymore. Dear affiliates, do the dirty work for us, please. And no, we can’t guarantee you any revenue from sharing your work with your competitors. Go and figure it out yourself.”
Maybe I’m missing the bigger picture here, but I don’t understand why successful affiliates should make their self-made tools available to competitors in the form of other affiliates or merchants.
2 Responses to “Large Affiliate Networks Getting Lazy”
By Tony on Jun 8, 2009 | Reply
Hi Peter, you got the message wrong:
zanox understands, that a couple of employees can never ever be as creative and innovative as the “croud” of people (like you) can be! So, opening up for external developments is a means to enshure future innovation power!
BTW: The IT-cost were much lower without the application store. Development, maintenance and service (app. review, etc.) will cost a hell lot of money…