Award-Winning Marketing Solutions
Gen3 Marketing is the largest affiliate agency in the world and was named 2022 Agency of the Year twice, both by Rakuten and CJ. The firm has global reach with offices in Pennsylvania, California and the UK.
Leveraging years of business strategy, relationship management expertise and data-driven capabilities, Gen3 transforms businesses by driving incremental revenue. Founded in 2007, Gen3 is a pioneer in the industry, being named Agency of the Year 12 times, and boasting the first ever dedicated premium content team.
headquarters
other locations
Affiliate Marketing Services for Bank & Credit Card Provider
the project
“Gen3 has deep knowledge and expertise in the affiliate space.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
Currently, I’m the director of partnership marketing for a fintech company, but I previously worked with a large bank and credit card provider.
What challenge were you trying to address with Gen3 Marketing?
We’re currently in the process of onboarding Gen3 into my current company to get help with affiliate marketing due to the great experience I had working with them in my past role.
What was the scope of their involvement?
When I worked at my former company, Gen3 helped us improve our affiliate program, worked with us to attract profitable leads, and introduced us to key affiliate sites. They acted as an extension of our team, having the flexibility of speaking on our behalf, reaching out to various partners, and delivering reports; they were involved in a lot of projects.
For example, Gen3 helped us study the marketplace and aid us in the right contractual decisions. On the operations side, they kept us monitoring our results daily, and they informed us when they saw any red flags. Additionally, they provided us with some compliance services, constantly checking our brand’s health and monitoring us on the web to ensure that our company was being represented correctly.
In addition to those services, Gen3 maintained constant communication with us, especially when we went through some special campaigns or market tests. On those occasions, they were very involved in the process, and they provided us with additional reporting when requested.
What is the team composition?
We had three people from Gen3 working on our account at any given time, ranging from senior directors to senior associates. I primarily worked with the senior directors.
How did you come to work with Gen3 Marketing?
When I joined my previous company, they already had a relationship with Gen3, and I was introduced to them. During my onboarding period, I evaluated the relationship and thought that they were still a good fit for us, so I kept working with them and took our relationship to the next level.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent over $1 million per year.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together about five years ago. Now that I’m with a new company, I see a lot of similar areas of opportunity where we can use their help, so we’re actively evaluating how to onboard them as quickly as possible.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Gen3’s efforts substantially grew our affiliate program and provided us with quality and profitable leads that ultimately helped our business grow locally. After a lot of strategic conversations with them, our per-unit economics decreased, and our loan accounts increased.
Generally speaking, Gen3 went above and beyond their scope on multiple occasions, which was not expected but very much appreciated. We also appreciated their compliance work, and our experience was very good, so I would love to continue our relationship in my current role.
How did Gen3 Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?
Gen3 outlined every step of the project and helped us plan ahead. They also had great trackers in place, which they updated as tasks were completed, keeping us on a good pace to ultimately succeed in our goals. We mostly communicated via email and shared spreadsheets.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Gen3 has deep knowledge and expertise in the affiliate space. They worked very well, and they were very diligent in their processes. Additionally, they were true to themselves, staying nimble and focused throughout the project. It was a pleasure working with them, and I look forward to continuing our relationship.
Are there any areas they could improve?
One of Gen3’s limiting factors is that they’re a small company and don’t have many resources at their disposal. Still, they make up for it with their hard work and general expertise. Becoming a bigger organization while maintaining the same work level would help them in the long run.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Do your due diligence, see other competitors, and evaluate your needs to find the best fit for your project. Reading reviews like this one is part of that due diligence, and I hope my comments help other organizations make the right decision for them.
Focus
Portfolio
FreshDirect, Discover, Crocs, Chicco, Advance Autoparts, New Balance, US Bank, Otterbox, Tory Birch
Affiliate Program Health Check
How do you evaluate the health of your affiliate marketing program?
What Can an Agency Do for my Affiliate Program?
Putting the right team to work pays big dividends
How to Succeed in Affiliate Marketing When Your Co
A smart approach outperforms a bigger budget every time.
Reviews
the project
Affiliate Marketing for Pet Adoption Management Platform
"They offered a fair and equitable settlement."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the co-founder a company that facilitates a worry-free pet adoption management platform, designed to make placing a pet a peaceful and safe experience.
For what projects/services did your company hire Gen3 Marketing, and what were your goals?
We hired OPM Pros (Gen3 is the parent company) to manage our affiliate marketing efforts.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They handled our affiliate marketing channel by engaging with prospective affiliates and managing the platform.
What is the team dynamic?
We mainly spoke with our account manager and occasionally one other member of their team, so I can’t speak too much to their team dynamic.
How did you come to work with Gen3 Marketing?
OPM Pros (Gen3) was a preferred vendor recommended to us by our affiliate marketing platform.
How much have you invested with them?
Roughly $25,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The relationship was terminated.
How did your relationship with the vendor evolve?
Gen3 recently acquired OPM Pros and they are beginning to integrate the organizations in to a single agency. A representative from Gen3 reached out to me to resolve this issue as they were unaware of what transpired with OPM Pros prior to the acquisition. They offered a fair and equitable settlement.
How did Gen3 Marketing address the challenges that arose?
Gen3 personally reached out to me to offer a amicable resolution and I am happy with this offer. Overall, we were happy with our relationship with OPM Pros until the final month of our contract which was exacerbated due to a transition in account managers.
This review was published on October 27, 2022.
Co-Founder, Marketing Company
Retail
51-200 Employees
Annapolis, Maryland
Less than $10,000
Aug 2021 - Feb 2022
Project summary
Gen3 Marketing managed the affiliate marketing efforts of a pet adoption management platform. They monitored performance and promote the client's product.
Feedback summary
Gen3 Marketing barely contributed any success and growth in real life. They didn't meet their obligations but attempted to send collections for payment.
BACKGROUND
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the co-founder of PetPay, Inc. We facilitate a worry-free pet adoption management platform, designed to make placing a pet a peaceful and safe experience.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
For what projects/services did your company hire Gen3 Marketing, and what were your goals?
We hired OPM Pros (Gen3 is the parent company) to manage our affiliate marketing efforts.
SOLUTION
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
We received a list of recommended vendors from our affiliate marketing platform, Impact.com.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.
Per our contract, they were to oversee daily affiliate management by utilizing our affiliate marketing platform, Impact.com.
How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
We mostly only worked with our account manager.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
We saw very little success and growth with OPM Pros efforts in affiliate marketing.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
We had bi-weekly meetings and would communicate via email as well.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
They came recommended from our affiliate marketing platform. After meeting with them, they pitched us with some lofty goals.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
STAY FAR AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY! We had a contract with OPM Pros (owned by Gen3 Marketing) that was to end on 2/2/22. We provided notice on 12/27/21, that we will not be renewing their services. From that time of December 27th on, there was no account activity from our rep (the last contact was on December 14th), every scheduled meeting was missed by OPM Pros, and there was a complete lack of communication regarding our account. Per our contract, they were to oversee DAILY affiliate management.
Our affiliate management system that was used for this program, Impact.com, was not maintained nor accessed once by OPM Pros for the entire month of January 2022. We advised that they did not meet their obligations per the contract and we will NOT pay for services NOT rendered. Since then, they have attempted to send us to collections for payment. It was clear that the relationship was over and work had ceased on our account!
Star Ratings
Overall rating: 0.5
Quality: 0.5
Cost: 3.5
Schedule: 2.5
Willing to refer: 0.5
the project
Affiliate Marketing Services for Bank & Credit Card Provider
“Gen3 has deep knowledge and expertise in the affiliate space.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
Currently, I’m the director of partnership marketing for a fintech company, but I previously worked with a large bank and credit card provider.
What challenge were you trying to address with Gen3 Marketing?
We’re currently in the process of onboarding Gen3 into my current company to get help with affiliate marketing due to the great experience I had working with them in my past role.
What was the scope of their involvement?
When I worked at my former company, Gen3 helped us improve our affiliate program, worked with us to attract profitable leads, and introduced us to key affiliate sites. They acted as an extension of our team, having the flexibility of speaking on our behalf, reaching out to various partners, and delivering reports; they were involved in a lot of projects.
For example, Gen3 helped us study the marketplace and aid us in the right contractual decisions. On the operations side, they kept us monitoring our results daily, and they informed us when they saw any red flags. Additionally, they provided us with some compliance services, constantly checking our brand’s health and monitoring us on the web to ensure that our company was being represented correctly.
In addition to those services, Gen3 maintained constant communication with us, especially when we went through some special campaigns or market tests. On those occasions, they were very involved in the process, and they provided us with additional reporting when requested.
What is the team composition?
We had three people from Gen3 working on our account at any given time, ranging from senior directors to senior associates. I primarily worked with the senior directors.
How did you come to work with Gen3 Marketing?
When I joined my previous company, they already had a relationship with Gen3, and I was introduced to them. During my onboarding period, I evaluated the relationship and thought that they were still a good fit for us, so I kept working with them and took our relationship to the next level.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent over $1 million per year.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together about five years ago. Now that I’m with a new company, I see a lot of similar areas of opportunity where we can use their help, so we’re actively evaluating how to onboard them as quickly as possible.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Gen3’s efforts substantially grew our affiliate program and provided us with quality and profitable leads that ultimately helped our business grow locally. After a lot of strategic conversations with them, our per-unit economics decreased, and our loan accounts increased.
Generally speaking, Gen3 went above and beyond their scope on multiple occasions, which was not expected but very much appreciated. We also appreciated their compliance work, and our experience was very good, so I would love to continue our relationship in my current role.
How did Gen3 Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?
Gen3 outlined every step of the project and helped us plan ahead. They also had great trackers in place, which they updated as tasks were completed, keeping us on a good pace to ultimately succeed in our goals. We mostly communicated via email and shared spreadsheets.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Gen3 has deep knowledge and expertise in the affiliate space. They worked very well, and they were very diligent in their processes. Additionally, they were true to themselves, staying nimble and focused throughout the project. It was a pleasure working with them, and I look forward to continuing our relationship.
Are there any areas they could improve?
One of Gen3’s limiting factors is that they’re a small company and don’t have many resources at their disposal. Still, they make up for it with their hard work and general expertise. Becoming a bigger organization while maintaining the same work level would help them in the long run.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Do your due diligence, see other competitors, and evaluate your needs to find the best fit for your project. Reading reviews like this one is part of that due diligence, and I hope my comments help other organizations make the right decision for them.
the project
Affiliate Marketing for Media Agency
"We’re impressed that they’ve put a lot of effort into knowing our business, which allowed them to do their job better."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
We service clients as a media agency, and we primarily offer programmatic advertising and consumer data analysis. I’m the company’s associate director for strategy.
What challenge were you trying to address with Gen3 Marketing?
Affiliate marketing wasn’t something we did in-house. As a result, we contracted partners like Gen3 Marketing to do that on behalf of our clients.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The specific campaigns and strategies that we conduct for our clients come from our internal team, and in those projects, Gen3 Marketing focuses on the affiliate marketing space. The team puts together plans, and they come back to us with a few ideas.
Sometimes, they work with publishers to do write-ups on our clients to try to sell the products to specific audiences. On top of that, they send reports, which include the ROI, conversation rates, and revenue. They show the clicks that have been generated from any of the placements they’ve implemented, too.
What is the team composition?
Our primary point of contact is their account manager who’s in charge of facilitating everything.
How did you come to work with Gen3 Marketing?
They were referred by one of my co-workers.
How much have you invested with them?
We pay them $13,000 a month, and they run $3 million worth of affiliate marketing strategies.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working with them in February 2020, and we continue to collaborate.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They’ve increased the company’s return on ad spend (ROAS) by 100%. Overall, Gen3 Marketing’s performance has been excellent.
How did Gen3 Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?
They have a perfect management process. We communicate using phone calls, email, and Slack.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re very strategic in their thinking; they're not just looking to book placements for us that will put money. In addition, they don’t choose only what’s going to give us the best results immediately. Instead, they’ll choose an option that’s going to give us great results for a long time. Above all, we’re impressed that they’ve put a lot of effort into knowing our business, which allows them to do their job better.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Their account management is not poor, but we only have one account manager. Sometimes, if our account manager is on vacation or out sick, we have a hard time figuring out who to reach out to. Other than that, they’ve exceeded our expectations.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be very communicative because Gen3 Marketing is really interested in getting to know your business. Giving them all of the information they need will also enable them to do their jobs well. Last but not least, make sure you know your project’s objectives to get the most success from the engagement.
the project
Affiliate Marketing for Entertainment Brand
"They're a perfect partner—they've hit the goals with no headaches and babysitting."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I lead growth marketing for Curiosity Stream, a streaming service with non-fiction titles on nature, history, science and more.
For what projects/services did your company hire Gen3 Marketing, and what were your goals?
We engaged Gen3 to run our affiliate program through Commission Junction. Goals were to increase revenue, traffic to our site, and improve the quality of affiliates in our program.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
I went with Gen3 because I've used them with terrific success throughout my 15 years of digital marketing. They've never failed to push the envelope and deliver outstanding results. More specifically, they've never failed to substantially increase affiliate revenue and traffic.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.
Scope of the engagement includes: Prospecting for high-quality affiliates that deliver value vs. just traffic arbitrage Managing affiliate concerns Redesigning our payout structure to improve ROI for us Reporting
How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
1 Account Director 1 Senior Account Manager
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
In year 1, traffic and revenue increased very, very substantially.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Workflow is perfect - we slack/email as needed, and meet bi-weekly. We'll meet/communicate more often during Q4 of course.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Gen3 hits targets - I never have to worry about whether affiliates are getting what they need or if we're doing everything we can to push our program forward. They're a perfect partner—they've hit the goals with no headaches and babysitting.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
No I don't think so.
the project
Affiliate Marketing Services for Consumer Products Company
"Gen3 Marketing's work often exceeds our goals."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m a manager at a consumer products company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Gen3 Marketing?
We needed help driving demand for our brands and increasing traffic to our website through the affiliate channel.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Gen3 Marketing helps us with affiliate marketing. They coordinate the partnership process, acting as a liaison between us and our affiliates. I give them our business notes, goals, and priorities, and they recommend partners who can help us meet those goals.
They also provide result forecasts and measure our affiliate placements’ performance. We work with many different affiliate channels, including loyalty sites. Gen 3 Marketing has secured many placements for us.
For example, they’ve secured an editorial partner for us, as well as a commission-based SEM personalization partner. They’ve also found us affiliate partners who’ve created content for us. Other times, Gen3 Marketing has leveraged our creative team’s content; Gen3 Marketing shares this content with our affiliate partners so they can use it to promote us.
What is the team composition?
I work with two teammates from Gen3 Marketing, including Brianne (Director of Affiliate Marketing), who develops our marketing plans, and Candance (Affiliate Marketing Coordinator), who executes those plans.
How did you come to work with Gen3 Marketing?
I’ve been with the company for 11 months, and Gen3 Marketing was already our affiliate marketing agency when I joined.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve invested around $300,000–$350,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in 2017, and the engagement is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Gen3 Marketing’s work often exceeds our goals. In fact, our whole company turns to our affiliate channel when it comes to meeting our revenue goals, thanks to the plans and placements that Brianne recommends.
How did Gen3 Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?
We communicate via video calls, emails, and phone, as necessary. I meet with them three times a week to relay the information they need, and they discuss our partnerships’ performance. We also coordinate with Gen3 Marketing via chat about opportunities for pressure weeks or months and how they can support our campaigns.
They’re always very efficient with time and very punctual. Whenever there are delays, they communicate them to us. They’re always working to push things forward.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I’m impressed by Gen3 Marketing’s constant curiosity. They also have great relationships with different partners, which is helps us constantly learn about new opportunities to drive demand, improve exposure, and increase traffic to our site.
Brianne responds to our needs quickly. For example, when we need to optimize our performance, she’s quick to make those recommendations. She’s always diligent with data and performance — Brianne is a rockstar altogether.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t have anything they could improve.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Book them! Gen3 Marketing will deliver.
the project
Affiliate Marketing for Credit Card Company
"They give critical feedback on potential opportunities as well as potential missteps in strategies we are evaluating."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the Head of Marketing for a startup credit card issuer.
For what projects/services did your company hire Gen3 Marketing, and what were your goals?
We hired Gen3 to be a strategic and execution partner for our Affiliate Marketing program. Our primary goal was to build a compliant, sustainable, efficient and scalable affiliate acquisition engine.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
I had worked with key talent at Gen3 in previous roles. Their professionalism, attention to detail and expertise were deciding factors in me choosing to work with them again.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.
We hired Gen3 to be a strategic and execution partner for our Affiliate Marketing program. We worked together to: -Build the appropriate infrastructure, processes and procedures to ensure the program was sustainable and scalable -Set the strategy and protocols for partner acquisition and management -Design and implement the compliance strategy and governance procedures -Evaluate and optimize partner performance and budget allocation
How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
We had two main contacts at Gen3 - A VP level industry account lead and an Affiliate Manager
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
In collaboration with Gen3 we were able to sustain significant increased account originations month-over-month while simultaneously reducing the cost per acquired account.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Our partnership with Gen3 was seamless. Many times it was hard to see where our internal marketing team ended and theirs began. Not only are the team at Gen3 a please are to work with, but they truly cared about our business and demonstrated their desire to see us achieve shared goals.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
How well they understood both our business as well as the Affiliate space. They give critical feedback on potential opportunities as well as potential missteps in strategies we are evaluating. It is hard to find a marketing partner that can easily transition between providing strategic and executional value.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
I have no constructive feedback at this time.
The client saw many benefits from working with Gen3 Marketing, including growth in their affiliate program, quality leads, decreased per-unit economics, increased loan accounts, and general business growth. The team was very diligent, nimble, and communicative, as well as extremely knowledgeable.