PartnerCentric, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the affiliate manager at Auctane, which is the parent company of brands such as ShipStation, Stamps.com, and ShippingEasy, just to name a few. My job is to build an affiliate program for these brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

We needed support to build our affiliate program, with the goal of increasing signups across the three brands I previously mentioned. We were looking for new people to sign up and try our product. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PartnerCentric, Inc. is our partner agency in our affiliate program. The team helps us build and optimize our program. I work with PartnerCentric, Inc. in strategies to increase our program's signups and how to reach more users to try our products. If I find a company appropriate to contact, I include PartnerCentric, Inc. in the call and ask them to assist. 

The team offers their expertise, reaches out to companies they come across, and informs me of opportunities. PartnerCentric, Inc. runs affiliate marketing campaigns on CJ and impact.com.

What is the team composition?

I work with at least five teammates from PartnerCentric, Inc., who are assigned to our project, including Robin (Partnership Specialist), Megan (Affiliate Program Manager), and Krissy (Data & Insights Specialist). We also work with their technology team.

How did you come to work with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

When I joined my company, they were already engaged with PartnerCentric, Inc. However, I was part of an audit process we conducted for the team, during which we evaluated whether we wanted to continue working with them. We realized that PartnerCentric, Inc. was the right partner for our needs.
How much have you invested with them?

Our spending is in the range of $50,000–$199,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I joined my company in June 2023, and our engagement with PartnerCentric, Inc. is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Since I joined my company, we've seen over 100% growth in our affiliate program in the last year. The team has doubled our results across the board. PartnerCentric, Inc.'s work exceeds my expectations, and the team is always available and willing to help. PartnerCentric, Inc. acts as my right hand. I oversee my business needs, and the team is operational. 

How did PartnerCentric, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

PartnerCentric, Inc. delivers work on time and on budget. The team is responsive, and we communicate mostly via email. I meet with PartnerCentric, Inc. monthly via Zoom to discuss overall work. Megan is fantastic; I email her at least five times a day, and she's very responsive and helpful. She keeps our program moving.
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I want to highlight Megan's work; she's fantastic to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

PartnerCentric, Inc. has responded to our requests in certain areas where we needed more. The team has listened to our feedback and addressed areas where they were lacking. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I haven't noticed any areas of improvement in PartnerCentric, Inc.'s work. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

If you decide to hire PartnerCentric, Inc., know that you're dealing with a very experienced agency that knows what they're doing. The team isn't afraid for you to lean on them, and I suggest using their knowledge as much as you can to grow your program. PartnerCentric, Inc. is willing to go the extra mile, and I recommend treating your engagement with the team as a partnership. Communicate your goals, and the team will help you deliver them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director for CheapAir.com. We’re in the travel industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

We needed help managing our affiliate program with CJ Affiliate. We wanted to expand our brand awareness and drive more sales.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PartnerCentric, Inc. set up our account with CJ Affiliate. They also helped us sign up different publishers to join our program, and we worked with them to set the terms for the program.

What is the team composition?

An account manager was responsible for our account. We engaged with many of their team members throughout our relationship but mainly dealt with our account manager.

How did you come to work with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

My previous colleague signed them up and started the partnership with them. I took over for him at the end of last year, so I’m unsure how he found them.

How much have you invested with them?

We paid a $3,500 monthly fee. Additionally, we gave them a 15% performance incentive of the affiliate commission for the first 50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We signed up with them in December 2011 and ended the partnership in June 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We saw an increase in brand awareness and sales. Since I came into the project about six months ago, at the end of the partnership with PartnerCentric, Inc., I don’t fully understand how we grew from where we were to where we are today. However,  the partnership was profitable and successful for us. They drove a lot of sales, and our ROI was positive. Overall, they exceeded our expectations.

How did PartnerCentric, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They went above and beyond in their project management. During the COVID-19 pandemic, no one was traveling, but they were gracious enough to adjust our contract and lower the cost. PartnerCentric, Inc. worked with us to keep the costs manageable during that time.

We mostly communicated through phone calls, emails, and Zoom calls. They also shared some reports through Google Sheets documents.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Megan (Affiliate Program Manager) was amazing to work with. She was very dedicated, knowledgeable, and responsive to our questions. She went above and beyond to manage our program.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I noticed their experience and knowledge in affiliate marketing right away.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they managed everything very well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that they’re aware of your goals and expectations. Each business has a different use case, but if you’re clear with your goals, PartnerCentric, Inc. is more than willing to work with you to meet and exceed those expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a partner marketing manager for a home appliances company. We produce small kitchen appliances.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

We needed help with affiliate marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PartnerCentric, Inc. has been our partner agency in the affiliate marketing landscape. They help us navigate our platform and suss out opportunities with different publishers; they coordinate all that.

What is the team composition?

I have regular contact with 4–5 teammates from PartnerCentric, Inc. Megan (Affiliate Program Manager) has been my account manager.

How did you come to work with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

PartnerCentric, Inc. was onboarded into the project before I started working with my company, so I don't know how the engagement started. I wasn't involved from the beginning.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together since 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

PartnerCentric, Inc.'s work has allowed us to succeed in the affiliate space. Overall, they've met our expectations.

How did PartnerCentric, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

PartnerCentric, Inc. has generally delivered work on time and within budget.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I would like to give a shout-out to Megan. We meet at least once a month and sometimes more often. She has been great. She's very proactive, understands our needs, and brings interesting ideas to the table.

What did you find most impressive about them?

PartnerCentric, Inc. understands the affiliate marketing space very well, and they're progressive and easy to work with. Moreover, they're very responsive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everyone has room for improvement. Still, PartnerCentric, Inc. is doing a very good job.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Work with them; they're a good partner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior marketing manager of Hometown Hero, a cannabis company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

We needed help with affiliate marketing to get affiliates in front of our products and help to try them out, review them, and add legitimacy to our brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PartnerCentric, Inc. provides affiliate marketing for us. We’ve provided them with product and competitor information, demographics, examples of review sites we like, and data for our target audience.

What was the team composition? 

We’ve been working with four members of PartnerCentric, Inc.’s team, including Megan (Affiliate Program Manager), Krissy (Data & Insights Specialist), and Hakeem (Marketing Analyst).

How did you come to work with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

PartnerCentric, Inc. was already working with us when I took my current position.

How much have you invested with them?

We invest around $40,000 monthly with them, which depends on various factors, like the commissions we pay or the revenue we bring in.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

PartnerCentric, Inc. has gotten us to different coupon, review, and content sites thanks to their platform and application process. Without PartnerCentric, Inc.'s work, it would be much more granular work with the cold calling and getting in front of different sites, so we appreciate how the team has streamlined our processes.

Moreover, we've noticed a 40% yearly increase in affiliate marketing revenue, and PartnerCentric, Inc.'s work has been instrumental.

How did PartnerCentric, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

PartnerCentric, Inc. is always on time and budget, mindful of our goals, and communicative via biweekly meetings. The team also tries to ensure that their strategies align with what we're doing but are also flexible to adapt as we change things or add new products. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review? 

Megan is an amazing account manager. She helps me with daily stuff to ensure that I'm keeping on top of all the different affiliate endeavors, comes through all the applications, and finds new platforms and things we can be a part of that align with us based on Megan's best opinion.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our workstyles align well; Megan ensures that my inbox is full of opportunities, and when we meet, we go through those opportunities individually to discuss ideas.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think there's anything they can improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know your company and audience inside and out because, once you provide that information to PartnerCentric, Inc., they can leverage that in their searches to find exactly what you need.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm the marketing associate at a real estate company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

We needed affiliate marketing services with the goal of increasing our conversions and reaching a greater audience. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started the project with a discovery call and weekly meetings where we discussed our business offering. PartnerCentric, Inc. organized our impact.com account so we were ready when we started the contract. Once we signed the contract, our account was ready to create paid ads. PartnerCentric, Inc. managed our campaigns on impact.com and was responsible for presenting different advertising opportunities and providing updates on those opportunities. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with PartnerCentric, Inc.'s technical team, an account executive, and their superior. 

How did you come to work with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

A teammate from our company referred PartnerCentric, Inc. for this project. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $40,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with PartnerCentric, Inc. from October 2023–January 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

PartnerCentric, Inc. delivered successful campaigns, and their work met our expectations. Affiliate marketing requires a lot of coordinating, and we didn't have the capacity to manage that internally. PartnerCentric, Inc. went through several inquiries and contacted specific partners we were looking for. 

The team managed the project, so we didn’t have to be involved every step of the way, only towards the end of the process. We communicated with PartnerCentric, Inc. to review the contracts offered and decide if the action was reasonable for our strategy. The team saved us a lot of time on the front end of the project. 

How did PartnerCentric, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

PartnerCentric, Inc. tracked work in Google Sheets, and it was easy for us to see their progress. The team delivered work on time, and considering they were often waiting on other partners, PartnerCentric, Inc. was communicative and set realistic expectations. We communicated via email, phone calls, and weekly meetings where the entire team was present.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Courtney (Account Executive) was a pleasure to work with. She was professional and organized. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

PartnerCentric, Inc.'s biggest strength was their communication and transparency with their clients.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Regarding affiliate marketing, sometimes timelines and speed execution were slacking. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Be prepared with the materials PartnerCentric, Inc. will request from you, and as long as you're not delayed, work will move along quickly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the affiliate marketing manager for SunPower Corporation, a solar power provider in the US. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

I hired PartnerCentric to help me recruit new affiliates to my affiliate program. Our goals were to scale our program and attract more affiliate partners. That way, I could continue to expand the business and drive top-of-the-funnel leads into our sales funnel. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provided PartnerCentric with the information they needed to be effective with their job, including legal documentation, zip code lists, and information about the type of partners we wanted to attract. We also told them what we were willing to pay those partners and for the leads that they submitted into our system. The partners we needed were websites that ran social media campaigns for themselves.

What is the team composition?

Carmin (Affiliate Program Manager) was my day-to-day contact; she was also my account manager. Lexi (Associate Account Manager) provided support to Carmin, while Tracie (Director of Client Services & Partner Success) served as the director of the account. 

How did you come to work with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

I found PartnerCentric through word of mouth; I also knew many of their team members. Given that, I initiated contact with their sales team and let them know that I needed an agency partner to help me recruit affiliates. The vetting process took six months as I came up with a plan on how to move forward with an agency. 

Other agencies were unwilling to meet me at the price point I needed. However, PartnerCentric understood that I had limits on what I needed them to do. The limits they had to abide by didn’t require too much heavy lifting on their part. This allowed us to come to the price point that we both agreed with and then I hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

I invested around $70,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership lasted from September 2022–September 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The number of our affiliate partners increased because of PartnerCentric; we secured around 10 affiliate partners. Overall, the team exceeded our expectations. While the number of affiliate partners was smaller than what I hoped we’d achieve, it wasn’t through a lack of hard work or dedication. Over and over again, they showed me what they were doing and the effort they were putting into it. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t producing the results we wanted. 

How did PartnerCentric, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

PartnerCentric did exactly what was required of them. We had biweekly phone calls, and they provided biweekly updates on the program and its performance. They explained the work they were attempting to do and how they executed it. To communicate, we mainly used emails, phone calls, and video calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They listened to what I needed and worked to give it to me in every effort they made. That was what they did best — they listened and worked toward our goals from beginning to end.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. I was happy with the entire experience. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know exactly what you want the team to do right from the beginning. If you’re clear on what they need to do, they’ll be there and do the work you require them to do. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing at Sideshow, an entertainment company. We’ve grown into a pretty large company that represents a lot of other brands that make similar products. We’re a one-stop online shop. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

We needed PartnerCentric, Inc. to provide new affiliate marketing for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We looked to PartnerCentric, Inc. to help us with our affiliate marketing. We talked about our challenges in the space and they gave us a proposal on how to solve those challenges. The first goal was to increase the overall revenue we were seeing come from our affiliate channel. The second goal was to clean up our program to eliminate underperforming and non-performing affiliates.

What is the team composition? 

I work with two people. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I’d like to give a shout-out to Julia (Business Development Executive) and Adam (VP of Client Development).

How did you come to work with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

We found them in an online search. Their portfolio and passion for us were impressive. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2023, and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We were at 2% of our overall revenue coming from affiliates and they’ve been able to double that in the few months we’ve been with them. They got us to the most effective affiliates by eliminating underperforming affiliate accounts in our system. They’re also adding new ones in areas we didn’t know existed. PartnerCentric, Inc. has over-delivered. 

How did PartnerCentric, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is flawless. PartnerCentric, Inc. has delivered on time and on budget. As soon as we signed with them, they were already emailing us and working hard through the weekend to start the activity in our account. We have weekly meetings and constant daily communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were willing to learn about our business and were enthusiastic to work with us. We didn’t feel like a number to them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re very passionate about what they’re doing with us. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be transparent about your business operation. You need to have a full picture of what a business does to be able to help that business. The more information you can give your partner in that space, the more they will excel. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a product marketer at Yahoo Sports who focuses on driving growth for our season-long fantasy sports games.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PartnerCentric, Inc., and what were your goals?

We were looking to relaunch our affiliate marketing program for the 2022 fantasy football season and needed a partner to handle the strategy, publisher outreach/recruitment, and platform management, as well as support our technical integration. The goal was to drive fantasy football registrations.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

The partner was recommended by the affiliate platform, and after meeting and reviewing costs and their willingness to take this project on short notice, we decided to move forward.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

The scope began with PartnerCentric doing discovery work (competitive analysis) and publisher recruitment while we parallel pathed the technical integration. The next phase was launching our offer with qualified publishers, reviewing performance, managing the publisher relationships and handling payments thru the platform.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with a director of client services, 2 account managers, and a technical services manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

While the program were hindered by technical issues on the platform side (not related to PartnerCentric), we were extremely pleased with the level of customer support and strategic analysis that they provided. They were successfully able to ramp up highly qualified publishers to support our campaign in a very tight timeline.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had weekly check-ins to review all aspects of the program, which provided an opportunity to align on next steps/outstanding needs, as well as review progress. The team was extremely clear and concise in their communications, and we appreciated their follow-through.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

In addition to being extremely agile and work under tight deadlines, they are truly subject matter experts in the realm of affiliate marketing and offered an exceptional level of service by becoming knowledgable within our business vertical to offer incremental value.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

If they were able to offer technical escalation support within the affiliate platform as a preferred partner with a specific SLA, that may have allowed us to launch sooner, but their internal technical resource was fantastic and very responsive.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Nova Bay Pharmaceuticals. We manufacture and sell a topical anti-microbial spray for eyelids and eyelashes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

We sell our product on Amazon and our own website. We needed a company that could handle our affiliate marketing efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We used PartnerCentric, Inc. as a partner for our affiliate program. They worked in CJ Affiliate, and they also helped us with our content calendar.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two account managers from PartnerCentric, Inc..

How did you come to work with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

We found PartnerCentric, Inc. through a referral.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $15,000 per month, so we spent around $500,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February 2020–January 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

PartnerCentric, Inc. did a great job of managing our affiliate program. Partner Centric did a great job driving additional traffic to our website and increasing our conversion rate. We also saw an improvement in our monthly revenue, return on ad spend, and click-through rate.

How did PartnerCentric, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

PartnerCentric, Inc. performed well in terms of project management. They delivered on time, stayed within budget, and communicated effectively.

We typically communicated through email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

An innovative partner, PartnerCentric, Inc. brought potential partnerships and new ideas for expanding our sales channels to the table.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were an excellent partner.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend them to any company that has a direct-to-consumer product that is sold on their website.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal market manager for VSP Vision Care, responsible for driving awareness and sales of our individual vision plan offerings. We sell individual vision insurance plans direct to consumers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

We didn’t have an affiliate marketing program in our line of business, so while looking for new marketing tactics, we decided to start an affiliate marketing program. Thus, we partnered with PartnerCentric to help us drive more awareness and sales of our product offering.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PartnerCentric helps us manage our affiliate marketing program. We work collaboratively with them and with different publishers who have joined our program. Our program is a lead-based program, so we work with those publishers on a pay-per-performance model, which means we pay for driving qualified leads to our website.

From a strategy perspective, PartnerCentric has focused on finding the best publishers and creating diversity in our program so that we’re not dependent on one or two publishers.

PartnerCentric already knows our key target audiences and value propositions. Thus, they continuously recruit new and different types of publishers to continue growing our program. Then, we vet those publishers together to determine which ones will join our program.

Part of PartnerCentric’s strategy is to know when to push back with publishers. In this regard, they act as the liaison between the publishers and us, so they have conversations with them to gather information. If something isn’t meeting our needs, they communicate with us, and we make adjustments to ensure our money is being spent efficiently.

We’re in charge of developing all the creative assets for our campaigns internally; PartnerCentric’s efforts are focused on our strategy of both managing existing publisher placements as well as recruiting new business. Therefore, they also work with these publishers to understand their needs and communicate them to us. Then, we work with our internal team to translate those needs into ad copy and creative assets that will work best for our business.

What is the team composition?

We have an account manager and someone in a support role assigned to our account, with whom we work on a daily basis. Additionally, I meet once per month with their Senior Director of Client Success. Every once in a while, I also meet with other members of their executive team.

How did you come to work with PartnerCentric, Inc.?

I met them at an affiliate conference. They seemed very personable and were a smaller agency. During the conference, I was able to speak to some of their actual clients to see how they liked them and heard really good things about them. From the start, I felt that PartnerCentric provided me with very good one-on-one attention, and they showed commitment to growing our program, so I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

While we don’t share those details as a matter of policy, we can share that we’ve significantly increased our spend over the course of our partnership.

What is the status of this engagement?

We originally met in September 2013, but we started our affiliate program in 2014. Our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

From 2015–2022, PartnerCentric has helped us increase our sales by over 200% and our leads by 26%.

How did PartnerCentric, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

PartnerCentric’s project management has been very good. Although we’ve had some challenges, nothing has been too worrisome about them. I would still give them good marks in that regard.

We meet with them on a biweekly basis to go through all of our program needs and the different publishers we’re working with, which helps us understand how to continue growing our business. Additionally, we communicate via email.

PartnerCentric also provides us with a weekly report that shows how we’re doing from a budget standpoint. This report also shows how many new publishers have entered our program, how many applications they’ve approved and denied, and the performance of each publisher regarding leads and sales.

What did you find most impressive about them?

PartnerCentric is very responsive and easy to do business with, and they always care about their clients, which is a big plus. Moreover, one of our company’s goals is to work with diverse vendors, and PartnerCentric is a women-owned agency, which is unique in our space.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be great if PartnerCentric had a better way of forecasting budgets.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very transparent with your business, understand your goals, and know where you’re headed so that you can be very clear about what you’re looking for, both from a budget and a lead/sales perspective. This will help PartnerCentric know what they’re driving toward to build a successful program.