The APMA’s end-of-year webinar brought together industry leaders to review peak-season performance, discuss ongoing attribution challenges and examine how AI is influencing affiliate marketing.
Speakers included James Maley (Tradedoubler), Eleri Jones (Big Green Smile) and Rebecca McNiven (Silverbean), with Kevin Edwards hosting.
Watch the 60-minute webinar in full here:
Peak-Season Performance and CSS Growth
The session opened with Cyber Weekend results. Tradedoubler reported a 28% year-on-year increase in global order value and an 8% rise in the UK. CSS partners contributed significantly, supported by greater retailer adoption and stronger partner activity. Agencies observed similar patterns, noting early consumer planning, intentional spending and highly competitive brand behaviour on Black Friday itself.
Retailers represented by Silverbean also saw marked growth in CSS. Planning activity began well ahead of November, with brands aligning promotions to avoid direct clashes. CSS has shifted closer to paid search strategies, reflecting its position at the intersection of search and affiliate marketing.
Attribution, Tracking and Channel Perception
Attribution remained a central issue. McNiven highlighted cross-channel attribution and incrementality as the most persistent barriers, often affecting how affiliate marketing is perceived by decision-makers. Jones pointed to wider tracking instability driven by iOS privacy changes, cookie depreciation and GA4 inconsistencies, all of which make budget allocation harder.
Maley noted specific CSS tracking issues, with some advertisers experiencing data deletion rates of 70–80%. As partner types diversify, gaps in tracking risk skewing performance visibility. The panel also discussed network quality, especially in relation to sub-network models that have presented challenges in 2025.
Reframing Affiliate Marketing
A recurring theme was the need to reposition affiliate marketing as a full-funnel ecosystem rather than a single channel. Jones argued for aligning partner types with comparable digital activity. An example she gave was how she aligns CSS with paid search when talking about it internally.
Different partner groups require different KPIs, and the industry still lacks a unified narrative. APMA data shows that one in eight pounds of affiliate revenue now flows through non-CPA models, reinforcing the channel’s diversification. This will no doubt be a recurring theme across 2026.
The Expanding Role of AI
The panel examined four current AI trends: internal data efficiency, AI-first publishers, low-quality AI content and the rise of zero-click behaviour. AI is already supporting publisher discovery, fraud detection and performance analysis. New opportunities include audience-based partner recruitment and improved feed optimisation. The speakers agreed that AI should support, not replace, human strategy and that authenticity in content remains essential.
Looking Ahead
The discussion closed with a focus on collaboration, talent development and the continued evolution of partner models. The industry enters 2025 with clear challenges but also strong momentum across search-aligned partnerships, data practices and AI-driven innovation.
A huge thank you to Eleri, Rebecca and James for sharing their thoughts with us and their insights.
