Subnetworks launch, a new compliance taskforce and affiliate marketing growth
At the APMA’s July 23 meeting, Kevin Edwards welcomed three new members while updating on a range of major initiatives, including the subnetworks guide and payments project. He also gave a detailed summary of the State of the Affiliate Nation report.
The new subnetworks guide evaluates 20 affiliate and influencer subnetworks, offering recommendations on transparency, vetting, and auditing. Julia Stent provided attendees with a review of the newly released payments guide, noting the importance of improving transparency and timeliness in affiliate payments, issues that were also explored in a publisher-only roundtable held earlier in the day.
State of the Affiliate Nation
Key findings from State of the Affiliate Nation revealed UK affiliate spend at £1.7 billion in 2025, with 362 million transactions and £19 billion in sales. Notably, 23% of all affiliate purchases involved a voucher code, and non-last-click CPA activity rose to 13.3% of spend. Kevin alluded to opportunities the report offers to build better stories around peak trading as well as the £221m spent on brand building within the channel.
Policy updates
Policy and regulation were a major focus of the meeting, with Nick Stringer outlining the APMA’s engagement with the ICO on two new consultations linked to the UK’s Data Use and Access Act. The APMA will advocate for affiliate tracking technologies to be classified as attribution cookies and encourage members to help showcase their businesses to help bring the channel to life for external bodies.
Other highlights
Other highlights included an update on the attribution audit, the launch of a compliance task force, a new finance sector project, and preparations for a second advertiser-only event in October. Kevin also announced Bronze Membership for small businesses and encouraged all members to use the now fully functioning member area and provide their own updates for The Pulse, the APMA’s new member newsletter.
Two new committees, Compliance and ARE (Acquisition, Retention, Engagement), have been formed, and Kevin invited volunteers to get involved. Members were also encouraged to share data, case studies, and feedback to shape future research and strengthen the affiliate marketing community.
You can access the full APMA Q3 member presentation here.
If you’d like to download the free version of the State of the Affiliate Nation report, fill in the form below. You can also register to receive regular updates from the APMA at the same time.
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