Today is the first day of the new year, and I wish 2009 to be a Happy New Year for you, your family, and your business. Today is also the birthday of Betsy Ross, the legendary maker of the first American flag, one designed during the American Revolution, and one made to symbolize the freedom of the first 13 colonies under a new flag and a new name.
Pondering upon the state of the USA back 233 years ago, I cannot help by make a parallel with the current state of affiliate marketing, which is also still very young and fast developing. In the course of 2008 we have seen the New York governor sign a law to require e-businesses to collect sales taxes from sales to NY-based customers “directly or indirectly referred” by New York-based entities (read: thousands of affiliates!), and hundreds of New York affiliates booted out from affiliate programs [recap from Shawn Collins and at CNET News]. Shortly thereafter California and Texas started thinking in the same direction [see this thread at ABestWeb], but it has not gone beyond considerations. In Q4 of 2008 we have seen a sad “step back to 2002” with a boost in parasitic affiliate behavior registered [read more in Jangro’s blog], and some big names involved in it (again)…
How will the 2009 differ? Will you commit to fight for clean and transparent affiliate marketing? I have made it one of my New Year’s resolutions to devote even more time to the education of merchants and affiliates on the problems that are hurting our industry. I invite you to join me in this as well. Only then we will be able to make the 2009 a Happy New Year.
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Geno, well said – always appreciate your efforts to go to bat for affiliates, merchants, and our industry as a whole.
Thank you.
~ Denis
Thank you, Denis.
Over 2500 years ago a Greek slave Aesop wrote his famous fable “The Lion and the Three Bulls”. In it he told a story about three bulls that pastured together, and a lion that was looking for a prey. The bulls looked way too attractive to him, but when they were all together, the lion could not attack them; as he was afraid of them. So, he lured them away from each other with deceitful promises (of better grass in other places, fewer flies, and more shade), and killed them one by one.
I find the above fable to be a perfect illustration to the present state of the affiliate marketing industry. It is now being torn apart, and the more segmented it becomes the weaker it is… Aesop’s proverbial wisdom — “united we stand, divided we fall” — is more applicable to affiliate marketing now that ever. It is certainly good to see the caring affiliates and affiliate managers post about the problems (and looking for solutions) in places like ABestWeb, AffiliateTrust, their own blogs and social network groups. I am also doing what I can.