Delivered a ROAS of
Reduced overall programme costs by
When Silverbean began working with this Global Sportswear Brand, their affiliate programme was struggling to meet its ROAS target. Performance was being held back by high costs, flat budgets, and limited visibility into what was actually driving value. Much of the inefficiency remained concealed until deeper data analysis began.
One of the clearest issues was the volume of lower-funnel partners in the programme, particularly CSS publishers. In some markets, the brand was working with around twelve CSS partners at once, significantly above the recommended level, many of whom sat on elevated commission rates. Voucher partners were similarly expensive, and these high payouts conflicted with the brand’s push for more profitable, full-price sales. The programme was busy, but not strategically balanced or commercially efficient.
The data available to the team made it difficult to assess incrementality or understand how partner activity aligned with profitability. Key issues around spend allocation, partner duplication and performance quality were effectively hidden, leaving both Silverbean and the client without the clarity needed to optimise confidently. Once the data became visible, it was clear that significant restructuring would be required.
With flat budgets year-on-year, the brand needed to improve performance without additional spend. A challenge that required strong governance and careful prioritisation. Internal teams were not fully aligned on how the affiliate channel should support broader business goals, which slowed decision-making. As a premium global brand, strict compliance and reputation standards also had to be upheld, adding another layer of complexity to any changes in partner setup or commissioning.
The sportswear sector is highly competitive, and the brand’s existing affiliate setup was not built to match the efficiency or strategic focus of its peers. To move forward, the programme needed a structural reset, one that reduced cost, improved visibility, and ensured that every partner in the mix contributed measurable value.
Silverbean delivered a comprehensive, data-driven efficiency strategy designed to rebalance the programme, remove non-incremental cost, and build a healthier, more sustainable partner ecosystem.
The first step was a complete audit of the programme’s structure, partners, commercial arrangements and funnel distribution. A major issue quickly emerged: the programme was overly reliant on lower-funnel partners who were receiving high commissions without driving corresponding incremental value. To counter this, Silverbean significantly reduced the number of cashback and voucher partners to a tightly managed group of two to three per region.
CSS partners were cut back aggressively, moving from an inflated set of around twelve down to a controlled shortlist. Commission structures were aligned across markets, setting all CSS partners at a standardised 8% rate, bringing both clarity and equity to the channel. Voucher partners, who had been contributing to margin erosion, were shifted to 0% commission outside sale periods, ensuring they were only incentivised when strategically valuable. This approach also addressed a recurring issue where voucher sites were promoting incorrect or closed user group codes during non-sale periods, something the brand was keen to eliminate.
This clean-up was not simply about cutting volume, it reset the foundation for a more incremental and strategically aligned programme. By removing noise, the brand could finally see where true value lay.
The migration to Impact was one of the most pivotal moments in the programme transformation. For the first time, the brand gained full visibility into performance across partner types, commission payouts, customer behaviour and funnel contribution. Issues that had previously been invisible due to limited tracking suddenly came into focus.
With accurate data, Silverbean could confidently diagnose inefficiencies and design a roadmap grounded in evidence rather than assumptions. A bespoke ROAS reporting suite was developed, segmenting performance by publisher type to inform better governance and align decisions across teams.
Silverbean introduced a tiered ROAS governance structure with clear benchmarks by partner category. This shifted the programme away from blanket commissioning to a model that rewarded value-aligned behaviour and held partners accountable to commercial performance. The team also renegotiated or terminated long-term packages where necessary, ensuring that the programme invested only in partnerships that aligned with ROI expectations.
While lower-funnel efficiency was being addressed, an equally important goal was to strengthen upper-funnel growth. High-quality content partners, sneaker media, running publishers and influencer communities were prioritised for investment. These partners not only aligned closely with the brand’s audience but also contributed to long-term brand equity.
This shift allowed the programme to diversify away from discount-led activity and build a healthier funnel distribution. Reducing reliance on incentives without sacrificing conversion potential.
One notable insight emerged post-reset: reducing commission for voucher and CSS partners did not lead to a performance decline. Instead, many partners increased their effort to “prove” their value. Clicks, sales and conversion rates rose as partners optimised placements and invested more time into the brand. This reinforced the effectiveness of a strong governance framework and transparent performance expectations.
The transformation was not only successful, it was faster than anticipated. What was originally expected to take six months began delivering results almost immediately.
The programme delivered exceptional improvements across both efficiency and profitability, surpassing the brand’s expectations and proving the value of the newly restructured affiliate channel.
ROAS:
October ROAS: 12.21
Cost Efficiency:
Revenue & Sales:
Conversion & Average Order Value:
Partner Mix:
Wider Business Impact
Efficiency unlocks growth
Reducing commissions and partner volume can increase performance when incentives are aligned with value.
Data visibility is transformative
The migration to Impact revealed issues that had previously hindered strategic progress.
Quality beats quantity
Removing non-incremental partners strengthened conversion rates, ROAS and revenue, while also freeing up budget and improving data clarity. This allowed the team to reinvest with partners who drive genuine incrementality and proven performance, rather than losing spend to low-value activity.
Clarity drives collaboration
A defined governance framework encouraged partners to increase effort rather than reduce it.
A reset today enables innovation tomorrow
The success of the efficiency-led reset has created a strong foundation for future upper-funnel expansion and awards-worthy initiatives.
