Revenue uplift against target
Increase in orders YoY
Despite success in other global markets, Sage Appliance’s European affiliate program was heavily reliant on voucher partners – a tried and tested partner type that tends to dominate the lower funnel. While this delivered volume, it left limited room for innovation, diversification and stronger brand positioning through the affiliate channel.
Sage challenged Silverbean to disrupt this affiliate mix and drive sustainable, high-quality growth across key EU territories. The objectives were clear:
The added complexity of launching new strategies in voucher-heavy markets like Germany and France required a bold, performance-led strategy with a long-term approach.
Silverbean developed and delivered a multi-layered solution, centred around the activation and optimization of Comparison Shopping Services (CSS) partners – a relatively untapped opportunity within Sage’s EU affiliate strategy.
Silverbean identified CSS as a strategic channel to diversify the program beyond traditional voucher and cashback partners. Two CSS partners were brought into focus:
Both partners offered strong presence across EU Shopping results, and the potential to drive qualified traffic at scale. CSS partners were selected based on their ability to:
The Silverbean team wasted no time. They began onboarding, negotiating of commercial terms, and overall the integration of both partners into the program – including ensuring tracking readiness and feed compatibility.
The success of any CSS campaign relies heavily on the quality of the product feed. Silverbean first engaged with the priority CSS partners to gauge their feedback on what could be added and what needed amending. The team then worked closely with Sage’s internal teams to audit, restructure, and optimize their Google Shopping feed, ensuring both partners had everything they needed to run effective campaigns.
Key optimizations included:
This groundwork enabled CSS partners to surface Sage’s listings accurately and competitively, improving visibility across Shopping ads.
During a promotional period where Sage Appliances ran a 25% discount campaign, Silverbean advised activating Google Merchant Promotions via CSS partner 1. This allowed promotional messaging to be shown directly on Shopping listings – ensuring Sage stood out against competitors and resellers.
To ensure the success of this optimization, the team:
This tactic helped to elevate the brand’s presence in Shopping results during a high-intent window, resulting in a substantial uplift in clicks, conversions and revenue.
To ensure the channel remained profitable, the Silverbean team tested various CPA levels for each CSS partner – both during and outside of promotional periods. These rates were tiered by product category and adjusted based on:
CSS partner 1, for example, was allocated a temporarily increased CPA during key campaigns to support additional media investment and maximize Shopping real estate.
The team also worked closely with the CSS partners to:
The team also carried out post-campaign analysis to assess long-term lift in traffic and brand engagement – ensuring each campaign left a lasting impact beyond short-term gains.
Sage’s EU affiliate program achieved outstanding growth in 2024, far surpassing expectations. Silverbean’s strategic activation of CSS partners – combined with feed optimization, tactical promotions, and ongoing management – played a pivotal role in delivering these results.
Overall EU Program Performance (2023 vs. 2024):
The program experienced a significant uplift in both revenue and order volume year-over-year, reflecting the effectiveness of a more diversified partner mix and stronger upper-funnel support.
CSS Partner Performance:
The addition of CSS partner 1 and the optimization of existing CSS partner 2 unlocked a high-value, high-conversion channel that drove impressive order volumes and positioned CSS as a top-performing partner type in the program.
CSS partner 1 (new partner)
CSS partner 2 (re-engaged and optimized partner)
Impact of 25% Promotional Activity via CSS:
Silverbean’s strategic use of Google Merchant Promotions during a 25% discount campaign delivered standout results, driving performance spikes across key metrics within a concentrated window of activity.
Target-Beating Revenue Performance:
Sage’s ambitious 2024 revenue target was exceeded by a wide margin – a testament to the channel’s ability to scale profitably with the right strategic support.
Significant Growth Across EU Markets:
The impact of Silverbean’s strategy was felt across every key European market, with YoY revenue increases highlighting both the scalability and regional relevance of the CSS approach.
Sage’s success in diversifying its affiliate program across Europe proves the value of a strategic partner who isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo. By introducing new partner types like CSS, optimizing at every stage and making data-led decisions around promotional tactics, Silverbean helped unlock significant incremental revenue in a historically voucher-heavy market.
Matt Holland, Sage Appliances
