Performance Partnerships: The Checkered Past, Changing Present and Exciting Future of Affiliate Marketing Hardcover – May 2, 2017

When I tell people I love performance / affiliate marketing, I typically get a strange response. It’s as if someone is thinking, “I thought he was an honest and smart guy, why would he work in that space?” The truth is, those that think that, just don’t get it. I love this space because what I know it CAN be. In fact, done right, today’s performance model couldn’t be farther from the fray that gave it a bad name during its “land-grab” days. Performance Marketing is the lens that we should view most relationships through. Those that understand the true potential of performance marketing are among the world’s best and most progressive marketers. Sounds self-serving, but it is not. Those that have survived the phases of the affiliate evolution have not done so by trial-and-error. They understand partnerships that create value require continuous reinvention. Partnerships succeed when each player’s contribution is clear and embraced.When I decided to run one of the largest online affiliate networks in retail and rehabilitate the internal credibility of its affiliate marketing channel, I sought out partners who saw the channel for would it could be. Bob Glazer was among my first phone calls. Why? Like any good counselor, he understands history. He has the context to add validity to why this performance-based world has fallen short of its potential and what it takes to make it so great. He also has the energy and the will to lead a needed revolution to make it better. With his gift of storytelling, Bob is well positioned to serve not only as the honest curator of the ecosystem’s history, but he may very well become the Press Secretary of it’s brave new future. Thanks to this book, we are on our way to move Performance Marketing from a narrowly defined “channel” to a model we embrace, trust and incorporate more broadly across a business.

I remember the first few times I read about "Thought Leaders", and I thought how they'd do much better to have been "Action Leaders" - Robert Glazer is an Action Leader. His choices, writing, roles, partnerships, allies, volunteering, transparency, ethical decisions, hiring, team and consensus building, causation studies, achievements and more - they involve DOING the right things, always. In Performance Partnerships, he again leads his peers and the industry towards the light, and he does so by example, by action. Ask him about his earned rewards and recognition, and I bet you within 60 seconds, you'll be discussing how to best grow YOUR business. He's got an insatiable appetite for growth, both personal and professional. In the biz analogy of swimming with the current, he IS the current - clear, transparent, and his directional energy is abundant and aimed properly, forward. Read the book, act like a true partner - be ethical and transparent, deliver and demand value, exchange fairly, and watch your business grow!

This book is fantastic and a must read for anyone who is managing an affiliate program, whether it be in-house, agency, network, or publisher side. The book provides an exciting and comprehensive overview of where this industry has been, the current state of the union and the direction it is moving in for the future. While the book is informative and full of information, it is engaging and easy to follow. I was surprised that it read more like a novel versus a book about marketing. I have walked away from it understanding the nuances of this industry, the history and most importantly it helped trigger some creative thinking around strategies I can explore for my clients based on Glazer's prediction of what's to come. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is just entering the field or is a seasoned marketer as I guarantee everyone will learn something new and applicable for their careers.

If you're looking for a primer on where Affiliate marketing has been and where it's going, buy this book. What I like most is it provides very specific recommendations and insights, that you'll feel you can make use of immediately.

Bob Glazer does a phenomenal job outlining the history and the future of affiliate marketing. The topic is not one that is taught in many college courses these days, yet it seems to be a very important piece in the current and future marketing industry. Any company can benefit from establishing healthy performance partnerships, and Bob Glazer provides some great insight into why it's important and how to get it done. He lays the foundation for any business leader to understand affiliate marketing on a high level, generating just enough interest and knowledge to understand how much it can revolutionize a company's marketing efforts. I highly recommend this book to any marketer who has been feeling stale in their positions, looking for the next big thing to take their efforts to the next level. Start here and improve. You'll thank yourself later! Job well done, Bob Glazer!

In this book Glazer spends a lot of time going over what has happened in the affiliate or performance marketing industry and where it is going in the future. The majority of merchants and retailers are still stuck in the past but the ones that have embraced the future, are more proactive in the management of their partner programs, and know how to properly view the affiliate channel are the ones who will succeed and be able to utilize all the benefits a healthy affiliate program can provide.Few people are as knowledgeable as Glazer is when it comes to the affiliate/performance marketing space. Bob not only has a great understanding of the channel but he can also take that knowledge and put it in to practice with his clients. If you are involved in the affiliate or performance marketing space you need to read this book.