In this week's episode of the Affiliate Marketing Podcast, host Lee-Ann Johnstone sits down with Lauren Garner, VP of Demand Generation and Partnerships at Ascent Funding, to explore the dramatic transformation of affiliate marketing over the past two decades. From her accidental entry into the industry at age 19 to managing multi-million dollar affiliate programs across multiple platforms, Lauren shares invaluable insights on scaling affiliate operations, the critical mindset shifts required for success, and why treating affiliates as customers rather than suppliers is fundamental to program growth. This conversation offers a masterclass in strategic program management for experienced affiliate marketers looking to elevate their approach and navigate the complexities of modern partnership marketing.
Talking points include:
- The mindset shift from treating affiliates as suppliers to customers
- Scaling affiliate programs strategically
- Multi-platform affiliate strategy
The Industry Evolution: From Transactional to Strategic Partnerships
Lauren's 20-year journey through affiliate marketing provides a unique lens into how the industry has fundamentally shifted from simple transactional relationships to sophisticated strategic partnerships. She highlights three major transformations that have reshaped the landscape: the explosion of platform choice, enhanced fraud protection capabilities, and unprecedented data transparency. Most significantly, she emphasises the move away from one-sided partnerships toward collaborative arrangements where both advertisers and publishers have “skin in the game” through mid-funnel metrics and qualified lead objectives. This evolution reflects a maturing industry that now supports billion-dollar programs requiring sophisticated management approaches, real-time data analysis, and mutual investment in success outcomes.
Scaling Strategies: Managing Growth from 300 to 3000+ Affiliates
The challenge of scaling affiliate programs from hundreds to thousands of partners requires more than just adding headcount—it demands a complete restructuring of management philosophy and operational systems. Lauren advocates for treating affiliates as customers rather than suppliers, implementing tiered management structures that match affiliate potential with appropriate resource allocation. Her approach includes creating “incubator” programs for emerging affiliates, assigning experienced managers to top-tier partners, and empowering junior team members with smaller affiliate portfolios to develop their skills. Crucially, she emphasises the importance of pruning inactive affiliates, noting that publishers driving zero engagement over 24 months represent both resource drain and compliance risk, particularly in regulated industries.
Multi-Platform Strategy: When and Why to Diversify Your Affiliate Infrastructure
Lauren's contrarian approach to using multiple affiliate platforms simultaneously challenges conventional wisdom about program management simplicity. Her strategy centres on cost-effectiveness and capability gaps—when top partners generate millions in revenue, platform fees of 3-5% become prohibitively expensive, making in-house management more viable. She advocates for a phased approach: starting with a single platform to prove concept, identifying specific limitations or gaps, then strategically adding complementary platforms that address those shortcomings. This might include platforms specialising in publisher volume, others offering superior analytics and customisation, or those providing better account management support. The key is avoiding platform proliferation for its own sake and instead focusing on specific business objectives and cost-benefit analysis.
Listen to find out more about:
- Why Lauren manages her top affiliates in-house
- The “incubator” strategy for emerging affiliates
- Lauren's competitive bonus hack – creating “Hunger Games” style competitions between top partners to drive performance without increasing commission rates
Key segments of this podcast and where you can tune in to go direct:
[06:30] The three major industry transformations: platform proliferation, fraud protection, and data transparency.
[30:50] The importance of failure, rapid iteration, and creating a culture of learning
[32:26] Rapid-fire insights on mobile-first approaches, AI tools, and performance incentives.
Our thanks go to Everflow as this season’s sponsor. Would you like to talk about sponsoring our podcast, or gaining a brand mention? Take a look, here.
ELEVATE 2025: Time is running out to join the revolution!
Join us in London on July 15 and 16 for two days of pure performance marketing acceleration.
Check out the agenda, get your ticket AND get your entries in for the BRAND NEW AFFIVERSE RAV AWARDS here.
Miss it and miss out!
#AffiliateWINS: Your Victory Lap Starts Now!
Join the #AffiliateWINS movement! Share your affiliate marketing triumphs and success stories on social media to help spread positivity throughout the industry.
Time to flip the script: less calling out, more calling UP. Let's make #AffiliateWINS the hashtag that dominates feeds everywhere!
Ready to brag? Share success stories like these:
- “Just closed our best Q1 ever with the partner who's been in it with us since day one. Loyalty pays dividends. #AffiliateWINS”
- “Our affiliate just turned a shoestring budget into 5x ROAS using nothing but authentic UGC and love. Small spend, massive returns. #AffiliateWINS”
- “Here's to the quiet achievers, steadily driving volume without the spotlight. You're the backbone of this industry. #AffiliateWINS”
Each week on the Affiliate Marketing Podcast, we're showcasing why affiliate isn't just a moment—it's EVERY moment in your business. Share your #AffiliateWINS as we unveil an incredible lineup of guests and features, brought to you by our season sponsors at Everflow.io.
Use the hashtag to shout-out your wins and positivity on social channels or contact us directly with your stories.
Get Your Questions Answered by Lee-Ann!
Use this form to submit a question to Lee-Ann and get it answered on the Affiliate Marketing Podcast.
Want to learn more about elevating your affiliate program? Subscribe to the Affiliate Marketing Podcast for weekly insights from industry leaders.
Rate, Review & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
“I love Affiverse’s Affiliate Marketing Podcast.” <– If that sounds like you, please give us a 5 Star rating here! Taking the time to do that, helps us support more people in our community to access digital and affiliate marketing insights, expert lead learnings and allows us to share the latest online marketing tactics that help Affiliate programs and businesses to grow.
Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.”
Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to our weekly newsletter and never miss out on FREE insights and training.
Advertise on our Podcast!
Gain EXPOSURE and Get RESULTS by advertising on the Affiliate Marketing Podcast!
For affiliate managers, podcast ads can be more than just another ad. They are a conversation. When a podcast host talks about a product or service, it feels more like a recommendation from a friend than a traditional advertisement. This level of trust and authenticity is hard to find elsewhere.
