[Case Study] Refurb.io Grows Program by 1189% with Rakuten Affiliate

[Case Study] Refurb.io Grows Program by 1189% with Rakuten Affiliate

Source - http://marketing.rakuten.com/refurbio

ABOUT REFURB.IO

Refurb.io aims to make powerful electronics that are designed to provide consumers with high performance and dependable reliability without compromising affordability. Their budget-friendly computers are the ideal choice for anyone that requires top brand computers without having to pay top dollars.

They carry their Microsoft Authorized Gold Certified Partner and Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher badges of honor proudly. They also pride themselves on being ISO 9001 Certified.  Refurb.io’s above and beyond industry standard FREE One Year Warranty* not only reflects their confidence in their work and the dependability and reliability of the products they make to their customers, but also guarantees their commitment to providing superior customer care.

MARKETING OBJECTIVES

Refurb.io began their affiliate journey with the following goals in mind: create buzz, and convert consumer traffic that typically looked to larger, more established brands for refurbished electronics. To be competitive, they knew they’d have to tap into a large volume of US and Canadian Publishers in the Rakuten Affiliate Network, to establish a big reach in a short amount of time. Utilizing commission based marketing allowed Refurb.io to grow, largely without the need for bloated marketing budgets and uncertain results. Maintaining agility through CPA was extremely important for a business measured on ROI; money saved can in turn be recycled back into their marketing strategy.

STRATEGY

Attending Symposium New York proved to be a game changer for Refurb.io. The goal of attending the event was to network and solidify a few very key partnerships, but they left with so much more. Through Symposium New York, Refurb.io was able to meet with some of their, now, most profitable partners. 

"We came out of Symposium New York with new energy and a new plan to accelerate not just this channel, but our entire business." - Matt Porowski, Marketing Manager, Refurb.io 

After Symposium New York, Refurb.io revised their strategy to focus on Rakuten Affiliate Network events and began taking part in any initiatives that would get them face time with publishers and visibility in the network.

SUCCESS

As a new online exclusive retailer, Refurb.io was challenged by their ownership in both acquiring traffic and setting aggressive sales goals month to month.

Rakuten Affiliate Network helped Refurb.io to surpass those goals, with initial growth at 130-150% month over month. In their breakout month, 4 months in, their program grew 1187.9% with their affiliate channel pushing 68% of that total volume. They are forecasting that Rakuten Affiliate Network will contribute between 40-50% of their total revenue in 2015. Refurb.io currently has over 150 affiliates promoting their brand, over 1,200 applied to their program and a handful of key partners that they engage with on a regular basis.

FUTURE PLANS

Refurb.io plans to continue building awareness and reaching a more diverse set of demographics in the Canadian market. They will also be expanding their brand selection in the near future.