This document outlines the journey of growing an affiliate program into strategic partnerships. It discusses evolving affiliates, which focus on transactions, into partnerships by improving people, processes, and technology. Specifically, it recommends focusing on internal marketing, understanding partners' needs, building an ecosystem of relevant partners, and automating tracking and reporting. The growth journey involves initially setting up an affiliate program, then growing successful partnerships, and eventually hiring a director or officer of partnerships to manage the program. The goal is to move beyond sales and marketing transactions to a model with a multiplier effect on branding, reach and revenue.

1. From Affiliates to
Partnership
a career growth journey for marketers
David Zhao • Affiliate Summit APAC 2019

2. The Growth Story

3. 2009
50 - 100 Listings
101 - 300 Listings
301 - 1000 Listings
1001+ Listings

4. 2010
50 - 100 Listings
101 - 300 Listings
301 - 1000 Listings
1001+ Listings

5. 2011
50 - 100 Listings
101 - 300 Listings
301 - 1000 Listings
1001+ Listings

6. 2012
50 - 100 Listings
101 - 300 Listings
301 - 1000 Listings
1001+ Listings

7. 2013
50 - 100 Listings
101 - 300 Listings
301 - 1000 Listings
1001+ Listings

8. 2014
50 - 100 Listings
101 - 300 Listings
301 - 1000 Listings
1001+ Listings

9. 2015
50 - 100 Listings
101 - 300 Listings
301 - 1000 Listings
1001+ Listings

10. 2016
50 - 100 Listings
101 - 300 Listings
301 - 1000 Listings
1001+ Listings

11. 2017
50 - 100 Listings
101 - 300 Listings
301 - 1000 Listings
1001+ Listings

12. 2018
50 - 100 Listings
101 - 300 Listings
301 - 1000 Listings
1001+ Listings

13. 6 Million+
TOTAL HOMES ON AIRBNB

14. 81K
CITIES
191+
COUNTRIES

15. Airbnb’s affiliates
program

16. What are the
limitations of
affiliates?
● Very transactional - low maintenance
● “The ceiling of growth” - 80/20 principle
● Transparency & incrementality

17. What’s next?

18. From Affiliates to Partnership

19. 1. People
2. Process
3.
Technology
4. World
3 things to evolve from Affiliates to Partnership

20. 1. People
“Think like a business”
Value Proposition Internal Marketing
Plan
● A new way of
growth beyond
sales & marketing
● “Multiplier effect”
for branding, reach
and revenue
● Awareness
campaigns to your
stakeholders
● Encourage
“consideration &
trial” by showing
successful cases
Success Metric
Get integrated
into stakeholders’
strategic planning
process

22. 1. People
2. Process
“How to find the right partners”
Partner Pipelines Partner Empathy
● Starting from your
business
ecosystem
● Find the right
partners in the right
verticals and build
the partnership in
the right way
● Understand your
partner's’ success
metrics &
constraints
● Investment for
long term
relationship
The Value of
Relevancy
Make sure the
partnership is
relevant to both of
the business and
the customers

23. Home
Utilities
providers
Financial
services
providers
Operation
support
Amenities
providers
Airbnb
Hosts
Airbnb host service
ecosystem

25. 1. People
2. Process
3. Technology
“Automation is the key”
Tracking Reporting Payout process

26. 1. People
2. Process
3. Technology

27. The growth journey from Affiliates to Partnership
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4
Set up your affiliate
program and get
the basics right

28. The growth journey from Affiliates to Partnership
Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4
Set up your affiliate
program and get
the basics right
● People
● Process
● Technology
Stage 1

29. The growth journey from Affiliates to Partnership
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4
Set up your affiliate
program and get
the basics right
● People
● Process
● Technology
Grow the business
through successful
partnerships

30. The growth journey from Affiliates to Partnership
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4
Set up your affiliate
program and get
the basics right
● People
● Process
● Technology
Grow the business
through successful
partnerships
“Director of
Partnership”
or
“Chief Partnership
Officer”

31. From Affiliates to
Partnership
a career growth journey for marketers