The Awin Gold Standard has been developed to identify advertisers that run a best-in-class affiliate program based on a defined set of criteria.
As well as providing transparency to publishers, the Awin Gold Standard is designed to encourage positive changes within the space, such as faster payments and robust tracking setups. Especially in these uncertain times, Awin has always strived to provide transparency and protection for its publisher base.
We are thrilled to have introduced the Gold Standard to all 16,500 of our advertisers across the globe. This provides an aspirational benchmark for advertisers to strive towards while also providing transparency for publishers on the areas they value the most.
The Awin Gold Standard consists of five set criteria that advertisers need to adhere to in order to become accredited. These criteria are designed to provide the best possible experience for publishers, and for advertisers to offer a complete affiliate program for their partners.
The criteria include:
- Accelerated Payments
The Advertiser program must offer Accelerated Payments and be on Awin's Green Payment Status. This means that approved commissions will be paid to publishers directly with their next payment. - Optimal Tracking
The advertiser must use Awin’s optimal tracking solution to protect against browser privacy restrictions. - Fair Commission Structure
The advertiser must award commissions for all legitimate, confirmed transactions. This means there should be no zero value commission groups, products, or customer categories. - Transparent De-duplication
The advertiser’s de-duping policy must adhere to the Awin best practice guidelines and they must publish the details on their profile for full transparency.
Once advertisers adhere to the above criteria they will be eligible to apply for the Awin Gold Standard and be awarded with a badge that will signal their accreditation within the user interface. All Awin Gold standard advertisers will be clearly visible, giving publishers the transparency they need in order to work with their chosen affiliate program.
What are the benefits?
- Increased publisher applications
Publishers will easily be able to identify Gold Standard programs by the golden badges shown in the advertiser directory. - Competitive advantage
The Gold Standard criteria is designed to provide the best possible experience for publishers; new and existing publishers will be more inclined to promote and prioritize Gold Standard advertisers. - Tracking security
Awin’s optimal tracking solution protects against browser privacy restrictions and future proofs your affiliate program against upcoming industry changes, ensuring all sales are accurately tracked.
"The Awin Gold Standard cements our belief that transparency, comprehensive tracking, fair compensation as well as accelerated payments are cornerstones for mutual partner success. It is exciting to see Awin consistently raising the bar to motivate channel investment yielding measurable results for publishers and advertisers alike. This achievement for advertisers is just the first step in improving standards by working with brands to make necessary program changes and by giving publishers the visibility into the things that matter,” says Alexandra Forsch, President Awin US
For more information and a first glance of the advertisers that are Gold Standard certified, take a look here.
To apply for the Gold Standard or learn more about the accreditation, please contact us here.
