Incubeta NMPi: Affiliate Publishers in Conversation

CJ catches up with Incubeta NMPi's Partnerships Manager, Callum Kennelly, to talk minimising risk via the performance channel, harnessing data and insight for greater return, and employing brand purpose for market differentiation.

How has Incubeta NMPi been able to support advertisers through a time like this?

Because our heritage is rooted in performance marketing we can enable a brand to enter the world of paid media whilst alleviating risk. Our core channels, CSS, paid search, programmatic display and paid social are a necessity for any brand when it comes to growth and revenue and we’re able to support in a risk free way.

Our performance model means that we cover the cost of digital campaigns and only receive payment in the form of commission when we meet a brand's KPIs. By only receiving payment when we deliver results, we’re truly incentivised to fully immerse ourselves in a brand's campaigns and drive success for everyone involved.

It’s evident that the performance model has been even more important to advertisers in the past year as it has given brands the opportunity to stay live and to drive revenues with a guaranteed return on the partnership.

How has greater access to data and insight changed performance marketing?

When we get access to more data and insights, it allows us to increase bid granularity and push performance in the key areas of success for clients.

Additionally, it enables us to see areas of potential improvement. For instance, over specific sale periods we can monitor product performance, then translate this back to the client to inform future campaigns and budget spend. This in turn, allows us to drive a more successful performance uplift and be more intricate as an agency.

In summary, the more access we get to data and insights the more we can optimise our approach and increase performance for our clients.

Why is a brand purpose such a big deal right now?

As consumer buying habits shifted throughout 2020 to reflect a more digital mindset, our approach to the 'what, why and where' of shopping also changed.

It’s obvious to see that customers are becoming more conscious of what they buy and who they buy from, and it’s no longer enough to just have a good brand image - people want to understand how a brand is giving back and why they should buy from you. Over the last 12 months it’s become more clear that customers are willing to pay more for the right brand, not just the right product.

If you’re able to use your paid and organic channels to promote your purpose, as well as your products, it will unconsciously tap into the mindset of the conscious shoppers - providing reasons other than necessity to buy, and to keep on buying from an advertiser.

What are you most proud of at Incubeta NMPi?

Within my role in the partnerships team, I’m really proud of the way we’ve adapted during the past year throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. It hasn’t been easy going from office life to working from our bedrooms, but we’ve done a great job at keeping each other motivated and making the most out of the situations we’ve found ourselves in.

Away from my role on the partnerships team, I've been fortunate enough to be involved in the Mental Well-Being Committee which is one of many committees we have at the company. For me having, and being part of, the Mental Well-Being Committee makes me very proud to work here - we put our people first and given the year we’ve all had it’s good to know that I work within an organisation that cares.

If you were able to, what would you tell your younger-self, about to start your career?

I’m still relatively new to the affiliate space, in comparison to the rest of my team, but with over two years under my belt this question has given me reason to reflect on that and what I would do differently.

I think the main thing I would tell my younger self is to step out of your comfort zone. It's so easy to fall back on the things you know especially with remote working but that’s not how you learn and grow. Keep on questioning everything and involve yourself in things that may not have a specific purpose but could in fact open the doors to many avenues.

I’d also tell myself to make more use of CJ’s Taco Tuesdays if I'd known how long we’d be working from home for. I do look forward to doing so in the hopefully not-too-distant future!