Savoo: Affiliate publishers in conversation

In the ever-evolving landscape of consumer preferences, staying ahead of the curve is not just a goal but a necessity for brands striving to create meaningful connections. At the heart of this effort is the ability to predict and adapt to the dynamic ways in which consumers want to interact with the brands they choose to support. 

In this blog post, we discussed with Bianca Mitchell, Charity Partnerships Director, at Savoo, a voucher code and deal website that provides users with discount codes, deals, and special offers for various online retailers. We talked about the strategies and insights that have driven their progress in this effort.
Join us as we explore the fascinating realm of consumer interaction, where anticipation meets innovation. Are you ready to unlock the secrets behind consumer engagement? Let's dive in. 

Bianca Mitchell,

Charity Partnerships Director at Savoo

CJ: In a word, how has your year been so far?

Savoo: “Relevant”! In the current business landscape, Savoo is in an exceedingly important position. As a result of the escalating cost of living, we have seen an increase in charities applying for affiliation with Savoo. Equally, with consumers now seeking comprehensive and effective ways to economise, Savoo is an even more valuable partner for brands wishing to navigate the prevailing economic situation. 

Having fine-tuned our charitable model for years, 2023 has been an exciting year for us to put out more ambitious campaigns than ever. We’ve enjoyed onboarding the influx of new charities, and have spent time seeking out new ways in which we can offer brands the chance to get involved. 

To round up the year, we look forward to evolving the user experience of our platform, expanding our charitable partnerships, and delivering more practicable methods for our users to ensure their money goes further.

CJ: What are the biggest challenges merchants currently face?

Savoo: Merchants face numerous obstacles in gaining and retaining customers in today's competitive industry. One of the most important challenges is how the digital realm has increased business difficulty. E-commerce platforms have become the go-to destination for many consumers as online purchasing has risen dramatically. As a result, retailers must think of new ways to differentiate themselves from the competition and catch the attention of their target audience. They must develop compelling value propositions beyond simple discounts, emphasising unique selling factors, exceptional customer service, and unique products.

Not only that, but growing consumer awareness is also another challenge, especially when it comes to obtaining the best offers and discounts. Shoppers have become incredibly proficient at locating the most appealing prices, thanks to an abundance of discount code and price comparison websites. Customers now demand and even expect these cost-saving options, putting ongoing pressure on merchants to offer discounts on their items.

While discounts can be a successful sales incentive approach, they also present a delicate balancing act for businesses. The risk of undermining their brand by consistently being connected with low costs is prevalent. Excessive reliance on discounts may generate the impression that the products offered by the brand are not worth their original price, resulting in a loss of perceived value and brand equity. Finding the correct balance between offering periodic discounts to stimulate sales and keeping the brand's premium image is an intricate problem that they must approach with caution.

CJ: How do you best support advertisers in a time like this?

Savoo: Research carried out by PR Firm Wriglesworth Research tells us that consumers are more likely to purchase products or services from a brand that donates money to charity (47%), and 82% said their decision when choosing between two brands would be swayed by a brand’s charitable activity.

In the past year, we’ve experienced a massive increase in the number of brands and charities who wish to take part in our affiliate fundraising campaigns! The uptake can be explained by the promotional benefits to both the brand and charity; brands increasingly recognise the value of informing consumers about their CSR activities. Through Savoo, any brand has a simple way to create a partnership with a relevant charity, promote its charitable brand values, and develop its CSR strategy.

A big success story and example of how our charity campaigns are a helpful strategy for merchants was the Valentine's Day 2022 campaign, in which we got ten brands involved in support of Heart Research UK for Heart Month. Our long-term brand partners Curvy Kate, Brastop and Secret Sales were amongst those involved, alongside some brands previously new to Savoo’s charity campaigns. 

By sharing detailed outcomes after the campaign has finished, advertisers can use our campaign reports to gain real insight into the performance of their deals, and how successfully their messaging resonated with consumers. 

CJ: Why is a performance partner helpful in a time like this?

Savoo: Working with a performance partner like CJ allows us to make strategic plans for upcoming quarters. Information from performance partners about market potential helps us get ahead of trends and identify untapped potential within our directory of brands and charities! By holding catch-ups about emerging verticals, we can better incorporate relevant campaigns into our calendar, creating helpful and relevant ways that the consumer and brand can benefit throughout the year.

CJ: Has consumer shopping behaviour made you pivot your mission and vision?

Savoo: We’ve worked hard to get ahead of the game when it comes to predicting the way consumers wish to interact with the brands they patronise. 
Conscious consumerism and sustainability are two areas that we at Savoo have long understood to be contributing factors to a brand’s marketing appeal. The customer’s desire for a brand to align with their beliefs is even more pertinent in 2023 than when we incorporated our charity model in 2015. Having run campaigns with multiple partners over this time, these are the themes we see re-occur in piquing consumer engagement! It’s been wonderful being able to really get ahead of this trend, so now that consumers are demanding more transparent CSR from brands than ever, we have a comprehensive package to offer our merchants: a package that is tried and tested with provable results!

CJ: Can you tell us about a campaign that you’ve run recently that you’re proud of?

Savoo:  An ongoing sustainability campaign we have run at Savoo has been with The Body Shop and the charity, Rainforest Trust. We were delighted with the success of the campaign which saw a sales increase of 860% for The Body Shop, and ultimately helped Rainforest Trust save 240 acres of rainforest. 

This was of added promotional benefit as it ran during Earth Day 2022: with assistance from Savoo, both brand and charity got involved in the worldwide movement that is recognised by 1 billion people worldwide (per EarthDay.org) and has over 7 million tags on Instagram. This campaign ran again this year in 2023 due to its success!

Alongside the success for our brand partners, we’re proud to offer market-leading codes to give consumers even more value: making their money travel further than ever before in the current economic climate.

CJ: What makes your business unique?

Savoo: We consider ourselves very fortunate to be the only voucher code site that can offer brands a charitable campaign model. Refined over eight years, incorporating a charity partner has proven to have an undeniable benefit to campaigns in terms of uptake, while also giving brands a new item to add to their CSR portfolio. 

By connecting a merchant with a relevant and engaged charity for an awareness campaign, Savoo can have a unique impact on long-term brand perception by targeting customers’ desire for a more conscious and sustainable consumer market.

Thanks, Bianca!

Learn more about Savoo

Savoo is a money-saving site with a fundraising twist. It allows users to get discounts on their online shop while meeting modern shoppers’ need for feel-good spending and ethical consumption.