In this Q&A, we sat down with snowwhistle founder Matthew Lloyd to explore how snowwhistle emerged from a chance conversation to become a boutique agency redefining affiliate marketing.
Discover Matthew's approach to brand partnerships, industry insights, and how Commission Factory's tools and support help drive success in affiliate program growth.
Q: What inspired you to start snowwhistle? Was there a specific gap in the market you aimed to fill?
Matthew: "It was circumstances, really. Several years back I was sitting in Singapore Airport with a publisher after an affiliate event. When they asked and even suggested, had I thought of consulting, or setting up my own agency. I was at Catch, times were great, and it didn’t cross my mind. But it did plant a seed, that just didn’t go away. I’ve been looking for some time to be able to share my wealth of affiliate marketing knowledge. But the timing never seemed right. Until last year. It was coming up to my 30th wedding anniversary. My wife agreed that it was the perfect time to do something different. So, snowwhistle was born."
Q: When working with a brand, what factors make collaboration smoother and more effective for you?
Matthew: "I come from the brand and affiliate side, with the likes of Catch, Coles, and money.co.uk. So, I fully understand the internal marketing issues teams face, having been in those situations. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with some great leaders and learned that honesty, fairness, openness, and constant communication are key. And I do like to talk…Anyone who knows me in the affiliate industry will let you know that is how I work."
Q: What qualities do you look for in an ideal strategic partnership? How does your service help brands that partner with you maximise their success in the affiliate channel?
Matthew: "Qualities - A brand that wants to embrace change and/or understand the affiliate space. Make it a part of their marketing mix. Not just a tag on their media spend and/or Google spend.
Success - Affiliate marketing isn’t just about performance, it is always about opening opportunities for brands to explore, test, learn, and grow their digital presence. It is about pushing the boundaries, the frontier for a brand."
Q: How has Commission Factory’s platform, tools, and Account Management support contributed to snowwhistle’s growth in the affiliate space?
Matthew: "What sets Commission Factory apart, is their Publisher Development team. They are an integral part of that opening up of opportunities. Their knowledge of the affiliate space and how the appropriate affiliate may or may not help your strategy. To me, that is liquid gold. Publishers are the keystone to any programme. At the end of the day, if you don’t have the correct publishers on your programme, it isn’t going to overly benefit your brand"
Q: What are the biggest challenges currently facing agencies and affiliate marketers? What strategies or solutions would you recommend to overcome these challenges?
Matthew: "Agencies and affiliate marketers face several challenges, including managing diverse publishers, navigating AI and Google dynamics, and addressing attribution and reporting complexities.
AI can free up time but falls short in tasks like affiliate recruitment, where human oversight is crucial. Affiliate managers act as brand gatekeepers, and soft skills remain essential for building strong publisher relationships.
Google poses hurdles with rising CPCs for starters. Then there are the Google issues like ad-blocking affecting their efficiency and relevancy, plus the shifting of user behaviours like Gen Z’s move away from the platform. Convincing Marketing and Finance teams to shift budgets from Google to affiliates requires highlighting the unique, diverse opportunities affiliates provide—beyond the rigid metrics of search advertising.
My solutions for the above would be...
- Education and Adaptation: Educate stakeholders on the benefits of affiliate marketing, emphasising its ecosystem of multiple channels compared to Google's single-channel approach. Diversify the marketing mix and embrace emerging AI-driven channels within the affiliate landscape.
- Transparency and Attribution: Tools like Moonpull and Cross-Channel Attribution reporting at Commission Factory enable advertisers to better understand affiliate contributions as the industry moves beyond last-click models."
Q: Affiliate marketing is constantly evolving. What major trends or shifts do you see shaping the industry in the coming years?
Matthew: "AI, of course. But where and how this will play out in the affiliate space is not yet clear. Will it be more for management or marketing? For example, I saw recently on Instagram a content creator/influencer that was AI generated (I had to triple check), with a high number of followers. Working this out this year, how to use it or not, is going to be a really interesting opportunity.
Influencers – they are starting to come to the fore in the affiliate space particularly platforms that are faster, hungrier, and more eager than traditional platforms in the market. This excites me. I’m not sure how much effect AI will have on this space. It could decimate some Influencer verticals, particularly on Instagram and TikTok. Either way, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
The unknown – as you say affiliates are always evolving. Bing has CSS (Comparison Shopping Service) in Australia, and that can generate some great results. It would be great if Google did the same as they have in Europe. The difference here instead of the Merchant paying Google upfront. The publisher takes the risk and generally does not use your brand.
It would open up the space, particularly with the focus on generic terms and not the brand. Then what will AI bring to the space?
I love to believe that someone will come up with something completely different and this could be the year. It could be, for example, onsite customer service there is a massive opportunity, particularly in fashion, where brands may not have internal teams to support such solutions but affiliates can step into this space. And this would be like customer service that is just like walking into a quality shop."
Q: Looking ahead, what’s next for snowwhistle? Are there any exciting developments on the horizon?
Matthew: "We are a young agency so everything is exciting. Although, a wise old head on a new bionic body. It’s not a case of developing something new but doing something that already exists but better (with a constant eye on the landscape). I learned that at Catch and money.co.uk. So, what excites me is offering a truly bespoke and boutique affiliate service for brands that are hungry to learn, want to grow, and move their affiliate programme forward."
Q: Lastly, if you could share one key piece of advice for brands or publishers looking to maximise their success in affiliate marketing, what would it be?
Matthew: "Talk to me! Joking aside.
Have an open mind to the opportunities that affiliate marketing will bring to your marketing mix. If you are a brand.
For publishers be quick in your communications. It will set you apart.
Bonus point for anyone wanting to use affiliate/performance marketing - I’m a great believer in the written word. So, read as much as you can about affiliates, particularly newsletters. Get involved. LinkedIn can be a good source. I do post on LinkedIn, but I try to make it relevant to everyday, not just business."
About snowwhistle
snowwhistle is a fully independent digital performance and partnerships consultancy with 25 years of experience in digital and performance marketing. They bring a holistic understanding of digital performance and expertise in affiliate marketing to drive exceptional results for their clients.
You can contact Matthew from snowwhistle at matthew@snowwhistle.com today, or check out their website to discover how they can elevate your business to new heights.
About Commission Factory
Commission Factory is a leading affiliate marketing network, offering tailored digital growth solutions for brands looking to scale through performance-based affiliate partnerships. Leveraging advanced technology, a market-leading advertiser database and extensive network of publishers, Commission Factory helps businesses expand their digital reach and drive results across all key performance metrics.
Connect with the Commission Factory team to learn more about how we help brands and partners build and grow their affiliate marketing strategies.