Publishers and Brands View Commerce Content as a Key Revenue Driver

Two new reports from impact.com show brands with at least 20 content publisher partners are 2X as likely to see increased revenue and publishers expect revenue from commerce content to grow by more than 50%

impact.com, the leading global partnership management platform supporting over 480K active partnerships for more than 1,800 clients, today released two new research reports that reveal key drivers for commerce content and the massive revenue opportunity it presents for digital publishers and brands. Commerce content, published by independent media organisations, allows readers to understand the goods and services promoted by an editorial team.

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“Driven by evolving consumer preferences, coupled with the diminishing measurability and trackability of ad success, commerce content is commanding a larger share of marketers’ budget,” said impact.com CEO, David A. Yovanno. “This, in turn, opens up unprecedented revenue growth opportunities for digital publishers.”

Meanwhile, the survey that examined how brands are faring in the commerce content landscape, was conducted by impact.com with their own customers in August 2021. In particular, the survey showed that 65% of brands said commerce content was an important strategy this year and 40% expect to increase budget in this channel.

Commerce Content’s Benefit to Publishers
impact.com conducted a survey of 200 publisher executives from around the world in partnership with FORTUNE Brand Studio in June and July of 2021. The report, “Commerce content providers and the new digital paradigm,” found that 57% of respondents expect revenue from commerce content to grow by at least 25% each year and one-quarter of them expect an annual growth rate of more than 50%.

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Nearly eight out of 10 respondents believe that commerce content will contribute to a larger portion of their publishing revenue in the future and 90% expect online
direct-to-consumer sales to grow. They are already seeing solid ROI from their content programs, with 45% of the respondents citing higher total revenue, 41% seeing improved cash flow and 34% having realized increased profit margins.

“Over the past three years, Meredith has seen more than 100% year-over-year growth in affiliate revenue [thanks to commerce content],” said Chloe Reznikov, General Manager of Commerce Content and Strategy at Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP), the leading media

conglomerate and owner of 40+ iconic brands including PEOPLE, Better Homes & Gardens, Allrecipes, Southern Living, REAL SIMPLE and Magnolia Journal. “During the 2020 Christmas season, Meredith drove $35 million in Prime Day sales and $36 million in Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales via our commerce content program.”

In addition to revenue gains:

• 45% of digital publishers say that it makes their own brands more recognisable to the public;
• 40% say that their digital content keeps their audiences more engaged and 36% believe that it expands their audiences;
• And more than one-third of respondents say that these relationships have improved because they provide links or offer incentives for directing readers to the brands’

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