Affiliate Marketing Consumer Attitudes 2024

Creators Are Dragging Affiliate Into New Territory

Report by Max Willens  | UPDATED: Jul 22, 2024
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
A word on the high-level changes affecting affiliate marketing
More than half of US consumers are aware of affiliate marketing
Consumers run into affiliate marketing in many places
There are significant generational differences in how affiliate ads and content are noticed
Affiliate content is at parity with other ad formats in consumers’ eyes
Affiliate content is about as trustworthy as most other kinds of advertising
Affiliate content is about as influential as most other kinds of advertising
Consumers see creators as more influential on social
What it all means
Methodology
EMARKETER Interviews
Media Gallery
About This Report
Our survey found that consumers have a broadly favorable view of affiliate marketing. However, there are significant differences in how each generation encounters and considers affiliate ads.
Topics
Consumer Behavior
Social Commerce
Digital Advertising
US
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
A word on the high-level changes affecting affiliate marketing
More than half of US consumers are aware of affiliate marketing
Consumers run into affiliate marketing in many places
There are significant generational differences in how affiliate ads and content are noticed
Affiliate content is at parity with other ad formats in consumers’ eyes
Affiliate content is about as trustworthy as most other kinds of advertising
Affiliate content is about as influential as most other kinds of advertising
Consumers see creators as more influential on social
What it all means
Methodology
EMARKETER Interviews
Media Gallery

Despite its uncomplicated value proposition, affiliate marketing is in a constant state of reinvention. Our survey of 1,378 US consumers about their attitudes toward advertising and privacy identified a number of trends that could shift the balance of power in affiliate.

Key Question: How do consumers encounter and view affiliate content, and how do they feel about it?

Different Generations Encounter Affiliate Content in Different Places (% of US consumers who encounter affiliate ads online, by category/channel, May 2024)
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Key Stat: Less than half of millennials (45.3%) and less than half of Gen Zers (46.6%) said they have seen affiliate content on websites.

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    Table of Contents

    1. Executive Summary
    2. A word on the high-level changes affecting affiliate marketing
    3. More than half of US consumers are aware of affiliate marketing
    4. Consumers run into affiliate marketing in many places
    5. There are significant generational differences in how affiliate ads and content are noticed
    1. Affiliate content is at parity with other ad formats in consumers’ eyes
    2. Affiliate content is about as trustworthy as most other kinds of advertising
    3. Affiliate content is about as influential as most other kinds of advertising
    4. Consumers see creators as more influential on social
    5. What it all means
    1. Methodology
    2. EMARKETER Interviews
    3. Media Gallery

    Charts in This Report

    Different Generations Encounter Affiliate Content in Different Places (% of US consumers who encounter affiliate ads online, by category/channel, May 2024)A Majority of US Consumers Have Noticed Affiliate Ads (% of US consumers, May 2024)
    Social Media and the Web Are the Two Most Common Places People Notice Affiliate Ads (% of US consumers, May 2024)Consumers Find Affiliate Ads to Be Among the Least Intrusive (% of US consumers who noticed each ad type and described it as at least "very intrusive," May 2024)
    A Slim Majority of US Consumers Trust Affiliate Ads at Least Sometimes (% of US consumers, May 2024)Gen Z Is Far More Likely Than Boomers to Find Affiliate Ads at Least Moderately Influential (% of US consumers, May 2024)
    Publishers Are Much Less Effective at Driving Purchases on Social Than Other Accounts (% of US social media users, March 2024)

    Interviewed for This Report

    Li Haslett Chen
    Howl
    Founder and CEO
    Interviewed June 14, 2024
    Renee Christensen
    Acceleration Partners
    Senior Director, Data and Analytics Strategy
    Interviewed June 25, 2024
    Kerry Curran
    RBM Advisors
    Founder
    Interviewed June 28, 2024
    Karen Garcia
    Lab6 Media
    Partner and CEO
    Interviewed June 11, 2024
    Wendy L. Herzberg
    Kinesso
    Vice President, Lead Generation and Partnership Strategy
    Interviewed June 11, 2024
    Chris Lloyd
    StackCommerce
    COO
    Interviewed June 11, 2024
    Lauren Newman
    Red Ventures
    Executive Vice President, Media and Commerce
    Interviewed June 7, 2024
    Jim Nichols
    Exclamation Marketing Solutions
    Founder
    Interviewed June 4, 2024
    Kristen Pulver
    Horizon Media
    Vice President, Performance Media
    Interviewed June 4, 2024

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    First Published on Jul 18, 2024

    authors

    Max Willens

    Contributors

    Na Li
    Director, Primary Research
    Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf
    Senior Analyst, Digital Advertising & Media
    Jennifer Pearson
    Yoram Wurmser