Moving to Outcomes

Why Partnerships Are the Future of Marketing

by Robert Glazer & Matthew Wool

"Moving to Outcomes" (2021) takes a deep dive into how partnership marketing has evolved from its early days to today's tech-savvy, scalable approach, thanks to tech breakthroughs and changing market dynamics. It's packed with strategies for companies looking to make the most of this model and succeed in the online market.

About the authors

Robert Glazer, at the helm of Acceleration Partners, a leading global partner marketing firm, has steered the company to earn accolades like Glassdoor's Employees’ Choice Awards and Ad Age’s Best Place to Work.

A prolific writer, Glazer has penned six bestsellers, including "Elevate" and "How To Thrive In The Virtual Workplace." His "Elevate" podcast has hit over a million downloads.

Innovative Marketing Strategies Unpacked

Marketers are constantly searching for the next leap forward—digital marketing's pace never slows down. But the real game lies not just in keeping up; it's about leading the pack, forecasting trends, and making smart bets on a future that never stands still.

Think of yourself as a savvy investor. What's the cardinal rule? Spread your risks. This wisdom doesn't stop with stocks and bonds; it's critical in marketing too.

Just like investors diversify to protect against market volatility, marketers need to look beyond the current tech giants. This is the crux of Robert Glazer's "Moving to Outcomes". Putting all your marketing dollars into the big names of the ad world is like playing it safe with bonds. Comfortable, yes, but not the path to exceptional gains.

The real opportunity lies in embracing innovation's unpredictable currents. And that's what we're diving into here.

Rethinking Marketing: Focus on Results, Not Just Efforts

Every marketer shares a common goal: maximizing the impact of their ad spend. But how do you achieve that? What strategies should you embrace?

Consider this scenario: Would you prefer to gamble a portion of your budget on advertising that might not convert, or pay only when you seal a deal? The answer seems straightforward. This is where the magic of partnership marketing comes into play, emphasizing collaborative efforts for shared success and benefits.

Let's break it down with a real-world example. Imagine a boat rental business pays a local hotel concierge a flat fee for every referral. The concierge, aiming to maximize earnings, might refer anyone, regardless of their genuine interest in boat rentals. However, switching to a commission model based on actual rentals incentivizes the concierge to recommend only genuinely interested customers, enhancing the quality of leads and benefiting both parties more substantially.

At its core, partnership marketing champions a fundamental yet impactful concept: paying for results. Unlike conventional advertising that demands upfront investment with uncertain outcomes, partnership marketing lets businesses define success on their terms—be it sales, customer acquisition, or leads—and compensate partners based on achieving these specific goals. This ensures a mutual pursuit of concrete, measurable results.

Partnership marketing shines for three reasons:

1. First, it’s inherently cost-effective. Businesses can tightly control their budgets by compensating partners solely for confirmed sales or leads, ensuring profitability.

2. Second, it’s scalable. Leveraging technology and platforms, companies can manage numerous partnerships effortlessly, broadening their audience without a corresponding spike in workload or costs. This scalability doesn’t sacrifice efficiency; the return on investment remains consistent regardless of revenue scale.

3. Lastly, partnership marketing is built to last. It cultivates enduring relationships based on reciprocal gains and fairness, unlike the transient perks and rising expenses of other digital marketing tactics.

This approach sidesteps the common pitfalls of the digital marketing scramble—where costs often escalate as returns dwindle, or brands flit from one trend to another, sinking money into fleeting fads.

By prioritizing outcomes, partnership marketing ensures judicious use of marketing dollars, building partnerships that yield steady value over time. It's a strategy that not only addresses immediate business needs but also paves the way for long-term growth and profitability in the fast-paced digital arena.