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	<title>Comments on: ASOS - The Inside Story</title>
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	<link>http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html</link>
	<description>UK affiliate marketing news, views and podcast interviews.</description>
	<pubDate>Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:34:22 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>By: Bonnie Frankland (ex-Euroffice.co.uk)</title>
		<link>http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-115637</link>
		<dc:creator>Bonnie Frankland (ex-Euroffice.co.uk)</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:06:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-115637</guid>
		<description>Hello,
I know this may seem in contradiction to the damning evidence of ASOS disgread for affiliates Fraser has laid out above...
BUT does anyone know if ASOS are running a affiliate programme at all now? And if so, through whom?
Cheers,
Bonnie</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello,<br />
I know this may seem in contradiction to the damning evidence of ASOS disgread for affiliates Fraser has laid out above&#8230;<br />
BUT does anyone know if ASOS are running a affiliate programme at all now? And if so, through whom?<br />
Cheers,<br />
Bonnie</p>
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		<title>By: Steve James</title>
		<link>http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-106309</link>
		<dc:creator>Steve James</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Sep 2008 07:23:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-106309</guid>
		<description>Great article, thank you</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Great article, thank you</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: Affiliate News Roundup - Fraser&#8217;s Affiliate Marketing Blog</title>
		<link>http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-20325</link>
		<dc:creator>Affiliate News Roundup - Fraser&#8217;s Affiliate Marketing Blog</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 May 2007 10:01:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-20325</guid>
		<description>[...] Nick Roberston from ASOS gave his first interview after those infamous comments. I guess my request for a podcast interview is still waiting in his inbox! [...]</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[...] Nick Roberston from ASOS gave his first interview after those infamous comments. I guess my request for a podcast interview is still waiting in his inbox! [...]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: Interview with Matthew Wood - Existem &#38; a4uforum - Fraser&#8217;s Affiliate Marketing Blog</title>
		<link>http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-9496</link>
		<dc:creator>Interview with Matthew Wood - Existem &#38; a4uforum - Fraser&#8217;s Affiliate Marketing Blog</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Mar 2007 13:25:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-9496</guid>
		<description>[...] ASOS [...]</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[...] ASOS [...]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>By: Jason</title>
		<link>http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-9482</link>
		<dc:creator>Jason</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Mar 2007 12:23:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-9482</guid>
		<description>You are the UK affiliate blog king Fraser - excellent stuff! It's a shame that Nick Robertson has so far failed to comment though, so perhaps you need to get all Nicky Campbell like and head down to his office with your camcorder!</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You are the UK affiliate blog king Fraser - excellent stuff! It&#8217;s a shame that Nick Robertson has so far failed to comment though, so perhaps you need to get all Nicky Campbell like and head down to his office with your camcorder!</p>
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		<title>By: Fraser</title>
		<link>http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-9455</link>
		<dc:creator>Fraser</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Mar 2007 21:03:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-9455</guid>
		<description>Sorry Hero, that wasn't aimed at you!  I know it looks like that when I look back now but it was aimed at the anonymous person who posted after you!!</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sorry Hero, that wasn&#8217;t aimed at you!  I know it looks like that when I look back now but it was aimed at the anonymous person who posted after you!!</p>
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		<title>By: Hero</title>
		<link>http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-9452</link>
		<dc:creator>Hero</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Mar 2007 19:07:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-9452</guid>
		<description>but it had recognised me, all the fields were already filled in! 
You know I speak my mind and sign my mind as well :-)</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>but it had recognised me, all the fields were already filled in!<br />
You know I speak my mind and sign my mind as well <img src='http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' /></p>
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		<title>By: Fraser</title>
		<link>http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-9451</link>
		<dc:creator>Fraser</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Mar 2007 19:04:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-9451</guid>
		<description>Thanks for taking the time to comment Hero

I hope others will feel free to get involved in the discussion too but I won't allow anonymous comments as it doesn't benefit anyone. Please put your name to what you have to say :)</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thanks for taking the time to comment Hero</p>
<p>I hope others will feel free to get involved in the discussion too but I won&#8217;t allow anonymous comments as it doesn&#8217;t benefit anyone. Please put your name to what you have to say <img src='http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /></p>
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		<title>By: Hero</title>
		<link>http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-9442</link>
		<dc:creator>Hero</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Mar 2007 15:22:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/asos-the-inside-story.html#comment-9442</guid>
		<description>If I may elaborate on one thing, that you have already touched on. Reading between the lines through the full interview, it's clear that ASOS have more confidence in traditional marketing - he is taking things back offline. Bearing this in mind, it's not difficult to understand why he would be saying these (most unfortunate) things. I have come across this opinion way too many times as an account manager dealing with a variety of merchants. Traditional (above-the-line) marketers are ignorant of online, and they just don't understand it. They want "control of their image" and how "they are being represented" and "who they associate with" and "what other brands they are put next to". Which are all very respected concerns. But, if you don't have the online experience, you won't be able to understand the value of working with some of the affiliates, because their site in your eyes will look absolutely awful. Not to mention the ultimate fear: the affiliates being able to advertise you in any of their sites which you have no idea of (whereas when you run CPM campaigns, you are in total control of brand representation and association, right? so you throw away your money to a very good cause, correct? OH PLEASE). And, lest we forget, that some affiliates don't even have sites! (yes, they're called direct PPC affiliates). They will also probably no longer want to work with discount/competition/loyalty schemes, as they want to be considered "a full value merchant". 

It is very frequent that merchants with an offline background have this approach for online marketing (certain aspects of the online industry), and we have lenghty conversations to try and make them see the light. Most actually do, especially when they see the good results brought in, and most start shifting away from offline. Which is why it's actually very interesting that ASOS have decided to move back to offline. 

I would be interested to see how "restrictive" their inhouse affiliate program will be, what guidelines they will be giving to the affiliates they allow in, and how they will be monitoring that they comply with their guidelines. 

To be honest, the one thing that has surprised me more than anything else is the fact that previous ASOS staff have taken a slightly defensive stance - I don't understand why. The affiliate industry knows very well who they are and what they have done for the program and how they are directly linked with where the company currently is, so there really isn't any need to explain things. Let Mr Robertson have a dig at ex-staff, which is most unprofessional of him, who cares ;-)</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If I may elaborate on one thing, that you have already touched on. Reading between the lines through the full interview, it&#8217;s clear that ASOS have more confidence in traditional marketing - he is taking things back offline. Bearing this in mind, it&#8217;s not difficult to understand why he would be saying these (most unfortunate) things. I have come across this opinion way too many times as an account manager dealing with a variety of merchants. Traditional (above-the-line) marketers are ignorant of online, and they just don&#8217;t understand it. They want &#8220;control of their image&#8221; and how &#8220;they are being represented&#8221; and &#8220;who they associate with&#8221; and &#8220;what other brands they are put next to&#8221;. Which are all very respected concerns. But, if you don&#8217;t have the online experience, you won&#8217;t be able to understand the value of working with some of the affiliates, because their site in your eyes will look absolutely awful. Not to mention the ultimate fear: the affiliates being able to advertise you in any of their sites which you have no idea of (whereas when you run CPM campaigns, you are in total control of brand representation and association, right? so you throw away your money to a very good cause, correct? OH PLEASE). And, lest we forget, that some affiliates don&#8217;t even have sites! (yes, they&#8217;re called direct PPC affiliates). They will also probably no longer want to work with discount/competition/loyalty schemes, as they want to be considered &#8220;a full value merchant&#8221;. </p>
<p>It is very frequent that merchants with an offline background have this approach for online marketing (certain aspects of the online industry), and we have lenghty conversations to try and make them see the light. Most actually do, especially when they see the good results brought in, and most start shifting away from offline. Which is why it&#8217;s actually very interesting that ASOS have decided to move back to offline. </p>
<p>I would be interested to see how &#8220;restrictive&#8221; their inhouse affiliate program will be, what guidelines they will be giving to the affiliates they allow in, and how they will be monitoring that they comply with their guidelines. </p>
<p>To be honest, the one thing that has surprised me more than anything else is the fact that previous ASOS staff have taken a slightly defensive stance - I don&#8217;t understand why. The affiliate industry knows very well who they are and what they have done for the program and how they are directly linked with where the company currently is, so there really isn&#8217;t any need to explain things. Let Mr Robertson have a dig at ex-staff, which is most unprofessional of him, who cares <img src='http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /></p>
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