Performics Becomes Google Affiliate Network

Posted by in June 30th, 2008

Fresh from Chris Henger at Google-DoubleClick-Performics:

We are pleased to introduce Google Affiliate Network . Effective Monday, June 30, 2008, DoubleClick Performics Affiliate will operate as Google Affiliate Network. The integration with Google’s brand is a reflection of efforts to quickly assimilate our business and teams, as well as reinforce Google’s commitment to the Affiliate channel. Together with our new colleagues at Google we are creating new opportunities for monetization, expansion and innovation in Affiliate Marketing.
Within the next couple of weeks you will see some exciting changes to the user interface reflecting the new brand. The platform will continue to be hosted at www.ConnectCommerce.com, but will eventually migrate to a google.com product url.

As noted in earlier communications, DoubleClick Performics’ Search operations are being spun off and sold to a third party. While many advertisers have relationships with both DoubleClick Performics’ Affiliate and Search, there have always been separate account teams and product-specific specialists servicing clients’ search and affiliate programs. These teams remain intact. While the formal separation will occur when the Search business is sold, the businesses are functionally separate today.

We are proud of what we achieved as Performics and this name change signals a new milestone. Google provides world-class resources and enables us to continue to attract the best talent to support our advertisers and publishers. Now as part of Google we have an exciting and unprecedented opportunity to advance our industry. We remain committed to ensuring you receive the quality service you have come to expect from us.

We appreciate your business and look forward to doing great things together.

Generally, everyone I have spoken with has regarded this to be a huge boon to the industry. It will raise the profile of affiliate marketing and - probably - the resource commitment in our industry among different companies. It will certainly help the network formerly known as Performics but will also help other networks, affiliates, merchants, agencies, and vendors.

Rumor has it that Google’s 2006 CPA Network was a disappointment in the sense that Google was looking for it to deliver more than it did. This is an opportunity for Google to enter the CPA space in a meaningful way. Given Performics’ strength on the retail - as opposed to on the lead - side, it makes me wonder if we won’t see more acquisitions in this space down the line.