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Why DTC brands are replacing
affiliate networks with owned communities
Traditional affiliate networks charge 25–30% fees and connect you with anonymous publishers. Club builds a community of your own customers as affiliates: direct relationships, no network fees, and content that actually converts.
Owned ambassador affiliates vs traditional affiliate networks
Club (owned affiliate community)What you're actually paying affiliate networks
When you pay an affiliate £100 in commission through AWIN or Rakuten, the network takes a 25–30% override on top: costing you an additional £25–£30 you never see in a post-click dashboard.
At £50,000 in affiliate payouts per year, you're paying the network £12,500–£15,000 in fees alone, for access to publishers who may promote dozens of competing brands simultaneously.
Club charges a platform fee. Your ambassadors keep 100% of their commission, which motivates better performance, and you eliminate the network fee entirely.
Club vs affiliate marketing: answered
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based model where publishers earn a commission on sales they drive. Traditional affiliate marketing uses networks like AWIN, Rakuten, and Impact, which connect brands with thousands of anonymous publishers.
How is Club different from traditional affiliate networks?
Club is an owned affiliate community. Instead of AWIN or Rakuten's publisher base, you recruit your own customers as affiliate ambassadors: direct relationships, no 25–30% network fees, more authentic promotion, and full brand control over who represents you.
What are the fees for AWIN and Rakuten?
AWIN and Rakuten typically charge a network override of 25–30% of every affiliate commission you pay out, plus platform and setup fees. Club charges a platform fee with no additional percentage-of-payout fees.
Can I run an affiliate programme without AWIN or Rakuten?
Yes. Club provides built-in affiliate tracking with unique discount codes and referral links per ambassador, real-time sales attribution, and automated commission payouts: without joining a third-party network.
Is ambassador affiliate marketing more effective than network affiliate marketing?
For DTC brands, owned ambassador affiliate programmes typically outperform network affiliate programmes on conversion rate and acquisition cost. Brand fans promoting a product they genuinely use convert better than anonymous publishers.
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