Remember my Puma Affiliate Program Manager Doesn’t Get It post on 1/7/2011? Well, checking my affiliate account’s email box today I’ve found a follow-up message which reads as follows (highlighting mine):
At first, when I just started reading it, I thought: “Awesome!! They finally get it!”… but as I read on, I realized that they didn’t.
Looking at things in light of the previous email, the affiliate manager’s above message essentially says:
- That prior note “was sent to you in error”
- We apologize “for this oversight”
- We meant to “to provide you with additional resources and opportunities to drive transactions and optimize your relationship with PUMA”
- We wanted to receive “insight” which “helps us to prioritize program updates and ensure that we create a more productive affiliate program”
The last sentence is highly confusing, but some bits of their text do leave room for hope. The affiliate manager seems to understand what they need to do — motivate affiliates by providing them with “additional resources” and stimulate them by “opportunities” (not threats).
However, the above text is only half-okay. There isn’t a word about the previous removal threat, and neither is there any guarantee that it won’t happen in the future. Affiliates are just being told that “based upon your approval date” into the program “this communication was sent to you in error.” Additionally, that last sentence is highly confusing, and reads as if being entirely out of place.
In my opinion, there is one main lesson for every affiliate manager to learn here: when an error has been committed (as is obvious in the Puma case) you want correct it, and do it in a way that leaves no further open questions.
You think I should send them your book? Or do you want to autograph it first?
When I saw the post about the first email I could not believe it. it is one thing to follow up with affiliates and ask how things are going and try to motivate them. It’s another to bully them with the “produce or else” routine. Total rookie mistake, and made by a player that should know better.
The follow up email for me was worse to me because it proved they made a careless mistake. They also left out some of the “additional resources and opportunities” which means you may get yet another email on this topic, dragging out the negative association with the brand.