Learn how Harney & Sons, an American tea company, partnered with Refersion and Sezzle to reach a broader audience with a trackable, performance-based affiliate marketing strategy.
Harney & Sons, Master Tea Blenders from Millerton, New York, worked with Refersion and Sezzle to reach new audiences, then convert them from shoppers into buyers. Between 2019 and 2020, they saw a 175% increase in revenue in their affiliate program, thanks to strong conversions from the engaged audiences of their affiliate partners. And, with Sezzle’s Buy Now, Pay Later integration, they convert new customers effectively while also increasing average order value by 25.7%.
“By combining the power of Refersion, which helps us reach new audiences, with Sezzle, which reduces the barrier to purchase, our affiliate marketing program has seen amazing results.”
Emeric Harney, Marketing Director at Harney & Sons
Selectivity Leads to Growth
Emeric Harney, Marketing Director at Harney & Sons, is selective in choosing affiliates, looking for people and outlets that are aligned with the brand. Many of their affiliates and ambassadors were discovered in the Refersion Marketplace, then vetted to ensure they’re a good fit. “We take the effort to understand their audience and how they plan to market us,” Emeric noted. This process has paid off with a close cadre of affiliates that have driven nearly 2x conversion growth year-over-year.
Emeric also keeps affiliates up-to-date, informing them of new products and asking for product feedback before launches. This keeps affiliates engaged and motivated to promote Harney & Sons. If an affiliate happens to be underperforming — driving high traffic but low conversions — Emeric’s not afraid to have a constructive conversation.
Finding New Audiences
Harney & Sons sees their affiliate marketing strategy as a pathway to discovering new customers, finding people and outlets with engaged, relevant audiences. This expands the top of the funnel with new shoppers to convert. “When we look at our audience acquisition mix, the affiliate part of the pie has really grown in the last couple years,” noted Emeric.
With Refersion, they can make this marketing avenue tangible and trackable, following not only clicks and traffic, but also revenue and conversions. Then, with Sezzle to motivate conversions, they’re taking those new audiences and making it easier for them to buy. This has led to notable growth and, as a perk, a 25% boost in AOV.
Numbers Steeped in Success
Harney & Sons has effectively used Refersion to expand the funnel to reach new, engaged audiences and then, with Sezzle, motivate those new customers to convert.
From 2019 to 2021, Harney & Sons saw:
- 175% increase in affiliate revenue
- 2X increase in affiliate conversions
- 25% increase in average order value