74% of brands increased affiliate investment as strategies evolve to include creators, AI and diversified partner types
Affiliate marketing is undergoing a global evolution, with brands shifting away from saturated paid media channels and toward performance partnerships that prioritise trust, efficiency and accountability. That’s according to the ‘The Global State of Affiliate Marketing in 2025 Report’, a new research report released by impact.com, the world’s leading commerce partnership marketing platform.
The report, which surveyed over 1,500 marketers, creators, and publishers in 8 countries (Australia, US, UK, Canada, Singapore, France, Germany and Italy), reveals that 74% of brands have increased their affiliate investment to counter the rising cost in other marketing channels. 71% of marketers now consider affiliate marketing more cost-effective than other marketing channels, and 66% report stronger return on ad spend (ROAS).
Australian responses reflect these global trends, with 71% of marketers increasing their investment in affiliate marketing. A significant 83% of Australian marketers consider the channel more cost-effective than other strategies, and 80% report stronger ROAS, suggesting strong local alignment with the broader global shift toward performance-based growth.
“The data shows a major shift in mindset. Brands are reallocating budgets based on what is driving measurable, cost-effective growth,” said Adam Furness, Managing Director APJ at impact.com. “Affiliate marketing has matured from transactional relationships to strategic partnership programs. We’re seeing marketers build sophisticated partner ecosystems that deliver across the entire funnel.”
The research highlights five key areas driving the sophistication of partnership marketing programs: partner diversification, strategic investment, AI deployment, creator collaboration, and advanced measurement. Top-performing brands are expanding beyond traditional affiliate models, partnering with creators, commerce platforms, and content publishers to reach consumers across the entire purchase journey.
A standout trend is the rise of creator partnerships. More than half of brands (59%) plan to allocate at least 25% of their affiliate and partnership marketing budget to creators — a clear sign that social influence is evolving into both a brand and performance channel. Yet a disconnect remains: while 26% of creators prefer flat-fee compensation, only 19% received them, highlighting a higher demand than what is available.
This evolution is playing out in real-time for online furniture retailer Castlery. "As customer acquisition costs keep rising, creators have become one of our most effective performance channels," said Sarah Ann Lim, Global Partnership Manager, Affiliates & Creators at Castlery. "We’re seeing real ROI from partnerships that combine creative storytelling with measurable outcomes and we’ve evolved our compensation model to reflect that."
Technology is also accelerating change. 97% of brands report using AI in their affiliate strategies, primarily for partner analysis, personalisation, and chatbot automation. Yet most are only exploring two to three use cases, suggesting significant untapped potential for AI in this space.
Measurement and attribution are modernising as well, with 94% of brands experimenting with alternative attribution models, moving beyond last-click models toward more nuanced mixed-media and position-based approaches. However, only 20% of brands are tracking Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), and just 18% measure Average Order Value (AOV) — two metrics critical to understanding long-term profitability.
Regionally, the report underscores the importance of localisation. Influencer-led affiliate growth is expected to accelerate in markets like Singapore (+37 percentage point growth), while France and Italy are expected to be slower to adopt creator models. Australian marketers are advised to take note as local affiliate programs scale and expand globally.
“Affiliate marketing is no longer a niche tactic. It has become a core part of the modern marketing mix,” added Adam Furness. “But to unlock its full potential, brands need to back the right partners, adopt smarter tools, and shift from transactional thinking to long-term strategies.”
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About impact.com
impact.com is the world’s leading commerce partnership marketing platform, transforming the way businesses grow by enabling them to discover, manage, and scale partnerships across the entire customer journey. From affiliates and influencers to content publishers, brand ambassadors, and customer advocates, impact.com empowers brands to drive trusted, performance-based growth through authentic relationships. Its award-winning products—Performance (affiliate), Creator (influencer), and Advocate (customer referral)—unify every type of partner into one integrated platform. As consumers increasingly rely on recommendations from people and communities they trust, impact.com helps brands show up where it matters most. Today, over 5,000 global brands—including Walmart, Uber, Shopify, Xero, July Luggage and Virgin Australia—rely on impact.com to power more than 225,000 partnerships that deliver measurable business results.