Kakao Mischa is a premium brand specializing in ceremonial cacao, a product deeply rooted in mindfulness and spiritual practice. The company is dedicated to offering cacao in its purest form, free from additives, and targets an audience that values mindfulness, self-growth, and holistic wellness.
Founded five years ago, Kakao Mischa has built a thriving community inspired by its founder, Mischa Levit. His vision has touched thousands of customers, influencing their lives and turning them into passionate supporters of the brand.
To keep their community growing, Kakao Mischa introduced the Kakao Mischa Impact Fund in July 2024. For every cup of cacao sold, one euro is invested in preserving and reviving the traditional cocoa path. This initiative empowers customers to make a real difference with every purchase – helping sustain cocoa farming traditions while enjoying the product they love.
Over time, the sense of purpose turned casual buyers into loyal supporters who returned for both the product they loved and the impact it represented.
As the brand’s community grew, so did the organic sharing of their products. Loyal customers were already spreading the word about Kakao Mischa with heartfelt enthusiasm, making affiliate marketing a natural next step. The program gave these passionate supporters a reason to do what they were already doing, with greater purpose and rewards.
Over time, their affiliate program attracted micro-influencers who resonated with the brand’s values. These influencers brought greater reach and credibility, helping introduce their ceremonial cacao to new audiences.
To handle this growing network of affiliates and micro-influencers, Kakao Mischa turned to UpPromote. The app’s intuitive features and automation make it easy for the brand to manage the program, which now accounts for about 20% of the brand’s total sales.
So, how did a small ceremonial cacao brand achieve such remarkable success through affiliate marketing? Let’s dive into the tactics and strategies that Kakao Mischa has implemented along their journey.
Learn more about influencers via a detailed registration form
The registration form is not just an entry point into the Kakao Mischa affiliate program. It also helps ensure influencers are aligned with the brand’s values and gain a clear understanding of the program.
With the help of UpPromote, the brand can flexibly tailor their registration form, adding as many questions as needed to better understand their influencers, including personal details, business status, social media, and their vision for promoting ceremonial cacao.
The form also provides potential influencers with all the details they need to make an informed decision. It clearly outlines key benefits like commission rates, personalized discount codes, store credit, and access to a supportive community.
Additionally, comprehensive terms and conditions included in the form ensure transparency and address potential concerns upfront. Registrants know exactly what is expected of them and what they can expect in return.
Tailor programs for seamless management
Kakao Mischa separates their partners into distinct programs to simplify management while optimizing the budget.
Thanks to UpPromote, the team has divided their affiliates into two programs based on their performance and contributions. The brand also has the option to pay commissions in either cash or store credits.
First of all, all affiliates start with the Botschafter:in program. They’ll be given 10% discount codes to share with their audience, and a 15% commission paid as store credits. These credits can be redeemed to purchase Kakao Mischa’s cacao products, making it an excellent entry point for new affiliates.
If anyone performs well, they will be upgraded to the Senator:in program. In this program, affiliates still get 10% discount codes, but commissions are paid in cash, amounting to 10% of referred sales.
Foster a collaborative community among affiliates
Kakao Mischa has created a public community on WhatsApp for customers as well as affiliates. Affiliates who join the program are welcomed into this space, where the brand shares special discounts, exclusive promotions, and other tools to help them succeed.
The most impactful part of this strategy is how it empowers affiliates to interact, support, and learn from each other. Within the group, affiliates actively exchange ideas, share experiences, and educate one another. This peer-driven collaboration fosters a sense of community, allowing affiliates to grow together while building a strong connection to the brand.
Moreover, affiliates self-learning within the community also helps cut down the workload for the brand team. They need only one team member to manage over 6,000 affiliates and oversee the program.
We have a dedicated channel in our WhatsApp group that includes all members, where they often help each other by answering questions and sharing tips. This peer support reduces the amount of work on our end.
Deborah Cohrs – Commercial Director at Kakao Mischa
Empower their partners with incentives and marketing materials
Kakao Mischa is dedicated to keeping their partners engaged and motivated, especially when they have exceptional performance.
And this is for good reason. By rewarding their hard work with bonuses, the brand encourages affiliates to put in greater efforts and achieve better results.
UpPromote empowers Kakao Mischa to set bonuses for affiliates either manually or automatically. For automation, merchants can establish milestone-based rewards, where affiliates are automatically granted bonuses upon achieving specific goals.
Moreover, the brand goes the extra mile by sending gifts to top performers. Then affiliates can personally experience the products, understand their benefits, and share authentic reviews with their audience.
With the support of UpPromote, this process is effortless – Kakao Mischa can select specific products to send directly to partners. Merchants can also automate the gifting process, where new affiliates or influencers can automatically receive a welcome gift upon joining the program.
What’s more, Kakao Mischa provides affiliates with a comprehensive range of marketing materials, including high-quality product images and detailed promotional guidelines. Affiliates will have everything ready to start their promotions.
Results
Kakao Mischa’s affiliate program has proven to be a significant driver of success, contributing 20% of the brand’s total sales. Over the past four years, the program has run smoothly and efficiently thanks to the support and flexibility provided by UpPromote.
As the brand looks to the future, they are excited to grow their affiliate network even further, welcoming more dedicated partners to scale their program and reach new heights.
Ellie Tran, a seasoned SEO content writer with three years of experience in the eCommerce world. Being a part of the UpPromote team, Ellie wants to assist Shopify merchants in achieving success through useful content & actionable insights. Ellie's commitment to learning never stops; she's always eager to gain more knowledge about SEO and content marketing to create valuable content for users. When she's not working on content, Ellie enjoys baking and exploring new places.
