Summary
CHALLENGE
- As a niche brand, struggled to grow awareness and sales.
- Needed to reach a highly specific audience without high acquisition costs.
- Wanted a low-risk channel that only paid out on actual sales.
SOLUTION
- Built commission tiers plus ambassador and influencer programs.
- Equipped affiliates with branded QR referral cards for in-person sharing.
- Supported partners with promotional guides and free product samples.
RESULTS
- Affiliate marketing drives about 25% of total sales.
- Around 30 new affiliates join the program each month.
- Over 2,000 unique coupon codes generated to date.
LESSONS
- Honor early supporters’ original terms to keep them loyal.
- Turn in-person conversations into sales with QR referral cards.
- Give affiliates clear guides so they explain the product correctly.
- Send samples to top affiliates for more authentic promotion.
Snogo Straws makes metal straws for enjoying cacao powder. Launched five years ago, the brand grew out of a German trend of sniffing cacao for a natural energy boost.
Their collection includes designs like the Snogo Incognito, Snogo Mojo, and Snogo Diamond, all backed by a two-year performance warranty.
Why did a niche brand like Snogo Straws turn to affiliate marketing?
As a niche brand, Snogo Straws found it hard to grow awareness and drive sales. It needed a way to reach a very specific audience while keeping acquisition costs under control.
Affiliate marketing fit that need: the brand pays commissions only when a sale happens, making it a low-risk, high-reward channel for a product with a good margin. Snogo Straws started using UpPromote in 2022 to run the program.
Overall, we’ve been very happy with your platform. We’ve experienced a lot of growth, and your setup has made it quite easy… we haven’t received any complaints from our affiliates regarding their user experience
Roland Gyallay, COO and CFO of Snogo Straws
Over three years, that program has grown into a steady share of the company’s revenue.
How does Snogo Straws structure their commissions and programs?
Snogo Straws built their program around rewarding loyalty and giving different types of partners a reason to join.
Reward early affiliates while adjusting commissions for budget
When the program launched in 2022, Snogo Straws offered a 20% commission to bring affiliates on board. That rate attracted early supporters who have stayed with the program, and the brand still honors the original 20% for those long-term affiliates.
As the program grew, Snogo Straws changed the standard rate to 15%, paired with a 15% discount code that affiliates can share with their audience.
Add ambassador and influencer programs
Snogo Straws also launched ambassador and influencer programs. Both carry the same 15% commission and 15% discount code, with extra perks on top.
- Ambassadors can get up to 40% off Snogo products.
- Influencers receive free items, including cacao, straws, and accessories, as part of collaborations.
Behind all three programs, UpPromote automatically creates a discount code for every new affiliate — over 2,000 unique codes so far — so partners can start promoting right away.
What makes Snogo Straws’ referral-card strategy work?
One unusual element of Snogo Straws’ approach is physical referral cards. Instead of relying only on links and promo codes shared online, the brand has affiliates carry branded, wallet-sized cards printed with a QR code.
When someone notices an affiliate using a Snogo Straw and asks about it, the affiliate can explain the product and hand over a card. The person scans the code or visits the link and buys with a 15% discount, making it easy to purchase later without searching online.
The face-to-face approach works because people trust friends more than ads.
Most of our traffic to our website is 75% organic; people find us through other people
Roland Gyallay, COO and CFO of Snogo Straws
To keep things transparent, Snogo Straws lays out the program’s benefits on their registration page, and affiliates can customize their discount codes or request complimentary business cards.
With UpPromote’s new registration form template, Snogo Straws has the flexibility to include extensive program details while seamlessly showcasing the brand’s identity.
How does Snogo Straws support their affiliates?
Snogo Straws learned early that affiliates need the right tools to represent an unfamiliar product.
Create promotional guides to clear up confusion
The brand’s unusual product caused early mix-ups.
We had issues initially because some people thought that our straws were for tobacco sniffing
Roland Gyallay, COO and CFO of Snogo Straws
To prevent that, Snogo Straws created detailed promotional guides that give affiliates what they need to explain the product’s purpose and benefits clearly.
Send product samples to top affiliates
For their top performers, Snogo Straws goes further and sends free samples, so they can experience the product firsthand and promote it more authentically.
UpPromote lets the brand pick items from their inventory and send them directly. Affiliates will get notified when a gift is available and claim it from their dashboard.
What results has Snogo Straws seen?
Affiliate marketing has become a core part of Snogo Straws’ growth, driving about 25% of total sales and continuing to climb, with around 30 new affiliates joining each month.
We’ve been using UpPromote for three years. We’ve had one or two small technical issues, but overall, it’s been working great. The new reporting also really helps me out
Roland Gyallay, COO and CFO of Snogo Straws
Looking ahead, Snogo Straws plans to keep scaling the program as UpPromote rolls out new features.
