We all know the drill: Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) roll around, and brands go into overdrive – slashing prices, pumping ad budgets, and offering big payouts to affiliates.
But what if there’s a better way?
In 2024, Vetain proved that there is. Instead of getting caught up in the BFCM frenzy, they stuck to their usual affiliate marketing strategy, one they follow all year round.
The result was a staggering 87% jump in Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV), from €217,867 to €408,302.
This case study reveals how Vetain’s steady, long-term approach turned BFCM into a major win, and what other merchants can learn from their success.
To understand the foundation of those impressive results, you can check out Vetain’s full affiliate marketing case study here. Then, keep reading to discover the exact BFCM strategies they implemented.
The Strategy – Managing Bonuses at Scale
As Vetain’s affiliate program grew, managing performance bonuses became increasingly complex, especially during high-volume periods like BFCM.
Philipp Riedl, founder of Vetain, faced a specific operational challenge with bonus calculations. “We had some problems with the bonuses that were calculated on the last day, but some reached the bonuses like on the last day also,” he explained.
The issue was timing. Running campaigns throughout the entire month meant bonuses were calculated on the final day.
But some affiliates hit their bonus thresholds right at the deadline, creating delays in payouts and complications in processing.
The solution turned out to be straightforward.
Vetain simply adjusted their payout schedule. “We just postponed the bonus payout dates to the first of the following month,” Philipp noted.
This small operational change eliminated the bottleneck. The team could then process bonuses accurately without the pressure of same-day calculations during peak sales periods.
Vetain’s Winning Strategy: Motivation Over Discounts
Most brands overhaul their affiliate programs for Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM), but Vetain didn’t.
Instead, they stuck to their tried-and-true strategy, built on three key principles.
No Commission Hike
Vetain made a bold choice: no temporary commission increases and no extra discounts for affiliates during BFCM.
Their affiliate commission and customer discount codes remained the same. Because their program is already designed to reward high performance, regardless of the season.
As Philipp puts it, “The provision stays the same for our affiliates; actually, during Black Friday, more people are buying. So in the end, they will get a higher reward.”
This philosophy is rooted in a belief that a strong offer empowers creators to do their best work.
The Power of Tiered Commissions
Instead of temporary BFCM incentives, Vetain built a tiered commission structure available all year long with the help of UpPromote.
The system rewards affiliates based on total revenue generated. For example, affiliates who generate over €25,000 per month earn 20% commission instead of the baseline 10%.
“We also have a commission tier system, but it’s available all year,” Philipp explained. “We set it up so the creators have different kinds of commissions based on how much revenue they generate.”
This structure automatically rewards affiliates with higher commission rates as they generate more sales.
For example, an affiliate generating over €25,000 in monthly revenue earns a 20% commission, double the standard 10% rate.
During BFCM, the natural surge in traffic and sales meant that many affiliates automatically leveled up into higher commission tiers.
They earned significantly more, not because Vetain offered a temporary bonus, but because the system rewarded their increased success.
Content-Focused Affiliate Relationships
Instead of relying on financial incentives alone, Vetain focuses on what their influencers did best: creating content.
“We have a contract, so influencers will do a lot of content for us per month, and they get paid their share and sometimes also additional bonuses,” Philipp shared.
For influencers with larger followings who require guaranteed income, Vetain occasionally pays a flat fee.
One standout example is Danila behind @momocats_world, an influencer who creates content around her healthy eating lifestyle.
However, these arrangements remain consistent during BFCM. “It stays the same,” Philipp confirmed when asked about flat fees during the peak season.
The key is careful calculation upfront.
“We have our Excel sheets where we input the numbers, such as sales estimates. From there, we deduct product costs, shipping costs, and other expenses to see, in the end, how much revenue remains. For example, if we pay them 10% plus 500 euros, we calculate the final revenue in advance to ensure we don’t overpay.” Philipp explained.
For BFCM 2024, Vetain planned to launch new products in November, timed to coincide with the shopping season.
“We’re launching a lot of new products because we want to get the most money with new products and launches,” Philipp revealed.
The brand planned three separate product launches, each with its own “drop days” where affiliates would create concentrated Instagram content. “We have three drop days, and these affiliates will create a lot of Instagram content,” he noted.
These launches included special offers like “buy 3, get 1 free” deals, stacked on top of the regular 10% affiliate discount codes.
The Results – Natural Growth Through Volume
Vetain’s strategy delivered strong results without increasing baseline commission rates or creating special BFCM-only incentives.
BFCM 2024 GMV hit €408,302, an 87% increase from the pre-BFCM period (€217,867).
These impressive results came from a strong tiered commission system that was in place all year round.
“We are paying a little bit more because more people are leveling up. People are running higher commission amounts like 15 or 20% instead of 10%,” Philipp explained.
Vetain’s affiliates already understood the tier system. They knew how to create content that converts. They had strong relationships with their audiences built over months of consistent promotion.
When BFCM arrived, this foundation paid off. Affiliates didn’t need training, special briefings, or new incentives. They simply scaled up their efforts, posting more stories, creating more reels, and sharing more product recommendations.
Expectations for BFCM 2025
Looking ahead, Philipp expects BFCM 2025 to perform similarly to Vetain’s birthday sale in August, which represents their peak sales period.
“I think it will be similar to August,” he projected, estimating around €1 million in total revenue for the month.
Specifically, affiliates brought in roughly half of every euro earned. “About 50-50 percent,” as Philipp put it.
If BFCM 2025 mirrors August’s performance, affiliates could contribute approximately €500,000 in revenue during the peak shopping period.
Lessons Learned
Philipp offers practical advice for merchants looking to create a successful affiliate program: focus on consistency, not seasonal tactics.
What he meant was that the best strategies are designed for long-term growth, not short-term gains.
“I would set up a tiered commission system because it’s a great way to encourage affiliates to drive more sales,” he explains. “With a tier system and bonuses for different performance levels, you can calculate your revenue and keep affiliates motivated to do more.“
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.
