Summary
CHALLENGE.
- Customers needed educating about the bottle’s innovative design and technology.
- The team wanted to reach a larger, more targeted audience.
- A niche product required partners who could explain it.
SOLUTION.
- Recruited affiliates partly through the UpPromote Marketplace.
- Segmented affiliates into five groups with different commission rates.
- Rewarded educators (ambassadors and influencers) above deal-driven coupon sites.
RESULTS.
- Built a program of about 200 affiliates across multiple groups.
- A program driving consistent daily traffic and sales.
- Stronger one-on-one relationships with top affiliates.
LESSONS.
- Match commission rates to how much each group educates and converts.
- Vet affiliates carefully and monitor for commission-tier abuse.
- Stay in one-on-one contact with your most active partners.
- Welcome newcomers, but track their performance against your goals.
FlasKap is an innovative brand that has redefined how people think about hydration. Their flagship products, the FreePour and Madic, aren’t average water bottles.
These bottles feature built-in wells for carrying up to nine ounces of liquids, from electrolytes and supplements to spirits.
With a unique “fun button” that lets you mix beverages on the go, they’re built for outdoor adventures, boating, or daily hydration.
What challenge did FlasKap face with their innovative bottles?
When Scott Poniewaz joined FlasKap as Director of Marketing, his main challenge was educating customers about the design and technology behind the products.
The team believed the unique bottle design could catch the right people’s attention, but they needed a way to reach a larger, targeted audience.
Affiliate marketing was the answer. By partnering with UpPromote, FlasKap launched a program that drives consistent traffic and sales to their store every day.
With the program live, the team focused on recruiting the right mix of partners and structuring their rewards.
How did FlasKap recruit and structure their affiliate program?
FlasKap built their program around two ideas: recruiting quickly through multiple channels, and segmenting partners so each is rewarded fairly.
Quick recruitment and five segmented programs
FlasKap used a combination of strategies to recruit affiliates, including the UpPromote Marketplace.
Today the brand has about 200 affiliates — influencers, product reviewers, and coupon sites — who help build awareness for the niche product and reach new audiences.
To optimize the program, the team segmented affiliates into five distinct groups with different commission rates, set according to how each group contributes to daily traffic and sales.
UpPromote allows us to recruit and set up various plans for different types of affiliates or ambassadors while providing different incentive stages as they grow with us. UpPromote has made the program management simplified for us to get up and running very quickly.
Scott Poniewaz, FlasKap
That segmented structure set the stage for rewarding partners by the value they actually create.
Commission rates that reward education
Coupon sites were offered the lowest commission rates, since customers using them had often already decided to buy and were simply looking for the best deal.
Ambassadors and influencers earned higher commissions for educating new audiences. These top-tier partners, often called elite affiliates, were crucial in bringing in customers who didn’t rely on coupons.
By tying rates to contribution, FlasKap rewards the partners who do the hardest work of winning new customers.
How does FlasKap manage and protect their affiliate program?
The team takes a careful approach to recruitment, making sure only quality partners join — and that everyone is paid fairly for real effort.
FlasKap thoroughly vets a large pool of affiliates before granting access, and continuously monitors performance to prevent potential fraud.
We’ve monitored and tracked to make sure coupon sites aren’t applying for higher commission levels they shouldn’t be accessing.
Scott Poniewaz, FlasKap
The brand also wants affiliate activity to align with their goals, paying fair compensation based on each partner’s actual effort and value.
That’s especially true for their two top-performing affiliates, who use Google AdWords to target niche keywords the in-house team hasn’t covered — driving customers to the site and into actual purchases.
The team stays in close, one-on-one contact with their most active affiliates. They’re also open to new influencers, bloggers, and YouTubers, even those just starting out while tracking their performance closely.
What results has FlasKap achieved with their affiliate program?
With UpPromote’s streamlined recruitment and management tools, FlasKap grew their affiliate program quickly while maintaining strong relationships — increasing brand exposure along the way.
The program now spans about 200 affiliates across multiple segmented groups, driving consistent traffic and sales every day.
UpPromote has been a great product for us to quickly and efficiently scale our affiliate program. The support has been exceptional… The user interface, dashboard, and analytics are all extremely helpful for monitoring and running a successful program.
Scott Poniewaz, FlasKap
For a niche brand focused on education, that mix of reach and control is what keeps the program working day to day.
Segmented affiliates into five commission groups. FlasKap sets rates by how much each group drives daily traffic and sales.
Rewarded educators over deal-seekers. Ambassadors and influencers earn more than coupon sites, which serve already-decided buyers.
Vetted partners and monitored for abuse. The team tracks whether coupon sites try to access higher commission tiers than allowed.
