Summary
CHALLENGE
- For more than 20 years, K9 Power grew almost entirely on word of mouth from dog owners who loved the results.
- The people spreading the word earned no commission and had no code to share, so that advocacy was never rewarded or tracked.
SOLUTION
- An all-organic affiliate program of people who actually use the products: dog trainers, breeders, veterinarians, and creators.
- Front-desk referral cards that turn entire vet clinics into referral points, each carrying an affiliate discount code and a QR code.
RESULTS
- Affiliate sales grew from a few hundred dollars a month to around $5K a month, entirely from first-time buyers.
- K9 Power doubled its total sales in the past year, with much of that growth coming from affiliates.
LESSONS
- Reward the advocates you already have before chasing new ones.
- Remove the barriers to joining: a no-requirement program lets any passionate dog owner become an affiliate.
K9 Power makes premium health and wellness supplements for dogs. The family-owned brand has been around for more than 25 years, serving working and sporting dogs as well as everyday family pets.
Its formulas are PhD-formulated and vet-endorsed, covering everything from joint health and digestion to skin and coat, at every stage of a dog’s life.
For two decades, the business grew on recommendations alone. Here is how K9 Power turned that word of mouth into a working affiliate program.
Why did K9 Power need an affiliate program?
K9 Power started as a passion project. Jack Coughlin’s uncle had a competition working dog with a serious CCL injury, and nothing he tried helped, so he and a friend put together a supplement in their kitchen.
After 90 days, the dog made a full recovery. He went back to compete at IPO3, the top level of the sport, won the New England championships, and placed sixth nationally. Other handlers asked what he was using, and K9 Power was born.
That kind of recommendation kept the company going for its first 20-odd years. But the people spreading the word got nothing back.
It all was really affiliate marketing, but those people weren’t getting a discount code. They weren’t getting commission for the sales they helped bring to us.
Jack Coughlin, President at K9 Power
The brand already had advocates. What it needed was a way to reward them, which it now runs on UpPromote.
How does K9 Power find the right affiliates?
Recruiting people who already use the products
K9 Power’s program is fully organic. The brand doesn’t pay for affiliates or for organic social posts. Every affiliate in the program uses the products and stands behind the results.
Affiliates come from the existing customer base and from proactive outreach to people who fit the brand. The program now includes dog trainers, breeders, veterinarians, and people active on social media.
One example is a working-dog creator Jack found through one of her viral videos. She was skeptical at first, since pet companies contact her all the time. About four weeks after trying K9 Power, she texted Jack a before-and-after photo of a dog that had put on visible muscle. It became one of the brand’s highest-viewed videos.
The affiliates that do the best are the ones that use the products the most.
Jack Coughlin, President at K9 Power
Turning vet clinics into referral points
K9 Power also brings on whole veterinary practices, not just individual vets.
Each clinic gets business-style cards for the front desk. Every card carries the clinic’s affiliate discount code and a QR code to the K9 Power website, and staff hand them out when they recommend the products. Customers with questions are pointed to K9 Power’s support team for custom recommendations.
That’s been a great thing for our business.
Jack Coughlin, President at K9 Power
Both channels rest on the same idea: the people recommending K9 Power already trust it.
How does K9 Power reward its affiliates?
K9 Power pays affiliate commissions in store credit, and Jack confirmed affiliates are on board with it.
His reasoning: the best affiliates are the heaviest users of the product. Credit brings their earnings straight back into products they already buy, and they don’t have to file taxes on it. As Jack explained, they effectively make more money by saving with store credit than they would with a check.
For a consumable product, store credit keeps affiliates stocked and using the product they promote.
What results has K9 Power seen?
K9 Power’s affiliate revenue has grown in stages. It started at several hundred dollars to about $1,000 a month, then reached $2,500.
Today, the program brings in roughly $5,000 a month in affiliate sales, out of around $110,000 to $120,000 in total monthly revenue.
Affiliate codes work only for first-time buyers, so that $5K comes entirely from new customers. Repeat purchases from those referred buyers are not counted in it.
If you were to take into account all the repeat buyers that come in through the referral program, it’s much higher.
Jack Coughlin, President at K9 Power
Across the business, K9 Power doubled its sales in the past year. Jack said a lot of that came from affiliates, through both sales and the content they create for the brand’s social media.
What’s next for K9 Power’s affiliate program?
Jack’s main reflection is that he waited too long.
It took me a lot longer than it should have to realize how important a really robust affiliate program was for us.
Jack Coughlin, President at K9 Power
K9 Power is now adding an affiliate invitation to its post-purchase email flow. The program has no requirements: no big following, no breeder or vet credentials.
You just got to be a passionate dog owner.
Jack Coughlin, President at K9 Power
The team also plans to build a community where affiliates can share what’s working and ask each other questions. “They’re a huge part of our brand,” Jack added. He expects affiliate sales could reach $10K a month by this time next year.
