Summary
CHALLENGE
- Relied on word-of-mouth from loyal partners before affiliate marketing was a recognized concept.
- Managed those partners manually, which took significant time and effort.
- Wanted to manage the relationships more professionally.
SOLUTION
- Recruits affiliates hands-on at live industry events.
- Stays in personal, one-on-one contact with each affiliate.
- Tracks sales and calculate commissions automatically via UpPromote
RESULTS
- Maintains affiliate relationships that have lasted decades.
- Manages all affiliate data and payouts in one system.
LESSONS
- Recruit affiliates in person to keep your network high-quality.
- Set up affiliates manually when control matters more than scale.
- Invest in one-on-one communication to retain affiliates long-term.
- Centralize sales tracking and payouts so partners can rely on you.
Westcott has pioneered the photographic and video lighting industry for over a century, building lighting solutions for professional filmmakers and photographers worldwide.
Their range spans over 600 items, from portable flash systems and constant lighting to light modifiers, backdrops, and accessories. Those products turn up on productions from CBS and ESPN to Netflix-streamed shows.
Long before “affiliate marketing” was a common term, Westcott grew by word-of-mouth, as loyal partners spread the word about products they believed in.
Why did Westcott move from word-of-mouth to a managed affiliate program?
For years, Westcott worked with partners informally, relying on loyal advocates to spread the word. It was a model built on relationships, not software.
But managing those partners by hand required significant time and effort. To handle the relationships more professionally, Westcott adopted UpPromote, and the team came away impressed with its features and interface.
I think it’s a great app. It’s very solid and works the way I think it should – no surprises or anything like that. It’s very trustworthy, and the support, including technical support, from your team is very good. In fact, we’ve used it as an example for our own support team
Gregory Nickoloff, Technical Lead at Westcott
That confidence in the tool gave Westcott room to focus on what it does best: the affiliate relationships themselves.
How does Westcott recruit their affiliates?
Unlike businesses that wait for affiliates to apply online, Westcott takes a hands-on, personalized approach to recruiting.
The company attends live industry events to find potential partners, inviting experts, KOLs, and influencers in photography and videography to promote their products.
All of our affiliates are set up manually by the company. We reach out to people and set them up with an account, rather than having people come in and initiate their own affiliate relationship
Gregory Nickoloff, Technical Lead at Westcott
Setting up each affiliate by hand lets Westcott keep control of their network and admit only high-quality partners. That selectivity sets up the close relationships that follow.
How does Westcott keep affiliates engaged for decades?
Westcott has built a foundation of long-lasting relationships, and some affiliates have stayed with the company for decades. The key is personalized, private communication with each one.
The team keeps in touch with active affiliates through direct, one-on-one conversations, making sure they feel valued and supported. Within UpPromote, Westcott can stay connected by email or in-app chat.
Through private channels, through one-on-one conversations usually, either over telephone or text or email, but it’s a very personal kind of relationship with each one
Gregory Nickoloff, Technical Lead at Westcott
That personal touch is what turns a one-time recruit into a partner who stays for years.
How does Westcott handle sales and commission tracking?
Because of those close relationships, Westcott’s affiliates rely entirely on the company to track their sales and commissions.
UpPromote lets the team manage all affiliate-related data in one place, monitoring referred sales, calculating commission amounts, and evaluating overall performance.
After verifying the numbers, Westcott updates each affiliate on their performance and ensures commission payouts arrive on time. For a brand built on personal trust, a reliable system to back it up keeps those long-standing partnerships running smoothly.
