5 Reasons Your Affiliate Agency Shouldn’t Pitch Media
It’s a bit of a take on the “chicken or the egg” situation: PR or affiliate marketing? Which comes first? Which feeds which? Who handles what? If you’ve read our previous posts about why your PR person is recommending affiliate marketing or the differences between Performance PR and affiliate marketing, you already have a bit of a jump on this post, as we hinted at the main reason you want a PR person behind the wheel of your affiliate program. But why exactly do you want PR reaching out to affiliate-driven media v. an affiliate-specific agency?
To give you the main gist: affiliate and PR are complementary, but they are not interchangeable. When your affiliate agency starts pitching media, you’re not just crossing lanes — you’re risking relationships, reputation, and results. Here’s why.
“PR wins every single time because they’ll tell the story and get the editor to understand exactly why the story should even be written.”
Storytelling is PR’s superpower.
First and foremost, selling in any capacity is about storytelling, which is something veteran PR people are the best at, through and through. It is, of course, a great value when pitching affiliate-driven stories to a media outlet, but it should be noted that this skill is equally as vital when speaking with an influencer about possible post ideas or a paid search expert about what kinds of ads will snag new customer interest. Storytelling should drive the affiliate program overall, but definitely for the outreach to media outlets, who need that messaging for their pieces.
PR: The Ultimate Brand Defender and Translator
PR people do more than manage assets — we defend your brand and ensure it shows up consistently across every channel. From media coverage to influencer collaborations to affiliate listings, we’re the ones who make sure your message doesn’t get lost in translation.
We don’t just hand over logos and product images; we understand what those assets mean and how they ladder up to your brand story. We know which talking points to highlight, what kind of tone belongs in a product description versus a long-lead feature, and how to adapt your brand’s voice to resonate with both editors and algorithms.
Think of us as translators between your brand’s internal world and the external landscape — maintaining your credibility, tone, and narrative integrity whether you’re in a glossy magazine, on a TikTok reel, or featured in a commerce roundup. That level of stewardship is what keeps your brand recognizable, respected, and resonant.
We’re Committed to the Three P’s: Personalize, Persevere and Pivot (when necessary).
Gone are the days when a media outlet would cover something just because it launched (unless of course, you happen to be Apple or Taylor Swift). Now, you have to get your affiliate-driven product or service on the radar of the media and then follow up with timely and relevant suggestions about why it makes sense to feature it “now.” An affiliate agency may link up with a media publisher’s commerce manager via a great commission rate or opt-in bonus offer, but all of that means nothing unless the editors put pen to paper. That’s where the timely PR follow-up, perseverance, and occasional pivot come in. Personalize and persevere.
As Your Chief Visibility Officers, We Understand the Importance of AI.
We can help with your AEO, too, a key spoke in the flywheel of affiliate and performance PR these days. Just like the SEO-enriched press releases of days gone by, your PR person knows all the tips and tricks to optimize media-friendly content so that it’s beloved by chatbots everywhere. This is something commerce managers at publications are seeking out from the brands they feature.
Relationships: It’s in Our Name
You can’t have PR without relationships. It’s literally in our name, and here at Dadascope, we’ve been navigating relationships since the 20th century. Before affiliate marketing was even a “thing.” This is KEY in both performance PR and affiliate marketing because you can’t just “one and done” your affiliate partners OR your media contacts. You have to court them, woo them, and romance them. Aka educate them, follow up with them, send them product, get them to believe in the brand as much as you do. This is what generates TRUE results from an affiliate placement, media or otherwise: Audience synergy, built by heartfelt promotion of an affiliate that understands and jives with a brand ethos.
Affiliate agencies can be incredible at building performance engines filled with affiliate partners throughout the funnel — but media outreach isn’t their lane. Keep your storytellers focused on building credibility and context, and your affiliate pros focused on driving conversions (or tap a PR team that can do both). That’s how the whole team can work together in harmony to win brand recognition, share of voice, and an uptick in sales with an affiliate program that features key media placements driven by your friendly local PR pros.