#02 How Payback scales with Partner Marketing | with Torsten Hautmann

Show notes

In this episode of the Partner Marketing Podcast, Torsten Hautmann, VP of Digital Sales at Payback, shares insights into how Europe’s largest loyalty program leverages partner marketing to scale its operations and deliver value to millions of users. Payback’s platform boasts over 30 million subscribers and up to 1.8 million daily active users. Torsten explains the program's multi-faceted business model, which integrates offline partnerships with grocers and fuel stations, digital affiliation strategies, and an expansive rewards system to drive customer engagement.

**Why Partner Marketing has been pivotal ** Torsten highlights how partner marketing has been instrumental in building Payback’s vast partner ecosystem. By offering flexibility and low entry barriers, Payback has onboarded over 650 partners, balancing exclusivity in key sectors like groceries with diverse offerings in travel, retail, and fashion. The conversation dives into how Payback evaluates partnerships, emphasizing customer value, trust, and reliability. Torsten also details the evolution of affiliate partnerships over two decades, enabling Payback to offer a seamless experience for users while simplifying integration processes for partners.

The discussion moves into the technical and strategic aspects of managing such a vast network, including tracking challenges, cookie consent issues, and ensuring timely reward points allocation. Torsten shares the proactive measures Payback takes to address these challenges, fostering trust among users and maintaining the program’s high reputation. He also underscores the importance of transparency and collaboration with partners to optimize campaign performance and resolve hurdles effectively.

**Evolving Partner Marketing: Flexibility and Focus ** Torsten reflects on how partner marketing has transformed from simple newsletter campaigns to a sophisticated, multi-channel, data-driven ecosystem. He envisions an even more personalized and one-to-one approach to marketing in the future, driven by clear communication and robust partnerships. For marketers looking to harness the potential of partnerships, Torsten’s advice is clear: embrace flexibility, focus on customer-centric strategies, and foster strong, collaborative relationships.

This episode is a must-listen for marketers eager to learn how a powerhouse like Payback has turned loyalty and partner marketing into a dynamic, scalable model for success.

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This Podcast is produced by TLDR Studios.