Posts Tagged "buy.at"

What Are Thorntons Thinking Of?

Posted on 11 Aug 2009 in Merchants | 0 comments

At the weekend, while out at the Trafford Centre, I found myself in Thorntons although I am not quite sure how it happened.

Anyway, whilst looking around I noticed Thorntons have only gone and taken taken two of the most individually beautiful tasting products and lashed them together in a pan thinking it would be a good idea. Chocolate and Balsamic Vinegar! What on earth were they thinking?

Some people know that after experiencing Willies (not the male variety!) I’ve got a tad snobby when it comes to Chocolate. I’m no longer a fan of the standard milk chocolate bar as I find it doesn’t actually have any taste. It’s just sweet, smooth, fatty textured brown stuff and it’s unhealthy! Don’t get me wrong, I will still eat it if it’s being offered!

Good, dark chocolate with a high Cocoa count however, not only taste lovely, but has been scientifically proven to be good for helping burn fat while exercising. Therefore my training regime for the Sheffield 10k (in aid of Diabetes… now there’s a contradiction!) will see me gain 3 stone in weight whilst I try out the many different slabs of Chocolate available from Thorntons. At the same time, my being able to run at a faster pace for the same feelings of effort as running at slower speeds without the chocolate drink. Makes sense to me!

So back to Thorntons and their Balsamic Vinegar Chocolate. Believe it or not, it’s actually extremely nice. The 75% high cocoa content gives you the slightly bitter taste that’s found with proper chocolate. This is quickly followed and overcome by the sweet tang of the balsamic vinegar that lingers a little longer. For me personally, I think maybe just a hint more vinegar would make it even better.

The box says “Best Before March 2010“……….. Yeah right! Next is their Chilli version I think!

Definitely worth giving a try if you’re already a dark chocolate fan and they’re on the Buy.At network as a merchant too!

Buy.At and The Power Of Blogging

Posted on 1 Apr 2009 in Networks | 10 comments

I’ve often wondered about the power of blogging after seeing Lee gets easter eggs and Kieron gets phones. Today I’m going to put it to the test and see if I can get myself a pen!

This quest isn’t for any ordinary pen… oh no! What I’m after is the “Montblanc” equivalent in the Affiliate Marketing world.

Platform-A, or Buy.At as most will know them, often appear at affiliate functions such as the A4U, AdTech, Affiliate Summit etc, and are usually world class leaders when it comes to goodie bags and the bits and bobs contained within.

In 2008, to promote their Platform-A branding exercise, they had some silver/black twisty ball pens created that were simply the dogs bollox in the pen world. These magical writing instruments screamed of beauty that Miss Universe can only dream of. The simple, yet effective smooth twist action revealed a ball that glided over paper similar to Torvil and Dean’s Ravel’s Bolero in 1984.

The problem with developing such a fine design, is that one must protect it due to its demand being so popular. Sadly the two specimens I managed to obtain have been “borrowed” – the joys of working in an office!

Sadly due to commitments, it’s unlikely that I will be able to get to any A4U gatherings this year (sigh of releif for those that pay the bar bills), so therefore will be unable to grab a goodie bag or two.

I wonder if  my blog is enough to grab the attention of Platform-A / Buy.At and secure another fine example of writing finesse…

Was 2008 A Bumper Year?

Posted on 2 Feb 2009 in Development | 9 comments

In the past, I’ve kept track as to the amount of sales I done on behalf of merchants purely out of interest. 2008 has been a good year mainly due to the introduction and focus on new sites, especially niche and seasonal ones, helping to bump up sales throughout the year.

Sadly the huge increase in sales, isn’t reflected in the same way when it comes to commissions. Trust me, I would be jumping for joy if I could say an average 10% commission was paid for each sale, and certainly would be giving up the day job!

Even so, it goes to show that us small affiliates (the ones that do it along side fulltime jobs, in our bedrooms) can still help companies achieve growths and profits.

So why the changes? Well once again a lot of it is down to my relationships with networks. CJ, who in the past I’ve found to be a bit of a faceless company, have made contact with me. Just having a contact on MSN (thanks Hildegunn) has driven me to look at and push their merchants a little more, resulting in a 426% increase.

Another possible reason is the introduction of a bi-weekly newsletter. After collecting email addresses since I care to remember, I never did a single thing with them. Now my newsletters are sent out every 2 weeks, pushing merchants who in turn offer me and my visitors something special.

All in all a good year, but I’m not holding out much hope for this year with the credit crunch, yet think Eco Friendly stuff maybe worth a punt.

A Massive Christmas Thank You

Posted on 12 Dec 2008 in Merchants | 2 comments

I thought it was about time I did a quick Christmas round up, to thank everyone who has sent cards, presents, festive well wishes and competition prizes over the past few weeks. Looking at the list it’s probably the best Crimbo so far

COMPETITION PRIZES

• £200 Shopping Spree from Play.com
• £50 Voucher from IWoot
• Personalised Calendar From Prezzbox
• Naturally Gorgeous Book from Green People

UNEXPECTED (YET STILL WELCOME) GIFTS

• Newspaper, Football Book and Personalised Calendar from Gone Digging
• Selection eco friendly products from Gizoo
• Chocolate Hamper from Thorntons
• UEFA Champions League Tickets (Liverpool vs  Marseille) from Vodafone
• Virginia Hayward Hamper from Webgains
• Virginia Hayward Hamper from Buy.At

All the above are very much appreciated. The gifts and competition prizes are fantastic and very much appreciated. I’m also glad to report that my Christmas website has generated more sales than ever before which has prompted me to start preparing for Valentines Day Presents!

Its also good to read about other affiliates who are reaping rewards from their efforts. George blogs over at Entrepreneur.co.uk and he’s tracking his success on a monthly basis. Although not yet reaching his targets, its good to see it heading in the right direction!

Thank You Thorntons

Posted on 17 Nov 2008 in Merchants | 4 comments

Just a quick post to say a huge THANK YOU to Thorntons for the unexpected lovely surprise I had waiting for me when I got home tonight.

I didn’t realise that chocolate hampers came in this size! There’s 10 chocolate goodies that make up the “I Love Chocolate” hamper;

• Continental Chocs
• Original Toffi Chocs
• Milk Chocolate Smothered Vanilla Fudge – DEMOLISHED ALREADY!
• Continental Belgian Bag
• Continental Praline Bag
• Choc Chip Choccies
• Milk Dark and White Classics
• Dark Chocolate Bar
• Milk Chocolate Bar
• White Chocolate Bar

You don’t realise that this couldn’t have come at a better time, chilling me out a little and putting a smile (albeit it chocolate covered one) back on my face :) Enclosed was a gift card that read;

We’re looking forward to working with you at Christmas and throughout 2009. Hope you enjoy the hamper. Best wishes from the Thorntons team.

You and me both… Thank you very much!

For those of you wanting one of these hampers next year, the Thorntons programme is on the Buy.At network and pays 8% over a 7 day cookie.