“ A lot of affiliates don ’ t have direct exposure to compliance requirements , whereas we back up all of the responsibilities that our white-label partners have as part of our contract ”
“ A lot of affiliates don ’ t have direct exposure to compliance requirements , whereas we back up all of the responsibilities that our white-label partners have as part of our contract ”
“ We were a team of 40 people last year and I expect the number to rise to 60 by the end of 2024 . I ’ m putting together the budget for next year and that looks like a sensible number we can go for .”
BILATERAL BENEFITS
To some , having a white-label operation as well as affiliate brands sounds like a dilemma , presenting internal conflicts to resolve and hard decisions to make , but in reality , the combination brings QiH ’ s partners “ synergies rather than conflict ”. “ Operationally , we act as a single business wherever possible because the skillsets are the same in data , marketing and CRM teams ,” Walters says .
“ Our understanding in lifetime value curves comes from our data , so we ’ re able to build out waterfall models of value delivered over time and then understand what timeframe our partners are looking to get paid over ,” he adds . “ This means we can adjust our pricing accordingly based on actual data we ’ re getting from our white-label operation , so we ’ re in a stronger position to help them as we understand the market better .”
The synergy also comes about because the company is dedicated to following compliance rules as closely as all of its operator partners . “ We take compliance really seriously because we have to , Walters explains . “ I think a lot of affiliates don ’ t have direct exposure to compliance requirements , whereas we back up all of the responsibilities that our white-label partners have as part of our contract otherwise we would be liable for any breaches .”
Another benefit of following compliance rules to the letter is that it enables QiH to get licensed and operate in the US , keeping in line with the company ’ s focus on regulated markets and presenting growth opportunities .
“ It ’ s where our strength is as a company and the challenge we face with grey markets compared to the US or UK is we ’ re very strong on paid media activity .”
This ultimately means that the likes of Google , Facebook and other big media owners are often impossible to use in grey markets for affiliates choosing to have brands there .
“ There appears to be a lot of room for us to grow both in the UK market and in the US states , where we can really use our core capability and stick to our core disciplines ,” says Walters .
“ We could enter various markets in Europe in the future . Canada is quite interesting now more states are starting to regulate and the English language makes it easier for us to just move or apply what we ’ re doing now straight into that territory compared to some other markets .”
PEOPLE-FIRST CULTURE
On what pushes QiH forwards , the CEO names two key internal drivers that are at the heart of the company ’ s DNA and its future growth .
“ We recruited a new head of HR about 18 months ago from Yum ! Brands , one of the biggest global food companies ,”
iGB AFFILIATE LONDON 2024 • ISSUE 94 • 49