Case Studies

Buyagift

Driving Growth and Efficiency Through Innovation

The Results

Through a strategic partnership with Rakuten Advertising, Buyagift achieved significant growth across the funnel.

123%

more clicks after Audience Engine  targeting

52%

MoM sales growth and 153% AOV increase in August

47%

sales increase with a 94% increase in clicks.

790%

MoM sales growth for lower funnel campaigns

About the Brand

Buyagift is a leading UK-based experience gift provider, offering a diverse range of memorable experiences from spa days to adventure activities to one-of-a-kind dining experiences. With a focus on making gifting personal and unforgettable, Buyagift enables customers to easily purchase and share unique experiences for themselves or loved ones.

The Story

Buyagift needed to scale its mature affiliate programme while staying efficient in a competitive market. Their key priorities were streamlining reporting, maximising budget, and expanding publisher partnerships, Buyagift decided to partner with Rakuten Advertising because of their ability to provide hands-on support and innovative solutions.

The Rakuten Advertising Solution

Rakuten Advertising delivered a data-driven strategy, combining advanced technology and expert partnership management to drive growth, efficiency, and new audience reach for Buyagift.

Expanding Publisher Partnerships

Buyagift used Audience Engine to identify and target publishers that would enable them to unlock new audiences. For example, content partnerships with niche sites promoted key products, and collaboration with a Comparison Shopping Services (CSS) partner scaled reach and conversions.

Innovation with Mid-Funnel Optimisation

The AI Recommendation Tool in Rakuten Advertising’s Innovation Labs revealed program gaps, highlighting Closed User Groups (CUG) as a key opportunity. Five new CUG partners were efficiently added, boosting mid-funnel performance.

Dynamic Commissioning

Dynamic Commissioning enabled competitive cashback rates and protected margins.  Targeted campaigns with Top Cashback, Quidco, and Easyfundraising drove sales and AOV growth. Overall commission spend was reduced, supporting a sustainable, full-funnel strategy.

Rakuten Advertising offers not only a wide range of best-in-market affiliate partners, but also up-and-coming brands and tech solutions that are particularly valuable to us as a mature programme. Working closely with the team has enabled us to participate in a couple of exciting beta tests, helping us streamline our workloads. Lastly, the market and vertical insights provided by the team help us gain a better understanding of our positioning and inform our trading decisions not just within affiliate, but on a business level.

Patrycja Wiglusz
Senior Affiliates Manager | Buyagift & Red Letter Days