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Case Studies

Rakuten Advertising & Global Savings Group

Converting a Diverse European Luxury Audience

The Results

Luxury goods continue to be a favourite purchase for European shoppers. Despite economic shifts, luxury brands are finding new customers and increasing sales thanks to affiliate marketing. Together, Global Saving Group and Rakuten Advertising have helped some of Europe’s largest luxury brands overcome market challenges and exceed performance expectations:

46%

order increase in Q4 of 2023

132%

YoY sales growth

263%

YoY order increase

About the Brand

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Munich, Global Savings Group (GSG) is Europe’s largest shopping community, recommendation and rewards platform with an international footprint in over 20 markets. GSG provide shoppers with access to the best savings, cashback, deals, product inspiration, and reviews, offering them the opportunity to save money all while continuing to enjoy their usual shopping experience.

The Story

Luxury consumers are becoming increasingly diverse. The shift to sustainable shopping has further accelerated the rate at which people make their first purchase, with the average Gen Z shopper buying their first luxury item at 15. Additionally, online luxury shoppers are more price-sensitive than offline consumers, creating a need for brands to go beyond ethereal campaigns based solely on building awareness.

Although luxury brands can be hesitant to offer discounts, cashback offers a way to employ price discrimination while maintaining or even boosting brand image. A recent GSG survey of French consumers showed that 87% of respondents have a more positive perception of brands that offer cashback.

Through a partnership with GSG European cashback site iGraal, luxury advertisers sought the opportunity to increase sales despite a challenging economic climate.

The Rakuten Advertising Solution

Rakuten Advertising and Global Saving Group optimised their extensive partnership to pool together innovative insights and technology to deliver campaigns that exceeded the expectations of brands.  This was done through:

The Human Connection

A partnership spanning +8 years, GSG and Rakuten understand the importance of collaboration and tailored strategies in affiliate marketing. The teams have worked together to cultivate relationships through in-office spotlights, sponsorship of Rakuten’s DealMaker, and educational content for the industry.

Great Technology

GSG and its luxury partners benefited from advanced commissioning technologies, including the ability to commission dynamically based on brand KPIs. GSG’s cashback platform iGraal was leveraged to target consumers in France, Germany and Spain, creating a more positive perception of luxury brands.

Meaningful Insights

Rakuten’s industry-leading reporting suite, Insights and Analytics Portal, was used to provide a holistic view of data. Our Forecasting and Benchmarking were coupled with Affiliate Conversion Journey data to understand how shoppers are purchasing and the best optimisation tactics.

We’ve been a partner of Rakuten Advertising for many years now and we really value our partnership. They have introduced us to many brands who we’ve now established strong partnerships with through our cashback platforms, and we are starting to see more high-end brands coming on board, too. We believe cashback is a great channel for premium brands to reach aspirational shoppers, where the presence of cashback can provide the additional motivation needed for them to make a purchase - especially when it’s a high-value purchase.

Natasha Benee
Global Account Director at Global Savings Group

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