How do you build an affiliate programme that supports over 140 global attractions, from LEGOLAND and Madame Tussauds to SEA LIFE and the London Eye?

In this episode, we speak to Vera Ermelina, Affiliate Marketing Manager at Merlin Entertainments, about what it takes to run a smart, content-driven, and brand-safe affiliate strategy at serious scale.

Vera shares the full story: from her early days at Admitad (with no marketing experience and only Mandarin on her CV), through to launching and scaling Merlin’s affiliate programme across the UK. Along the way Vera reveals what it took to move the internal perception of affiliate marketing from “just vouchers and cashback” to a respected channel driving incremental value and customer engagement.

We talk about:

• Why content creators beat voucher sites, and how to support them properly
• The problem with obsessing over incrementality (and how to reframe it)
• How Merlin introduced voucher codes without losing control
• The risks of working with sub-networks and how to keep your programme clean
• Loyalty portals, mid-tier influencers, and other underrated affiliate types
• What affiliate teams can do to earn internal trust and drive cross-channel collaboration

This is a must-listen for anyone managing an affiliate programme in a complex organisation, or for brands looking to modernise their approach to partner marketing.

💬 Quote from the episode:

“It’s not about proving someone wouldn’t have booked without us. It’s about showing we add value, and rewarding the people helping us do that.”

🔗 Links and references:

• Merlin Entertainments: https://www.merlinentertainments.biz
• Navigate Digital: https://www.navigatedigital.com
• More episodes of Affiliate Marketing Diaries: https://shows.acast.com/affiliate-marketing-diaries

Affiliate Marketing Diaries is brought to you by Navigate Digital – the UK's specialist affiliate marketing agency.

In each episode, we sit down with the people behind the programs – marketers, publishers, tech providers and network leads – to uncover how affiliate marketing really works from the inside out.

You’ll hear honest reflections, smart strategies, and practical lessons from the frontlines of performance marketing – what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what’s coming next.

For show notes, transcripts, and all previous episodes, visit navigatedigital.com/podcast.

Found something useful in this episode? Let us know – or better yet, share it with someone navigating the same challenges. And if you’d like help launching or growing your affiliate programme, get in touch.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.