Why Not Have Two Sets of Affiliate Awards?
7 Comments February 5, 2008 / Posted in Affiliate Events, AwardsYesterday’s announcement of a much more formalised and A4UExpo independent A4UAwards perhaps wasn’t greeted with quite the fanfare and support, at least in some affiliate quarters, that the effort and inspiration to instigate such an event deserved. For me a black tie event at the Park Lane Hotel in London is a million miles away from the informality that has been affiliate marketing for many years.
I dislike black tie events! It’s in London (not great for us out of towners)! It’s on a Thursday (not great for us out of towners)!
No, that’s unfair!
I actually loathe black tie events – tuxedos may make even the tallest and gangliest of blokes smart, but if I wanted to dress like everyone else I’d join The Salvation Army. The only thing that would appease me on this would be if everyone wearing the same tuxedo stood up and shouted “we are all individuals”.
Anyway, I’m digressing! I appreciate the need for such an event, and like many of my peers would question the voting system in place. However, that is what has been decided, and as Kieron suggested to me last night it is a way of celebrating the industry.
However, such an event does signify just how things have changed over the years – perhaps even in just the last 12 to 18 months. No longer is affiliate marketing a bunch of blokes in a limo knocking on network doors on one champagne fueled trip around The Capital – it’s now big business and a lot more formal. For “affiliate marketing” that is good news, but one perhaps laments for an earlier age of informality, community and friendship.
Affiliate Industry Awards – Affiliate Community Awards
Which leads me to the point of this post – if the formal event is required, then why not an informal awards. I don’t mean like Rob Berrisford’s Raspberries, but a community voted option later in the year?
The coding for last year’s A4UAwards is (possibly) still in place, and with a “one company one vote” option a second chance to celebrate what’s good in AM could be established. An award could simply be a graphic for the winners to use on their websites? More informal awards, like best affiliate blog – which don’t really fit in with the new found formality (Lammo.net) – could be included in such an offering!
So how about it? Let’s support the A4UAwards as, whether we like it or not, they are reflective of the changing climate, but a “Affiliate Community Awards” will also maintain the community spirit and informality that have been at AM’s very foundations.
“No longer is affiliate marketing a bunch of blokes in a limo knocking on network doors on one champagne fueled trip around The Capital – it’s now big business and a lot more formal. For “affiliate marketing” that is good news, but one perhaps laments for an earlier age of informality, community and friendship.”
Nowt wrong at lamenting on the good old days. It seems that maybe only half of those will be attendance for the A4UAwards, but great that most were at the A4UExpo.
“For me a black tie event at the Park Lane Hotel in London is a million miles away from the informality that has been affiliate marketing for many years.” – all of us over at Thornton Consultancy dislike Black Tie events!
I do miss the good ol’ days
I don’t actually mind the formal attire bit – some of us affiliates could do with a wash and wear some clean clothes once a year
– but it’s the corporate element that concerns me. The reason I got into affiliate marketing was because I always was an outsider, the unique one in whatever I did, and I love my fellow affiliates for being down to earth, casual, individualistic and sometimes caustic.
I think the formal event has its place and will help lift the industry to another, but I agree with you that a second event, the Affiliate Community Awards, would also be most welcome. Lets have both I say.
2 Awards under the auspices of a4u would be confusing at best.
I don’t like formal wear either or the fact the affiliate marketing industry has moved on – us old-timers are already an anachronism but we can’t turn the clock back so we’ll just have to be the grumpy old men (and women) of the industry and remember back when we changed the world – well a bit. I still marvel at adverts for comparison websites on TV, that can’t be profitable or sustainable surely?
[...] Community Awards I’ve seen several comments suggesting that a seperate award ceremony could be conducted, maybe not quite in the same stream as Rob Berrisford’sRaspberries, but you get the point, a seperate community awards as suggested by Jason Dale. [...]
[...] can read more about the awards at the official site here and read the various opinions on it here, here and [...]
[...] me all the A4UAwards should be community led, but hey at least some of them are and that therefore means it’s up to the community to make [...]