Expertise

Affilae unveils its “Performance and Affiliate” study for 2026

Marine Brégère

Apr 13, 2026

What the data of the study reveals

2025 confirmed a simple reality: performance is no longer a question of budget; it is a question of method. In a tight economic climate, the winning brands were those that managed with precision, built lasting relational assets, and successfully reconciled branding with conversion.

2025: A year of selection

The market focused on two obsessions: ROI and margins. This led to a surgical approach to management. The most frequent request: a profitable POC within 3 to 4 months.

However, programs that achieved sustainable performance were those that accepted initial inertia to build solid mechanics. Performance is built; it is not simply switched on.

Sector benchmarks

For the first time, our 2026 performance affiliate study crosses affiliate data with influencer indicators across 3 key verticals:

The 7 trends shaping 2026

Influencer performance as a pillar — 53% of partnerships now involve content creators, representing 50% of total commissions. They are the foundation of any modern strategy.
The “Ambassador Crew” asset — Winning brands build long-term groups of creators with steady cadences rather than one-off campaigns.
Content amplification — Two-thirds of brands now use amplification. Every creator post is a media asset integrated into Ads and CRM.
AI Matching — Tools like Match AI by Affilae use semantic analysis to identify affiliates truly aligned with a brand’s DNA in real-time.
Multi-signal smart tracking — The 30-day cookie is obsolete. A “deterministic-first” approach reconciles real conversions without “ghost” data.
Mobile dominance — Mobile accounts for 60% to 77% of conversions. Short, human-centric formats are the new gold standard.
Agentic commerce — Being recommended by AI (ChatGPT, Perplexity) is now strategic. Brands must optimize for intelligent agents that shop on behalf of consumers.