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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryBrand & Performance MarketingAffiliate Marketing

Brand & Performance Marketing

Affiliate Marketing

Paying partners a commission for sales or leads they drive.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based model in which a business pays partners a commission for sales or leads they drive. Affiliates include publishers, review sites, coupon sites, and creators, tracked through unique links or codes. Because payment follows results, it offers low-risk acquisition, though it requires monitoring for fraud and attribution overlap.