Commission Junction - Advertiser case study.

BuyCostumes.com Case Study

BuyCostumes.com Works with Commission Junction to Double Publisher Sales

The National Retail Foundation says Halloween sales reached $3.29 billion in 2005, an increase of more than five percent from 2004. Showing true ghoulish spirit, 60 percent of consumers purchase Halloween themed decorations for their homes, making it the second largest holiday for home decorating after Christmas. As an increasing number of consumers go online to satisfy their costume and party supply needs, BuyCostumes.com has become the top Web site for any pirate, cowboy, super hero or Frenchmaid to get their party started. As reported by Internet retailer in October 2005, BuyCostumes.com has a 31% share of all Internet costume retailers. Combining creative thinking with Commission Junction's expertise, CJ Access™ solution and value-added services, BuyCostumes.com has created the go-to costume and decoration destination for publishers and in the process doubled its publisher sales in just one year.


	"We feel very confident working with Commission Junction and feel they are the best network in the industry. Commission Junction looks ahead and thinks strategically." Kristen Machut Affiliate Manager and Marketing Specialist

According to Kristen Machut, affiliate manager and marketing specialist at BuyCostumes.com, the affiliate program is based on two foundations – hard work and creative outreach to publishers and customers. With the understanding that the majority of their business is dedicated to Halloween, Kristen and her team are constantly looking for ways to drive traffic to the site during the rest of the year. BuyCostumes.com offers party kits for birthdays, theme party and holiday party supplies, and carries various holiday specific costumes such as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Cupid, Uncle Sam, Leprechauns and much more. This helps balance out the revenue stream for BuyCostumes.com and in turn, for its loyal publishers.

Kristen also works with niche sites that provide their costumers with unique products such as wigs, masks, branded items and accessories. Another unique aspect of the program is that BuyCostumes.com is the only Halloween retailer with a no "charge back" policy – meaning the company does not penalize publishers for customer returns. But nothing could be more successful in motivating publishers than the annual Halloween Sweepstakes offered during September and October, which rewards publishers with cash and prizes on top of their Halloween commissions.

"[With the sweepstakes,] we reward all types of publishers, not just the top performing sites," said Machut. "It really helps motivate and give credit to publishers who show growth. It has been very successful for us and a great way to say thank you to publishers who are working hard to promote BuyCostumes.com."

BuyCostumes.com appreciates the hard work and expertise provided by Commission Junction. The two teams work together to ensure all the links and creative are current and ready to go by August 1st for the Halloween rush. Additionally, BuyCostumes.com experienced great success with Commission Junction's Publisher Optimization service, a value-added service designed to optimize the publisher base. This service helped BuyCostumes.com analyze current publishers and devise strategies to improve conversions and leads from lower-performing publishers.

"We feel very confident working with Commission Junction and feel they are the best network in the industry," said Machut. "Commission Junction looks ahead and thinks strategically."

"BuyCostumes.com is a great example of an advertiser that rewards publishers in every way they can," said Dave Osman, vice president of advertiser development. "They have not limited themselves to just a few months a year, but have developed a strong, year-round program."

Some companies might see only limitations to a seasonal offering, but BuyCostumes.com has created a year-round business using creativity and a well-rounded product base. Working with Commission Junction, BuyCostumes.com has become a profitable program for publishers of all sizes.

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