How Autodesk proved affiliate drives full-funnel growth at global scale

With CJ as its strategic partner, Autodesk scaled an affiliate programme delivering full-funnel results, from awareness to conversions and advocacy, blending global execution with measurable performance gains.

Client Background

Autodesk is a global design and engineering software leader serving industries from architecture to manufacturing and entertainment. Its flagship tools, including AutoCAD, Revit, Maya, and Fusion, are used by millions of professionals worldwide. Historically, Autodesk relied on free trials to drive acquisition and siloed marketing strategies to manage performance. With growth goals accelerating, CJ identified an opportunity to modernise, helping Autodesk build a full funnel affiliate-programme for long-term scalability to boost brand visibility, drive paid conversion, and deliver measurable ROI across global markets. 

The Challenge 

Autodesk needed an affiliate strategy that could do more than deliver the final click. It had to inform, persuade, and retain – across markets, channels, and customer types. That meant moving beyond siloed partner activity and building a coordinated programme capable of delivering full-funnel growth. 

Key challenges included: 

• Shifting from a free-trial model to direct paid acquisition 
• Aligning affiliate strategy to long-cycle B2B buyer journeys 
• Activating diverse partner types across five funnel stages: awareness, consideration, conversion, retention, and advocacy 
• Scaling globally without losing local precision or brand control 

While the existing programme had driven success in key markets, growth was concentrated around late-funnel tactics. With ambitions expanding, CJ worked with Autodesk to evolve the model, unifying global operations, diversifying partner types, and activating emerging channels such as  the B2B influencer and pay-per-performance Connected TV (CTV). Together, they built an integrated framework that aligned every partner, platform, and placement to business outcomes across the full funnel.  

Connect:
Building the foundation for full-funnel affiliate performance  

CJ’s first move was to connect every layer of the programme (from brand storytelling to conversion) into a single operating model. That meant -solidifying campaigns with a unified framework for performance, built on consistent tracking, partner alignment, and regional adaptability. The goal wasn’t just reach. It was to create an affiliate system that could scale globally while delivering outcomes at every stage of the customer journey. 

Key foundations included: 

• Global strategy, local execution: Cross-functional CJ teams operated across three continents to ensure cohesion with flexibility, tailoring tactics to regional buyer behaviours. 
• Smarter tracking and attribution: CJ’s Universal Tag enabled real-time data collection, while AI-powered dashboards turned performance signals into optimisation actions. 
• Partner mapping by segment: CJ used customer analytics to identify high-impact audiences and align them with the right combination of content, incentive, review, search, display, CTV, or loyalty partners. 
• Brand-safe growth at scale: CJ’s AI-driven compliance engine-maintained brand consistency across languages and markets, using next-gen NLP (Natural Language Processing) to proactively monitor data discrepancies to ensure accuracy at scale. 

The result was a globally connected affiliate architecture that brought every tactic, from awareness to conversions and advocacy, into a single, performance-driven system. It set the stage for coordinated growth, smarter partner activations, and full-funnel measurement at scale. 

Amplify:
Activating every stage of the funnel with precision and scale 

With the global architecture in place, CJ and Autodesk turned strategy into performance. Partner activations were aligned to every stage of the funnel, from creator-led awareness campaigns to high-intent conversion tactics and retention-based incentives. 

Each channel and partner type had a role to play: 

• Awareness: Partnering with the CJ Influence team enabled curated campaigns with verified creators targeting both experienced designers and casual hobbyists with short-form video that delivered upper-funnel impact and surpassed industry benchmarks. 

• Consideration: Content partners, Connected TV ads, and review sites helped educate buyers across long B2B decision cycles, supporting product exploration and comparison. 

• Conversion: Search and coupon partners re-engaged prospects with high purchase intent, helping to shift from free trials to paid acquisition. 

• Retention: Loyalty and cashback partners encouraged renewals and upsells, supporting Autodesk’s move toward subscription-based growth. 

• Advocacy: Editorial affiliates and industry influencers reinforced Autodesk’s category leadership through product storytelling and thought leadership. 

Throughout, CJ’s AI tools ensured campaign optimisation, while Universal Tag tracking tied activity to outcomes in real time. This was affiliate at full power, not just a channel, but an orchestrated growth engine.  

Grow:
Turning strategy into global performance gains   

Autodesk’s evolved affiliate model delivered measurable growth across markets, funnel stages, and business objectives. This ranged from brand awareness to paid acquisition and retention. Performance was no longer concentrated at the point of sale. Instead, value was delivered throughout the journey, with affiliate driving scale, efficiency, and deeper engagement. 

CJ helped Autodesk achieve: 

• 227% increase in average order value (AOV) by shifting from free trials to paid acquisition 
• 55% improvement in affiliate-attributed click-to-action conversion compared to non-affiliate users 
• 6.5% higher conversion rates for new customers through segmented commissioning and partner incentives 
• Global performance with coordinated local activations across 20+ countries 
• Integrated success across influencer, content, incentive, CTV, and review partners working in harmony 
• AI-led optimisation through Universal Tag tracking, real-time reporting, and network compliance tools

By orchestrating every layer of the programme through a unified affiliate framework, Autodesk and CJ proved that performance marketing is more than just for conversion. It’s now a full-funnel growth driver for global B2B brands. 

Client testimonial 

“To accelerate global growth, AUTODESK partnered with CJ to build a groundbreaking omnichannel programme—blending proven channels with innovative media into a full-journey strategy across the UK/EMEA, Americas, and APAC. Regular strategic alignment ensured all touchpoints worked in sync. The result: 43% year-on-year sales growth, achieving 358% of target—showcasing the true power of integrated performance marketing on a global scale.”  

Ian Silverman, Affiliate eCommerce Manager