DMi Partners

70% of all TikTok Shop purchases are driven by affiliate content! 🤯 Elizabeth Hoover dropped this stat during her recent TikTok Shop webinar. Affiliate isn't just a feature of TikTok Shop, it's the foundation. Brands that crack the affiliate code are the ones winning on the platform! #TikTokShop #AffiliateMarketing #DigitalMarketing

The way people discover and buy products is changing, and the brands winning right now are the ones paying attention. Our latest DMinsights newsletter breaks down the shifts you need to know: TikTok Shop's rise as a commerce giant, Gmail's inbox shake-up, and why Performance PR is becoming a core part of the modern marketing mix. Read the full edition at the link below!

Thanks to Inc. Magazine for highlighting DMi Partners as a leader in the Performance PR space. It's awesome to hear the growing chorus of digital marketing leaders emphasize the value of Performance PR to brands. https://lnkd.in/eFYrpF-v

One of the more interesting things about this is how this gives brands clearer line of sight into the demand they’re actually driving within retailer ecosystems, making them stronger partners with more leverage in JBP conversations. Thank you Total Retail for leaning into this topic and including me in the conversation. https://lnkd.in/eynv2zcD

Word of mouth has always been the most valuable form of marketing. And now, in today's world, AI is becoming the new word of mouth. Consumers are skipping traditional search engines, and even skipping asking friends and family, in favor of turning to LLMs (Large Language Models) and AI platforms for product recommendations. "What's the best _______?" is now a question people ask ChatGPT and Claude as much as they ask Google or a trusted friend. This behavioral shift has enormous implications for brands. Generative AI tools don't pull recommendations out of thin air. They search content across the web (buying guides, product roundups, expert reviews published by high-authority media, etc.). The brands mentioned consistently in that content are the ones AI recommends. This is what makes Performance PR so powerful in 2026. Securing brand mentions in trusted editorial content feeds the sources LLMs cite most and shapes the recommendations consumers increasingly trust... much like a close friend's opinion. The brands we've seen pull ahead in generative search share a few things in common: - Consistent placements in trusted, high-domain publications - Strong editor relationships that reinforce their brand's distinct value - A content affiliate strategy built for upper-funnel influence, not just last-click conversion Shoutout to our Chief Growth Officer, Zach Labenberg, for this Performance PR insight! For the brand marketers and affiliate managers out there: do you see AI as the new word of mouth? And is your brand showing up where it counts? #PerformancePR #AffiliateMarketing #AISearch #eCommerce #GenerativeAI #WordOfMouth

In 2023, we began working with Embark Veterinary to manage their Affiliate program. From day one, they've been a true partner in every sense of the word. They've worked with us side by side to understand our processes, partnerships, and opportunities for growth. They trust our recommendations as the experts in our channel, and we trust they're the experts in their business. It's the kind of collaborative relationship that makes great work possible, and why Embark trusted us to recently launch our ACE product to drive growth through Amazon Affiliates as well! The results have been impressive. We've increased their revenue since we started management, with almost 40% coming from content and creators. One recent standout win was working with Wirecutter to get coverage across their site, which led to a 90% new customer rate. Our team has also built a relationship that goes beyond work, sharing details about vacations, personal life events, kids, and more. Someone from the Embark team even sneakily got a hold of a DMi'ers wedding registry and sent her a gift. Just one example of the kind of real appreciation our teams have for each other.

AI is now interpreting your emails before your subscribers do! With Gemini integrated directly into Gmail, machine learning is increasingly shaping which messages get seen by your subscribers. In her latest MarTech article, Lauren McGrath, Director of Email Marketing, breaks down what this means for marketers and how it changes the future of inbox visibility. A few key takeaways: • Relevance is becoming a much stronger ranking signal. Gmail’s Promotions tab is already moving toward relevance-based factors like engagement patterns, sender reputation, and content signals instead of chronological order. • AI could shorten subscriber attention. With features like AI-generated thread summaries, recipients may interact with condensed overviews rather than full emails. • Behavioral modeling will likely shape exposure. As Gemini learns from user behavior, inbox placement could become increasingly personalized, with engagement in one brand’s emails influencing the visibility of similar messages from others. Read her full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/gdEfvF3V

Is your email marketing agency really worth it? ROI isn’t always obvious, but the right agency can make all the difference. In our latest blog, Kevin Dugan, VP Analytics & Marketing Intelligence, breaks down how to measure value and decide if in-house or agency support is right for your brand. https://lnkd.in/eJUWt6Ht

We spy some familiar faces on the TikTok Shop page! 👀 Kristina, Emily, and Elizabeth represented Liquid I.V. at the Glow for Bloom event earlier this month. Check it out below!

This month's spotlight is on one of the creative minds behind our email marketing strategy, Email Marketing Specialist, Karleigh Presutti Kieffer. Over the last 2.5 years, Karleigh has been going out of her way to get wins for her clients and teammates, and even local communities – consistently suggesting ways our teams can help or volunteer. Her day-to-day consists of reviewing client campaigns from all angles (segmentation, send optimizations, content, engagement, pacing, etc.), refining their short-term and long-term strategy for success, and executing on email builds. Karleigh specializes in Food & Beverage marketing strategy, which is very fitting as a home chef and die-hard foodie. When she isn't crushing email strategy or making something delicious, you can find Karleigh in Charlotte, NC hanging with her husband and new-born, Maggie – probably getting pumped for the upcoming Bills season. Thank you for everything you do, Karleigh! We may be based in 'Go Birds' country, but it's the off-season, and our greetings are almost identical, so GO BI__S! Disclaimer: This was written by a person. Dashes are fitting sometimes, and we won't let the machines take them away from us.