Ethical Issues in Affiliate Marketing

by on August 15, 2008

One of the final sessions of Affiliate Summit 2008 East was an important discussion on ethics in the industry, and I couldn’t help but think about the irony of the topic given some things that went on behind the scenes during the conference.

You see, there were a number of folks that decided to use a variety of methods to scam their way into the conference.

It’s simple… people who are not registered and manage to make their way into the conference are cheats and thieves.

These are the skells of the industry who most needed to be in the session on ethics. But they’ll have to settle for the video.

This session and the others will be available for free on video in the near future.

Here is a shot before the panel of a few of the speakers: Michael Jones (Chief Operating Officer, Pepperjam), Haiko de Poel, Jr. (Managing Partner, dp internet services, LLC DBA ABestWeb), and Paul Nichols (Director of Sales, Ebates.com).

Michael Jones (Chief Operating Officer, Pepperjam), Haiko de Poel, Jr. (Managing Partner, dp internet services, LLC DBA ABestWeb), and Paul Nichols (Director of Sales, Ebates.com)

I’d like to express my gratitude to the majority of folks that go about business in a legitimate fashion in affiliate marketing.

And for the cheats and thieves, I’d highly recommend watching the keynote address from Cory Booker when it comes available on video.

But don’t expect to return to Affiliate Summit. Any of you who had their name and company written down by security are not welcome back, and we’ll be taking measures to thwart those who managed to go undetected this time.

{ 6 comments }

Simple Internet Marketing August 20, 2008 at 4:34 pm

Thank you, I am one of those honest by-the-book, affiliates, I think it always pays off in the long run.

Simple Internet Marketing August 20, 2008 at 2:34 pm

Thank you, I am one of those honest by-the-book, affiliates, I think it always pays off in the long run.

brian at pingo August 19, 2008 at 8:38 am

ouch, I bought my ticket from someone that one a free ticket but couldn't go. So I got a discount, but i believe it was legit. We get a lot of fraud from are website. I'm afraid that Its a part of doing business online.

Trammell Scruggs August 15, 2008 at 11:36 am

When Syntryx first started we couldn't afford to bring our entire team to Affiliate Summit.

But we were able to get sponsorship from people who believed in our product to attend Affiliate Summit so we could build better relationships.

It's a pity these people who bum-rush Affiliate Summit don't have the same strategy. Often times all it takes doing a little networking and promoting of your own.

Now, after a lot of hard work and the support of some great brands, we are able to afford our own booth.

Thanks to Shawn Collins, Missy Ward, Amy Rodriguez, and the rest of the Affiliate Summit crew for a top-quality Boston show.

JP Diaz August 15, 2008 at 9:09 am

I am sorry about the poachers sneaking into ASE. We have the same concerns about our own conference. It's so chaotic! It's a nightmare trying to keep up with that stuff as well as trying to do business. It's too bad because all of the bad behavior comes full circle and ends up biting you right back.

Mark Olsen August 15, 2008 at 8:38 am

I agree. The ethics meeting was certainly one of the highlights of the show.
Way to go to all involved for getting involved and keeping the meeting upbeat and productive when it could have gone south.

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