Technology-driven online marketing performance measurement: lessons from affiliate marketing

Although the measurement of offline and online marketing is extensively researched, the literature on online performance measurement still has a number of limitations such as slow theory advancement and predominance of technology- and practitioner-driven measurement approaches. By focusing on the widely employed but under-researched affiliate marketing channel, this study addresses these limitations and evaluates the effectiveness of practitioner-led online performance assessment. The paper offers a comprehensive review of extant performance measurement research across traditional, online and affiliate marketing and, employing grounded theory, presents a qualitative in-depth analysis of 72 online forum discussions and 37 semi-structured interviews with the major affiliate marketing stakeholders. As a result, the research identifies a growing need for change in the technology-pushed measurement approaches in affiliate marketing, and proposes actionable improvement recommendations for affiliate and online marketing managers

Rethinking marketing performance measurement: justification and operationalisation of an alternative approach to affiliate marketing performance measurement in tourism. e-Review of Tourism Research. 2011; 9(3):65–88. Available from http://ertr.tamu.edu/fi

A number of measurement frameworks have been developed to help organisations assess the effectiveness of their marketing activities. Yet, the approaches provided by these frameworks seem to be largely linear and outdated. Whilst effectively explaining cause-and-effect relationships between marketing efforts and performance in the offline domain, the existent marketing performance measurements frequently fail to capture a full spectrum of marketing influences online and, therefore, fail to portray the construct of marketing performance holistically. In opposition to the linear explanations of marketing performance, this study argues in favour of a more dynamic complex systems approach to the measurement of online marketing performance. In particular, it proposes a methodology for the development of a complexity-based performance measurement system for affiliate marketing in tourism

The typology and role of online information sources in destination image formation : an eye-tracking study

The construct of destination image and its formation are well researched. Numerous studies are conducted to investigate how destination images impact tourists‟ attitudes, behaviour and destination choice and what factors influence their destination image formation. However, much of this research focuses on post-visit images, and little is still known about the actual process of destination image formation as it unfolds, particularly prior to visiting a destination. Understanding this process of image development is meanwhile critical, as tourist numbers worldwide continue to grow. Destinations face fiercer competition, and their expanding image representations on the Internet are more frequently created outside Destination Management Organisations‟ (DMO) offices. This study attempts to shed light on a destination image formation process prior to visiting a destination. By triangulating click-stream, eye-tracking, questionnaire and interview data, the work explores the types of online information sources involved in this process and examines their significance for destination image formation