Linkshare Innovative Merchant of the Year Nominations

The Gaiam yoga and fitness affiliate program has won a nomination by Linkshare as the most Innovative Merchant of the Year. The only other two sites to be nominated this year are Neflix and iTunes - just to give you an idea of the competitiveness of this award.

Gaiam’s affiliate program is being recognized for its innovation in embedding affiliate links into interactive video clips that preview their fitness and yoga DVDs, by talents such as Rodney Yee, Nicki Doane, Mariel Hemingway and Seane Corn.

Affiliates are able to show DVD video previews on their websites with links that actually show up from within the video. These links contain their unique affiliate ID information, which then attributes the sale to that affiliate and earns them a commission. Here is an example of an affiliate using one of Gaiam’s video previews to sell “The Secret“. Users can either click on the caption text under the video, or wait until the end and click on the The Secret logo.

Other videos have links embedded throughout, some with Gaiam logos that are persistent in the corer of the screen and, when clicked, track the sale to each affiliate.

Perhaps even more innovative and exciting is the fact that the affiliate’s ID stays with the video wherever it is embedded. Thus, if someone clicks “embedd this video” and decides to blog about it, the origional affiliate gets credit for sales from other peoples’ websites.

Congratulations Gaiam, Netflix and iTunes for your Innovative Linkshare Merchant of the Year Nominations. May the best program win!