Before affiliate platforms took over, earned media looked very different. Getting your product featured in a roundup or review usually meant sending samples to journalists and crossing your fingers they actually liked them. If they did, you stood a decent chance of coverage, and that was that.
Then came the 2010s. Magazines started using affiliate links, and by the late 2010s and early 2020s, many had launched entire affiliate marketing divisions.
By 2020, affiliate-driven content had become a major part of digital publishing. At the same time, CPG brands realized they could pay influencers instead of buying print ads, forcing magazines to rethink how they made money. For CPG PR, this shift changed everything.
Understanding Affiliate Content
If you’ve ever read a story with words like “best,” “gifts,” or “Amazon” in the title, there’s a good chance it’s affiliate-driven. Here’s what that means: when a reader clicks a link in a story like “Best Mother’s Day Gifts of 2025” and buys something, the publication earns a small commission from that sale.
This setup helps media outlets monetize their content. However, it also means the lines between editorial and commerce have become more intertwined than ever.
What This Means for Your CPG PR Strategy
When we onboard new product-based clients, one of the first things we recommend is setting up an affiliate program. It’s not just helpful anymore, but it’s often required. Many major publications have dedicated affiliate or e-commerce editors whose job is to curate products for gift guides and listicles.
Setting up an affiliate program can feel intimidating, but these days, it’s a must-have tool in your PR toolkit if you want to earn consistent coverage.
How to Maximize Your Affiliate Strategy
Carefully Choose Your Commission Rate and Platform
If your commission rate is below average, you’ll have a tough time getting noticed. Publishers want to know their time and digital “real estate” are worth it, so make sure your offer is competitive.
Choosing the right platform matters too. For example, Amazon gives publishers commission on a shopper’s entire cart, not just the linked product, which makes it especially appealing. ShareASale, on the other hand, offers easy integrations with WordPress and other publishing tools, making it a seamless fit for many outlets. The right platform can make or break your affiliate strategy.
Remember: It’s Not a Fix for a Bad Product
You might be wondering: if a product is truly great but doesn’t have an affiliate link, will it still get coverage? In many cases, yes. If it’s high-quality, well-reviewed, and recognizable, editors will still include it.
But the reverse is also true: if your product isn’t great, even a strong affiliate setup won’t guarantee coverage. Editors still need to protect their credibility, so they’ll only recommend products they believe in.
You Still Need a PR Team
A common misconception is that affiliate marketing replaces PR, or vice versa. Unfortunately (for your budget’s sake), that’s not how it works.
Affiliate platforms can help distribute links, but PR is what gets those links in front of editors in the first place. Building relationships, crafting a great pitch, and cutting through the clutter of a journalist’s inbox still require human connection and that’s where a good PR team shines.
Bottom line: affiliate marketing has become a key part of modern earned media. But it’s not a replacement for strong PR, it’s an extension of it. When both work together, that’s when your CPG brand really stands out.
