This master thesis gives an overview of the topic Affiliate Marketing with a deep dive into Cashback and analyses the customer acceptance of Cashback Platforms. Existing studies towards Cashback shopping are presented to gain insights into consumer behaviour and satisfaction in the Cashback system. The practical quantitative empirical research examines the customer acceptance of Cashback Platforms focusing on limiting and influencing factors to use Cashback Platforms. The quantitative survey was conducted with online customers aged over 18. A qualitative interview with iGraal as affiliate was compared to the quantitative research results to get further insights in customer communication, customer acquisition as well as customer acceptance within a Cashback company.
This thesis‘ objective is to examine Affiliate Marketing with a deep dive into Cashback, to analyse the customer acceptance and awareness of Cashback Platforms, to clarify limiting and influencing factors to use Cashback Platforms and to generate recommendations for affiliates to improve the customer acceptance.
The following research questions are at the core of the master thesis:
Is there a reason for limited acceptance of Cashback Platforms?
Which influencing factors lead to a (future) participation in Cashback Platforms?
How do affiliates achieve higher customer acceptance for Cashback Platforms?
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Objective and Research Question
1.2 Structure and Methodological Approach
2 Affiliate Marketing
2.1 Definition
2.2 Market players and their objectives within Affiliate Marketing
2.2.1 Merchants
2.2.2 Affiliates
2.2.3 Affiliate Networks
2.2.4 Customers
2.3 Functional Principle of Affiliate Marketing
2.3.1 Advertisement methods
2.3.2 Tracking methods
2.3.3 Compensation methods
3 Cashback Marketing
3.1 Definition of Cashback
3.2 Functional Principle of Cashback Platforms
3.2.1 Market Players
3.2.2 Commission and Tracking Method within the Cashback system
3.3 Customer Acceptance within Cashback Platforms
3.4 German Cashback market
3.5 State of Research of the German Cashback market
3.5.1 Mehr Transparenz – mehr Kundennähe
3.5.2 Kundenurteil: Fairness von Cashback-Portalen 2019
3.5.3 Von C&A bis Zooplus – diese Rabatte sind drin
3.5.4 Studie: Bonusprogramm Monitor 2019
4 Empirical Research - Customer acceptance of Cashback Platforms
4.1 Methodology and Method
4.2 Sampling Method
4.3 Purpose, Design and Structure of the Questionnaire
4.4 Survey Results
4.4.1 General Survey and Sample characteristics
4.4.2 General online purchasing behaviour
4.4.3 Cashback knowledge
4.4.4 Cashback users
4.4.5 Non-Cashback users
4.5 Summary of Findings
4.5.1 Cashback users
4.5.2 Non-Cashback users
4.5.3 Comparison of Non-Cashback users and Casback users
5 Empirical Research - an expert interview with iGraal
5.1 Background Information of iGraal
5.2 Expert Interview with iGraal
5.2.1 Methodology and Method
5.2.2 Sampling Method
5.2.3 Scope, Structure and Design of the Questionnaire
5.3 Survey Results
5.4 Summary of Findings
6 Recommendations for Cashback Platforms
7 Conclusion and Outlook
7.1 Conclusion
7.2 Limitations and Future Outlook
Objectives and Research Themes
This thesis examines Affiliate Marketing with a focus on Cashback systems to analyze customer acceptance and awareness of Cashback Platforms, clarify limiting and influencing factors for their usage, and generate recommendations for affiliates to improve customer uptake.
- Analysis of Affiliate Marketing and the functional role of Cashback Platforms.
- Empirical quantitative survey regarding Cashback usage and non-usage in Germany.
- Qualitative expert interview with iGraal to gain insights into customer strategy.
- Identification of limiting factors (e.g., data privacy, lack of awareness) and influencing motivators.
- Development of strategic recommendations for higher customer acceptance.
Excerpt from the Book
Customer Acceptance within Cashback Platforms
Before this chapter represents the model Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) by Venkatesh et al.85, in order to detect factors that drive consumers to join Cashback Platform, the term acceptance will be first discussed. Within the research of acceptance, there exists a lot of different definitions of the term acceptance. In general, acceptance contradicts rejection and is equated with the positive acceptance decision of a technological innovation and its further, ongoing use.86 In terms of marketing, it can be described as the acceptance of “new product or service innovations“87. In this master thesis, innovation is generally understood as Cashback shopping i.e. through Cashback Platforms. Furthermore, in this master thesis, customer acceptance in this context means whether customers use cashback platforms by focusing on the limiting factors, leading to non-participation, and on the influencing factors, leading to (future) participation.
The unification of different models and theories for recording the acceptance of information systems and new technological systems was achieved by the UTAUT developed by Venkatesh et al (2003). UTAUT combines eight instruments for measuring acceptance: “Technology Acceptance Model” (TAM), "Theory of Reasoned Action" (TRA), "Theory of Planned Behavior" (TPB), "Motivational Model" (MM), a combination of TAM and TPB (C-TAM-TPB), "Model of PC Utilization" (MPCU), "Innovation Diffusion Theory" (IDT) and "Social Cognitive Theory" (SCT).88
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the growth of e-commerce, introduces Affiliate Marketing and Cashback, and outlines the research questions.
2 Affiliate Marketing: Explains the definitions, market players, and functional principles, including advertisement, tracking, and compensation methods.
3 Cashback Marketing: Defines Cashback, details the functional principles of platforms, and reviews the state of research in the German market.
4 Empirical Research - Customer acceptance of Cashback Platforms: Details the methodology and findings of the quantitative survey conducted with online shoppers.
5 Empirical Research - an expert interview with iGraal: Covers qualitative insights from the expert interview regarding operational strategies and customer communication.
6 Recommendations for Cashback Platforms: Formulates actionable strategies for Cashback platforms to improve visibility, usability, and customer acceptance.
7 Conclusion and Outlook: Synthesizes the core findings and offers suggestions for future research pathways.
Keywords
Affiliate Marketing, Cashback Platforms, Customer Acceptance, E-commerce, Consumer Behavior, Online Marketing, Tracking Methods, Compensation Models, Empirical Research, Survey, Bonus Programs, Shopping Incentives, Loyalty Programs, Germany.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this master thesis?
The thesis focuses on analyzing the customer acceptance of Cashback Platforms within the context of Affiliate Marketing in Germany.
What are the primary themes explored in the research?
Key themes include the definition and functionality of Cashback, the current state of the German Cashback market, and the factors influencing consumer participation.
What is the primary goal or research question?
The core objective is to identify why acceptance is limited and how affiliates can improve user participation through strategic recommendations.
Which scientific methods were applied?
The research uses a dual approach: a quantitative empirical study with a survey of 428 consumers and a qualitative expert interview with the affiliate company iGraal.
What does the main body cover?
It covers theoretical frameworks like UTAUT 2, the process of Cashback transactions, current market studies in Germany, and comprehensive analysis of survey data and expert insights.
Which keywords categorize this work?
Major keywords include Affiliate Marketing, Cashback Platforms, Customer Acceptance, Consumer Behavior, and Digital Tracking.
Why are consumer data privacy concerns a significant finding?
The empirical research identified that over half of non-users are deterred by data privacy expectations and the intrusive nature of tracking requirements.
What challenges do newcomers face when using Cashback Platforms?
Newcomers struggle with technical complexities such as configuring browser settings, deleting cookies, and deactivating ad-blockers, as well as long payout validation times.
How does Payback compare to dedicated Cashback platforms?
Payback remains the pioneer and market leader in awareness and usage, whereas dedicated Cashback platforms face a significantly lower recognition rate among consumers.
- Quote paper
- Carolin Armbrust (Author), 2020, Affiliate Marketing. The Customer Acceptance of Cashback Platforms, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1369212
