How to Maximize WCN ROAS with Premium Placements and Commission Increases

Most of us know that consumers generally try to avoid traditional ads. But those same shoppers will actively look for coupons, cash back, and loyalty rewards.

The difference comes down to the value exchange: a traditional ad simply asks for attention, while a money-saving offer or reward provides a tangible benefit.

Commerce media networks like the Wildfire Commerce Network (WCN) sit right at the intersection of advertising and rewards - combining both shopper reach and valuable incentives.

For advertisers booking media buys with the WCN, merging a flat-fee premium placement with a temporary commission increase (in commerce media parlance, a “CPA increase,” or CPAi), is a practical way to drive a higher Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) for their commerce media dollars.

The “one-two punch” of ads + offers

Combining a flat-fee media buy with a CPA increase lets brands use the best parts of visibility through advertising-like placements, along with valuable consumer incentives:

• The Placement (Visibility): Booking a premium spot through the WCN with certain Wildfire client placements, such as an in-app takeover, a dedicated email, or a custom deal alert delivered through a browser extension, offers advertisers top-of-funnel exposure to a curated audience.
• The CPAi (Value): By temporarily raising the commission rate (typically by adding another 2 to 5 points to the standard commission rate) during the campaign, the advertiser can pass along an increased cashback reward directly to the consumer.

When an ad also functions as a money-saving offer, it changes the context. It feels less like an interruption and more like a helpful tip delivered by a platform the consumer already trusts.

What the data shows

Because commerce media networks like Wildfire’s WCN are built on trackable, transaction-based ecosystems through the affiliate networks, advertisers can clearly measure the path from a consumer seeing the offer to actually acting on it and completing the purchase.

For example, a major hotel brand ran a WCN campaign on a travel-focused browser extension. The brand’s WCN campaign included flat-fee placements such as a "conquesting" deal alert, which appeared when users visited competitor hotel brand sites, and paired it with a 2-point commission increase (bringing the commission paid up to 6%).

• This combined approach drove an 822% increase in orders compared to the period before the campaign, and ultimately drove a 24.02 ROAS.

Another example comes from an activewear brand that ran a WCN campaign on a leading micro-investing app during Black Friday and Cyber Week. The brand utilized premium in-app placements and featured category banners to guarantee visibility during the busiest shopping weekend of the year.

• By pairing this prime digital real estate with their higher CPAi of 12%, the brand achieved a 109% increase in orders compared to their pre-campaign baseline, ultimately delivering a 14.15 ROAS.

Putting WCN placements + CPAi to work

Wildfire clients who offer WCN placements actually design their media packages to facilitate this strategy. Even for standard WCN placements, increasing commissions by +2 to 5 points is a recommended best practice to help ensure campaigns hit a target ROAS.

To make the most of this approach, we recommend advertisers plan campaigns and secure bookings early, especially around major shopping seasons when premium placements book up quickly.

By viewing WCN as a way to deliver offers that convert, rather than just another traditional ad channel, advertisers can reach consumers exactly when they are ready to buy, and drive results that benefit shoppers too.