“I think ultimately why these things end up failing is what I touched upon before. Strong willed, independent people who are used to running things, don’t want other people representing them, speaking for them. Too much of an independent type business.”

And you’ll find this with past attempts at affiliate unions, affiliate organizations, things like SEMPO:

http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=3692&highlight=SEMPO

One of the stumbling blocks I see is actually getting a group together who the majority would believe represent the industry. The IAB http://www.iabuk.net/ have been making noises about a “code of conduct” but I don’t think most affiliates have even heard of them nevermind consider signing up to their code.

For me the issue is that a union generally represents & supports the interests of one group of people. I struggle to see how one organisation can include affiliates, networks & merchants and best represent the interests of each party.

Thanks for posting this though – it’s certainly made me think

To answer your question: Who I mean is Affiliates, Merchants, AM’s, OPM’s, Networks and 3rd party software and services vendors who target this industry.

The organization should be a possible focal point to provide information and to engage in discussions. It is much easier to agree with something or refer to something that is not another company (even competitor) or individual with his own agenda, but a neutral entity. Something that is sometimes needed especially for controversial issues.

Becoming a Member or not should not become a financial question (like the SEMPO one with several hundred $100 per year). A symbolic membership fee to demonstrate that you are at least a bit interested would be okay (like the $5 per month in Shawn’s private forum, probably even less)

The rest should be covered by donations and sponsorships that MUST be OPEN to avoid any abuse or bribery.

You will be surprised how cheap it can be to run an organization via a group of a few dozen volunteers who can take care of the every day things and a few sponsorships to cover basic cost list hosting, 3rd party software providers (like mailing lists, web analytics things of that nature)

Everybody has to make the decision if joining makes sense and should not bitch and yell that nobody is doing something, because there is nobody who could.

Well being privy to certain aspects that others didn’t….

I think it might be more accurate to say that publishers were being exploited by networks who sold it that way and merchants eager to take it with a whole wave of “creatives” who really didn’t know a lot about contracts as the real lesson?

Some “extra-bright” would might even confuse it with the “other” Union and feel the urge to counter it and found an Affiliate Confederation hehe.

No, what I have in mind is an Organisation or Association open to everybody who does business in the Affiliate Marketing, correction, Performance Marketing Space.

We have the advantage that we have a lot more common interests than other industries where US versus THEM might be okay. Its rare to find a business environment where at the core the things that are beneficial for all involved parties are the ones that will work long term and guarantee growth and prosperity for everybody.

It maybe sounds cheesy, but it is true.

However, Wayne's post is an interesting one: he skipped over the history lesson that goes with that document. See, back in those days, the affiliate marketing industry was going through death throes … some might argue death throes that are now complete, others might argue the patient made some kind of a recovery.

Personally, I still like that word Union is attached to it … and am still inspired by efforts like the Passenger's Union in LA or the Freelancer's Union in NYC as models of the kind of efforts that stir my enthusiasm.

Sure, there's room for an organization representing merchants and solution providers, but the solution providers don't play well together and very few merchants think of themselves as "affiliate marketers" as entire category.

Conversely, the bulk of affiliates out there are still existing in a world of contracts of adhesion. Interesting glimpse into the aftermath of the AU effort: what merchants asked for the most from the Union was a template "good affiliate marketing" contract. They all wanted to just copy that and be done with it.