ITV is making a significant move to replenish lost ad revenue with the launch of its new consumer-focused affiliate marketing platform and online shopping tool, ITV Kerching.
The browser extension, powered by Kindred, is designed to save consumers money by automatically finding and applying discount codes when they shop online.
ITV has invested £8.5m into advertising space to promote Kerching across its channels, in return for a minority equity stake in the business.
The move marks ITV’s strategic investment into affiliate marketing. It will earn commission when shoppers use the tool, which the broadcaster hopes will go some way towards replacing the advertising revenue which has been lost as audiences continue to gravitate towards streaming platforms.
“We know that consumers are making more of an effort to save money wherever they can, and this is a really smart bit of tech which scours the internet for eligible discounts and codes and presents them to customers on the sites where they shop,” said Kelly Williams, ITV’s commercial MD.
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In addition to using existing discount codes, advertisers can create exclusive offers specifically for ITV Kerching, allowing them to allocate media budget based on the number of click-throughs the platform drives.
The partnership with Kindred operates a network of more than 100,000 merchants. Unlike traditional ad campaigns that focus solely on brand awareness, this venture allows for more measurable results, aligning marketing spend with conversion-focused outcomes.
According to ITV research, some 79% of ITVX viewers are already using discount codes, although the most common reason shoppers fail to use discount codes online was because they did not know how to find them. By using Kerching, more consumers are likely to engage with their favourite brands’ promotions.
By investing heavily in retail media, the channel is setting a precedent for how media broadcasters can use their platforms to actively participate in consumer purchasing decisions.
