Linkshare updates

Linkshare has announced three new services starting this Spring. In an effort to increase network activity and boost the average commission to 10-20%, Linkshare Japan will offer a toolbar from which affiliates can enter keywords to search for affiliate offers within their network. The toolbar will be available starting May. Starting June, Linkshare will also begin offering an API to allow affiliates to create XML feeds for obtaining offer ad links. And as of March 30th, EC sites on Linkshare will be able to offer RSS feeds to their affiliates for dissemnating affiliate related news.

http://www.linkshare.ne.jp/2007/04/post_6.html

HM Systems and Adways announce mobile job portal

Adways, owners of one of the largest mobile affiliate networks in Japan and HM systems have announced the launch of @Job, a mobile based job seeking site. Though mobile job site are not new in Japan, what is interesting about this arrangement is that it will allow HM systems to tap into Adways huge user base and already popular mobile properties. It also means that HM will benefit from Adways established affiliate marketing network (smart-c) and partner reach.

The Dankai Generation

The so-called Dankai generation of baby boomers born after the second world war are starting to turn 60 in Japan. Hardly a big deal unless you consider the fact that over the next three years, these retiring grand-folks will mean a 10% drop in the Japanese labor force thus impacting government tax revenue immensely. How will Japan adjust to such a drastic drop in productivity and revenue? That remains to be seen, but what interest me more was this little statistical tidbit: The average nest egg for the retiring Dankai is…ready for this….50 million yen. That’s about half a million dollars to you and me. Imagine that: 6.8 million retirees with bulging bank accounts looking to do what comes naturally to every Japanese: Shop. I’m not sure if anyone has done a study the impact the Dankai will have on online sales, but my guess is that we will see an increase of activity in leisure, hobby related goods, health & wellness and online investing. All of these categories are well represented in the affiliate marketing space, so I anticipate more offers targeting the Dankai generation. Yes, the next three years in Japan may see higher taxes and labor shortages, but I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy, so my eyes and ears are focused on the Dankai and their desire to spend, spend and spend.