Introduction

You might decide to change the branding or content focus and business model of the website associated with your Rakuten Advertising publisher account. If you make these major changes, you need to update your marketing channel in your Publisher Dashboard and communicate these changes with your advertiser partners.

Types of Changes

This article addresses three common marketing channel update scenarios:

1. Rebranding

You are moving your site to a new domain, resulting in a URL change, and modifying your marketing channel’s name. However, you are not updating your content or business model.

Moving your site to a new domain is a large project and should be undertaken thoughtfully. Carefully plan your domain change to ensure your visitors are directed to the new URL when they click a link to one of your previous URLs. Update any links to your site from your social media profiles and other promotional efforts.

This process is outside the scope of our affiliate marketing services and Customer Support. We suggest you refer to your own webmaster.

2. Content Focus and Business Model Redirection

A significant content focus and business model redirection involves a change in the type of service you offer. For example, you might be switching from general shopping to loyalty and rewards, or from price comparison to content/niche. You are, however, keeping the same domain.

In this scenario, you should understand that your new content focus and business model might not be a good fit with your current partners. Advertisers need to be aware of this change and evaluate it as needed to determine whether they want to continue partnering with your channel.

3. Rebranding along with Content Focus and Business Model Redirection.

This is a combination of the two other scenarios. You are both significantly changing your content focus and moving your site to a new domain.

Dashboard Updates

Once your changes are completed, you should update your marketing channel in the dashboard:

1. Access the channel’s detail page by following these steps.
2. In the Channel information section, make updates according to your rebrand or redirection:
   • New name: change the channel name.
   • New domain: change the channel URL.
   • New business model: make the appropriate selection from the Primary Business Model drop-down.
3. Click Save.

It is particularly important that you do this following a domain migration.

Depending on the scope of changes and the size of your affiliate program, you might want to create a new marketing channel. Make this decision based on your available resources. You might find that creating a new marketing channel is easier than updating your channel and contacting every advertiser you are partnered with.

If you do create a new marketing channel, you also need to:

1. Reapply to advertiser programs.
2. Once approved, obtain new links.
3. Cancel the channel you are no longer using.

Communicating With Advertisers

Keep your advertiser partners apprised of any major changes you have made to your channel. We recommend that you notify them of what you have changed and why. You can find their contact information in the About tab of their details page in the dashboard.

For More Information

If you need help updating your channel details in the dashboard or finding advertisers' contact information, please contact Customer Support.