Affiliate marketing drives revenue growth for Singapore brands

New research has found that affiliate marketing is becoming a significant growth driver for brands in Singapore as expenditure on other marketing channels continues to increase.

The Global State of Affiliate Marketing Report 2025, produced by impact.com, surveyed more than 1,500 marketers, creators, and publishers across eight countries, including Singapore, and highlights a notable shift towards affiliate partnerships as a core element of marketing," with particular focus on local partnerships and creator collaborations.

Affiliate investment trends

According to the report, 75% of brands in Singapore have raised their investment in affiliate marketing during the past year as they search for cost-effective and measurable ways to expand. The findings indicate that affiliate marketing is emerging from a supplementary position to represent a key element of many brands' broader strategies.

The study points to rising affiliate maturity in the Singaporean market. Sixty-one per cent of brands now attribute more than 21% of their total revenue to affiliate marketing. At the same time, confidence in the channel has grown, with 65% of Singaporean brands reporting improved returns on ad spend and 70% noting revenue growth in the past 12 months. The report notes that 80% of brands plan to increase affiliate budgets in 2026.

Creator partnerships and changing models

Partnerships with creators and influencers are seeing significant growth, as nearly half (48%) of brands in Singapore intend to allocate between a quarter and half of their affiliate budgets to creator-led campaigns in the coming year. A further 12% plan to dedicate more than half their affiliate budget to creators specifically. The research suggests influencer-led affiliate growth is anticipated to increase by 37 percentage points in Singapore, the largest rise among all surveyed markets.

"As customer acquisition costs keep rising, creators have become one of our most effective performance channels. We're seeing real ROI from partnerships that combine creative storytelling with measurable outcomes and we've evolved our compensation model to reflect that."

That was the assessment of Sarah Ann Lim, Global Partnership Manager, Affiliates & Creators at Castlery, reflecting the strategic reorientation underway among Singaporean brands.

At the same time, compensation models for affiliates are evolving. Brands are moving away from flat-fee arrangements towards hybrid reward structures that combine a guaranteed fee with performance-based incentives such as commissions, in a bid to balance predictability with the need for measurable results.

Operational challenges

Despite this momentum, Singaporean marketers report several operational challenges in scaling affiliate programmes. Both budget constraints and rapidly changing consumer behaviour were identified as top concerns by 37% of respondents. In addition, around a quarter of those surveyed reported greater complexity around data privacy regulations and tracking mechanisms as a hurdle to affiliate marketing expansion.

For those increasingly turning to influencer partnerships, measuring longer-term ROI and maintaining effective communication with partners are seen as continuing challenges to be addressed.

Building sophisticated ecosystems

The report describes an emerging approach in Singapore in which brands invest in data-led ecosystems that connect with creators, media publishers, and commerce platforms. This approach emphasises business impact over traditional advertising impressions.

Brands with international ambitions are placing greater weight on partner enablement, training, and compliance monitoring in order to ensure global trust and consistency for their affiliate activities.

"The data shows a major shift in mindset. Brands in Singapore are reallocating budgets based on what is driving measurable, cost-effective growth," said Adam Furness, Managing Director APJ at impact.com. "Affiliate marketing has evolved from transactional relationships into strategic partnership programmes. We're seeing marketers build sophisticated partner ecosystems that deliver across the entire funnel."

The findings from impact.com's report suggest that, in the face of continued pressure on digital and traditional marketing costs, affiliate and partnership marketing are likely to play an expanding role in the marketing strategies of brands operating in Singapore's competitive economic environment.