What if affiliate programs were transparent, instead of invisible?

[httpwebwitch]

Say you're about to buy something from Amazon. Would you want to know that you were smurfed with someone's affiliate cookie? What if the affiliate was identified at the time of checkout - would that change your mind about checking out? Would you deliberately kill your smurfs if you know they're zombies for [bignamecorp]? And what if you were not carrying someone's affiliate cookie - could you donate your two bits to a charity instead? Could I make a toolbar for March Of Dimes that would automatically attribute them with affiliate revenue for all your online purchases? Could I do it for myself - a sort of "pay yourself first" toolbar? Would that be unethical, defeating the whole idea of what 3rd party marketing contributes to the capitalist ecosystem? What if affiliate programs were way less sneaky, and a lot more labeled, as a way you can deliberately support a cause (charitable or commercial, no matter) by participating willingly? Would people keep my affiliate cookie if they know they "caught it" from me, just cause I'm such a swell guy with a family of mouths to feed? Or would they leave, go to their favourite affiliate cause, and follow a link from them, just to make sure all their pennies were going somewhere they like? Could I brand myself as someone people want to pay, and become a first destination to "get your cookies here!" before people buy anything? What if I could admit that I've used 5 different sources while researching my purchase, and I'd like to give all of them 1/5 credit for the sale, not just the long-tail keyword bidder who got my attention the day my wallet was open?

[Quadrille]

Easier to just go elsewhere than worry too much!

I do remember one occasion where I found something, by chance, on a website that clearly belonged to a really unpleasant character: rather than purchase by him, I went to another browser and found the product at the 'parent' site.

I dd that once - and i still remember it purely because it was so exceptional. I didn't need a toolbar or wahtever; I knew he was an affiliate (you usually do!).

I am sure there are some control freaks who'd love the abilities you discuss - but for most of us, if the price is the same, we really aren't too fussed how Amazon (etc) do business.

[ergophobe]

It has to be easy. I think of times when I want to purchase something myself from Amazon. I could go to the trouble of creating an affiliate link and so on to get me 5% of a $12 book, but honestly, that's too much bother for $.60.

So to get me to make a detour in order to support some third party just who has branded himself as "someone people want to pay" seems like a stretch.

[skibum]

If there was an app that enabled people to determine where the aff payment went and it wsn't setup by the affiliate, that type of thing would or could kill affiliate marketing. Affiliates only get paid on sales and its a pretty small portion compared to what it costs on CSEs, PPC search or media programs. Take away that revenue and the affiliates send the traffic elsewhere.

If someone wants to do that when they buy stuff they can signup with a rebate site that enables donations to various places.

[jcoronella]

Trying to educate the consumer on something that they won't understand, doesn't affect them in any real way, and at the very moment they are about to open their wallet will hurt conversions.