Affiliate und Partner Marketing bekommt eine institutionelle Heimat
First publication: APMC
The APMC has been founded - and I am part of it.
There are moments when you feel that something significant is beginning. April 14, 2026 was such a moment.
With the official founding of the Affiliate and Partner Marketing Circle (APMC) in the Federal Association of Digital Economy (BVDW) e.V., an industry that has been one of the most powerful in digital marketing for years has finally received a genuine institutional representation of interests in Germany. And I am allowed to shape this work as the 1st chairman - a task that I accept with great joy and equally great sense of responsibility.
What is the APMC?
The APMC is a closed working group within the BVDW, where leading companies from the entire Affiliate and Partner Marketing ecosystem act together - Advertisers, Publishers, Networks, Agencies, and Technology Platforms. Our goal is to professionalize affiliate and partner marketing as a strategic pillar of the digital economy, to make it more visible, and to position it for the future.
Three focal points guide our work:
- Quality & Standards: Binding codes of conduct, a code of conduct, an independent quality board, and certification models for market participants.
- Image & Communication: Thought leadership, studies, white papers, and a strong industry voice towards the public and media.
- Politics & Advocacy: Active participation in regulatory developments - from data protection to platform regulation - in close coordination with BVDW.
The path to founding
For several months, a group of initiators has been working intensively on the foundations of the APMC. Governance documents have been developed, structures discussed, positions coordinated. I am particularly proud of the comprehensive governance framework we have developed: a set of rules, a code of conduct, a governance framework, and a quality and complaint procedure - documents that aim to set standards.
The committee
On the founding day, the chair was elected. Together with me, Tim Lomborg (Awin), Annalena Bauer (easy Marketing), Nicole Schichtl (retailAds), and Florian Jetzlsperger (Acceleration Partners) form the chair of the Working Group.
The Quality Board - the core of our quality claim - consists of: Marc Majewski (advanced intelligence Q), Falko Schwarz (Awin), Markus Wigbels (easy Marketing), Dominik Schäfer (eBay), Georg Wolf, Andreas Sasnovskis (Oliro), and Matthias Feifel (Online United).
Why this is all important
Affiliate and Partner Marketing demonstrably generates billions in revenue and is far more than just a pure performance channel. It is a strategic growth driver along the entire funnel - and deserves a perception that reflects this importance.
The APMC is the first systematic step to close this gap: with clear standards, genuine transparency, and a voice that is heard in Berlin, Brussels, and beyond. Through collaboration with the APMA (The Affiliate & Partner Marketing Association), I am also building a European perspective.
The actual work begins now. I am involved.