Case Study: Whistles uncovers 65% more revenue from content publishers with Rakuten Marketing

Whistles reveal incremental impact of content publishers on sales

Whistles, a London-based contemporary fashion brand, needed clearer visibility into how its digital channels—particularly content publishers—contributed across the full path to purchase. Relying on last-click measurement left publisher activity undervalued, so Whistles wanted to understand the incremental impact of these partners to guide investment and optimise its affiliate programme.

Rakuten Advertising provided its attribution platform (at no extra cost) to track complete customer journeys and quantify publisher contribution. The analysis showed content publishers drove early- and mid-funnel value: revenue attributable to publishers was 65% higher when measured across the full journey versus last click, and some key publishers delivered up to 5x more attributable revenue. Armed with these insights, Whistles adjusted its affiliate strategy and increased investment in high-performing and smaller publisher partners to protect and grow sales.

Whistles