New Balance re-imagines brand and sports partnerships with impact.com

The Challenge

New Balance's partnership programme relied heavily on discount codes that leaked and eroded margins. Furthermore, a global pivot away from paid creators removed traditional routes to new audiences.

The Strategy

Transition away from discount-led activity by building a strategic performance ecosystem spanning sporting, health, and corporate partner communities.

Execution and Innovation

Implemented dynamic URLs via impact.com to eliminate code sharing, introduced platform controls to stop affiliate double-dipping, and applied a tiered partnership model for zero-headcount scaling.

Results

Delivered 20% YoY revenue growth, a 15.62 ROAS, and reached nearly 2 million high-affinity consumers. Revenue through Tennis Australia rose 42%, West Coast Eagles 57%, and NIB 226%, adding eight new strategic partners with zero coupon leakage.

Judges' Verdict

"This was a standout entry for me. The strategy of turning existing sports and health relationships into measurable performance partnerships was smart, and the execution protected New Balance's premium positioning while solving real issues around leakage and attribution."