LinkShare Selected by Dell for Affiliate Marketing Program

LinkShare Corp. said it has been selected by Dell Computer Corp. to develop and manage the company’s first affiliate marketing program.

LinkShare said it will work with Dell to further extend the reach and effectiveness of Dell’s online marketing efforts. Financial arrangements were not disclosed.

LinkShare has a base of more than 65,000 affiliate sites to establish links to broaden Dell’s customer base. Dell’s affiliate program is expected to generate additional purchases through links on LinkShare’s network of general and special-interest content hubs including those in the technology, home/family and small business areas, as well as others.

Dell’s affiliate program is comprised of approximately 50 charter members, including some of those in the technology, home/family and small business areas. The Dell affiliate marketing program signed up over 20 affiliates in less than half an hour, according to LinkShare.

LinkShare technology will track and monitor all Dell sales through affiliates.

“As an e-commerce leader, Dell is an expert in using the Web as a marketing tool. LinkShare’s expertise in harnessing the power of the Web for marketing makes us ideal partners in this fast-growing arena,” said Stephen Messer, CEO and founder of LinkShare.

“An affiliate marketing program strengthens Dell’s Internet leadership by making our products and services more readily accessible to current and potential customers,” said Bob Langer, director of Dell.com. “We think this will be an important part of helping us to realize our goal of 50 percent of our sales online by the end of the year 2000.”

New York City-based LinkShare facilitates e-commerce by providing relationship-based marketing tools for online merchants and content sites. The company currently services more than 150 retailers.