Partner Marketing Trends in MENA 2025

As ecommerce and digital adoption continue to rise across the MENA region, partner marketing is evolving into a sophisticated, data-driven channel. With economic shifts, privacy regulations, and tech innovation transforming how people shop and how brands advertise, performance marketing has moved beyond simple affiliate links. In 2025, it’s all about smarter attribution, seamless integration, and turning every step of the user journey into a monetized touchpoint.

Let’s explore what’s driving success now — and where the opportunities lie next.

The New Era of Social Commerce: Creators, Codes, and Conversions

Influencer marketing has cemented its position as one of the most effective and fast-growing partner channels in MENA. TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts remain the key platforms for creator-led commerce — but the approach has become more performance-driven, with brands demanding trackable results and creators seeking fairer compensation models.

Promo codes are now the cornerstone of influencer campaigns, especially in regions where tracking links are restricted by platform policies or blocked by users. Promo codes are easily shareable, platform-safe, and resistant to browser limitations — making them ideal for posts, videos, stories, and even live streams.

But the model has matured. Platforms like Takefluence are leading the shift toward hybrid monetization strategies, offering brands:

• Brandformance models — paying for both content creation and results,
• User-generated content (UGC) production at scale,
• Agency-style services — including campaign design, creator sourcing, and full-cycle execution.

Takefluence empowers brands to blend creativity with conversion. It also gives creators the tools to track performance and get paid not just for likes and reach, but for actual sales.

A supporting tool in this space is DM Rush, which automates Instagram Direct Messages based on keywords in followers’ comments. It helps distribute affiliate links and promo codes in real time, scaling social campaigns through personalized messaging.

Fintech, Loyalty & BNPL: The Rise of Utility-Based Publishers

The concept of who qualifies as a “publisher” has evolved. Banks, fintech apps, loyalty programs, and telecoms now serve as performance channels in their own right — leveraging their ecosystems to connect users with tailored offers at the right time.

By embedding affiliate offers into banking apps, checkout flows, and loyalty dashboards, these utility-based platforms are driving measurable results. In MENA, Admitad pioneered these collaborations with fintechs like Tabby, Tamara, and Cashew, allowing advertisers to reach users within trusted financial environments.

These partnerships offer scale, first-party data, and built-in trust — making them some of the most powerful “non-traditional” publishers in the affiliate space today.

Cardlink: Performance Marketing Meets the Payment Moment

One of the most seamless developments in this space is card-linked marketing, a solution that applies discounts or cashback automatically when users pay with their linked card — with no need for promo codes, receipts, or extra steps.

With Admitad’s Cardlink solution, brands can activate offers that appear inside banking apps or loyalty programs. When a user pays at a participating merchant — online or offline — the reward is triggered instantly.

Key benefits include:

• Effortless user experience — no friction at checkout,
• Precise targeting — offers tailored to real spending behavior,
• Direct integration — visibility within apps used by millions of consumers.

Already rolled out in partnership with PNC (US) and Monzo (UK), Cardlink is now expanding across MENA, aligning with the region’s strong adoption of cashless payments and digital banking tools. It represents a frictionless form of attribution and engagement, especially suited to loyalty-rich ecosystems.

Tracking in 2025: The Shift to Hybrid & Promo Code Attribution

Affiliate tracking has never faced more challenges — or evolved more rapidly — than in the past two years. Privacy restrictions (e.g. Apple’s App Tracking Transparency, Google’s Privacy Sandbox), widespread ad-blocker usage, and stricter social platform policies have disrupted traditional link-based tracking.

Why Hybrid Tracking Matters

Hybrid tracking models have emerged as the new standard. These combine:

• Server-to-server (S2S) integrations for clean, cookie-free attribution (learn more),
• Browser-based tools like TagTag for broader coverage,
• Promo code tracking for social platforms and ad-blocker resistance (promo code tracking explained).

This hybrid approach gives advertisers a holistic view of user interactions, including in-app activity — especially critical for brands actively developing or scaling mobile apps.

Why Promo Code Tracking is Rising

Promo code tracking deserves special attention. It solves several key problems:

• Immune to ad blockers and privacy filters
• Ideal for platforms like Instagram, where links are restricted
• Clear attribution path for influencers and content creators

Users simply enter the code at checkout, ensuring commissions are properly attributed regardless of where the promo was shared. This method also encourages a sense of exclusivity and community, enhancing both engagement and brand loyalty.

AI, Automation & Instant Publisher Payouts: The New Baseline

Artificial Intelligence is now woven into the fabric of performance marketing. Whether it’s A/B testing creatives, optimizing bids in real time, or detecting fraudulent activity, AI is delivering smarter campaign outcomes with less manual work.

At the same time, expectations from publishers have shifted — they want transparency and faster access to earnings. Admitad’s Instant Payout Pro meets this need by allowing publishers to withdraw verified earnings within minutes of a sale, instead of waiting weeks.

Automation and speed aren’t just perks — they’re baseline expectations in 2025.

The Road Ahead: Smarter Tools, Better Attribution, Stronger Results

While some early-hyped trends like the metaverse have cooled, the foundations of partner marketing are growing stronger than ever in MENA. Influencers are becoming entrepreneurs. Fintech apps are becoming publishers. Payment methods are becoming marketing channels.

In this environment, performance marketing is no longer about just traffic — it’s about trust, transparency, and tangible ROI.

Whether it’s through Takefluence’s creator platform, Cardlink’s frictionless cashback, or promo code-driven campaigns, brands now have the tools to scale smarter — and measure every step of the way.