Observed Signal · Jul 6, 2026 · Interview · Source: Hello Partner · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
impact.com VP: The Marketing Funnel Is Collapsing
impact.com’s San Sareen, Regional VP (EMEA), explains that the traditional marketing funnel is collapsing as attribution moves from last-click, click-based models to signals-based approaches enabled by AI and better data. In an interview and IPX panel discussion, Sareen said creators now play roles across the entire customer journey, calling for improved creator segmentation and evolving ‘hybrid’ compensation models that reward a broader set of performance signals (impressions, new customers, lifetime value). He also argued brands must own first-party relationships with diverse partner types to measure and monetise creator-driven outcomes in a largely clickless environment.
The article highlights measurable shifts in attribution, creator roles and compensation that influence measurement and partner strategies across advertising and performance marketing, but it is an executive interview rather than a major platform policy or product change.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- San Sareen is Regional Vice President (EMEA) at impact.com and was interviewed by Hello Partner about channel convergence and creators.
- Sareen said the marketing funnel is 'collapsing' and predicted a move from click-based (last-click) attribution to signals-based attribution driven by AI and data.
- Creators are now integrated across all stages of the customer journey — from inspiration to conversion — prompting calls for better creator segmentation.
- Brands are moving toward 'hybrid' creator compensation models that reward multiple performance signals (impressions, new customers, contribution to lifetime value).
- Sareen emphasised the importance of brands owning first-party relationships with partner types across diverse audience demographics to enable measurement and monetisation.
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Funnel Is Collapsing: Affiliate Marketing's Next Chapter
Hello Partner’s Affiliate Pulse (published 2026-07-07) reports on emerging shifts in affiliate and creator-led marketing: interviews and panels at recent industry events discussed a 'collapsing' marketing funnel, channel convergence, and the evolving creator economy. impact.com’s San Sareen (RVP EMEA) highlighted data gaps and the need for technology-enabled measurement before strategic convergence can follow. The newsletter also previews coverage from Partnership Day and IPX, notes PI LIVE’s new Influencer & Commerce Summit, features APMC columnist Annalena Bauer on the German market, and includes an industry insight from Julian Roberto Henrichs warning publishers against artificially inflating traffic via forced new tabs/popups.
Affiliate Marketing Moves Beyond Last-Click
At IPX London a panel of affiliate and partner-marketing experts discussed moving the affiliate channel away from last-click attribution toward multi-attribution and full-funnel, converged growth approaches. Panelists — including representatives from Hide Marketing, Silverbean, loveholidays and KonverJ — argued that technology has long allowed paying higher-funnel contributors but the industry defaults to last-click because it’s easier. They called for a mindset shift, better measurement frameworks, standardised reporting and tools that give affiliate managers full visibility. The session also highlighted publisher anxiety amid changing commercial models and suggested publishers should command more budget as LLMs and AI increase demand for authoritative, original content. Panelists said best practices and the sophisticated tools needed are still emerging, leaving the industry in a transitional “messy middle.”
AI and Retail Media Take Center Stage at IPX 2026
Coverage of IPX London 2026 highlights affiliate industry shifts driven by AI, changing discovery behaviors, and the rapid rise of retail media. Anthony Clements (impact.com) framed AI as the fourth seismic change after search, mobile and social, citing a study where 75% of AI-active consumers began purchase journeys outside standard web search and 25% did so to avoid sponsored ads. Panels urged a mindset shift from last-click attribution to full-funnel, multi-attribution approaches and stressed creator segmentation and convergence between creators, affiliate and retail media. Industry challenges flagged included late payments (25% of affiliates paid at 90+ days; a cited £11bn opportunity to fix), measurement gaps (server-to-server tracking, AI visibility measurement) and protecting creator value from uncredited AI scraping. Storytelling, subscriber value in email, and creator freedom were emphasised as commercial levers.
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