Rakuten Advertising has unveiled its Innovation Labs, a new initiative designed to enhance the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in affiliate marketing. Located within the company’s Insights & Analytics portal, this collaboration hub aims to improve advertising effectiveness and customer engagement across its extensive network of affiliate publishers.
The launch of Innovation Labs is part of a broader strategy to accelerate AI development. According to Nick Stamos, CEO of Rakuten Advertising, this initiative represents the culmination of years of investment in their Affiliate Intelligence suite of AI-powered tools. “Innovation Labs is a critical step in how Rakuten Advertising contributes to the broader Rakuten Group’s ‘Triple 20’ commitment to using AI to drive 20% greater efficiency for our employees, our internal teams, and most importantly, our clients,” Stamos noted.
The Innovation Labs platform introduces new AI Recommendations for both advertisers and publishers. For advertisers, the AI Recommendations will analyze multiple dimensions of advertiser attributes to identify new publisher opportunities. By examining profiles, products, and campaign successes, the AI will help pinpoint publishers that can enhance growth.
On the publisher side, the AI-driven Product Recommendations are designed to reduce research time and boost monetization. This feature will quickly identify emerging trends from both partnered and non-partnered advertisers, curating relevant options for targeted audiences while applying filters based on brand and category.
Adam Rostan, Chief Product Officer, expressed confidence in the potential of Innovation Labs. “This will be a space where advertisers and publishers can experiment, collaborate, and scale new use cases with AI to deliver greater efficiency for everyone and accelerate the industry’s growth,” he stated. The platform will also feature ongoing experiments conducted by Rakuten Advertising’s Data Science team, continuously informed by client and partner feedback, ensuring that new features are regularly integrated.
The establishment of Innovation Labs highlights Rakuten Advertising’s commitment to fostering innovation within the affiliate marketing industry. With an emphasis on collaboration, the hub aims to enhance the experiences of brands, publishers, and ultimately, consumers.
Founded as a division of Rakuten Group, Inc., a leading internet service company based in Japan, Rakuten Advertising has been a prominent player in the marketing landscape. The company is headquartered in San Mateo, California, and serves a global market, with offices across regions including EMEA, APAC, LATAM, and North America.
For further information, interested parties can visit RakutenAdvertising.com.
