Publisher Spotlight: Editorialist

Rakuten Advertising had the opportunity to sit down with the Editorialist, Head of Partnerships Marissa Grossman to chat about how they help brands reach ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) shoppers. Join us as we dive into all things the Editorialist.  

Tell us about the Editorialist

Editorialist fuses personal styling, content, and shopping in one seamless digital experience driven by proprietary technology, e-commerce tools and luxury fashion content. We are reinventing the way brands and retailers reach UHNW consumers. 

We connect UHNW shoppers with best-in-class stylists and editors and connect brands with the most powerful consumer, all while delivering a personalized white glove experience. 

Editorialist drives greater efficiency and effectiveness, resulting in sales uplift. At Editorialist, we classify our UHNW consumers into two distinct categories: 

• The Investor, a thriving young professional, seeks a reliable method to make informed investment choices in luxury items. While she aspires to invest in higher-end products, her luxury budget is constrained. She’s on the lookout for an authoritative resource to guide her through luxury purchase and styling decisions. Often the trendsetter among her peers, she is the first among her friends to purchase the newest hot products and is influential in her community. 

• The Self Shopping Socialite, a consistent consumer of luxury goods, needs a way to remain informed of emerging trends and the latest products. Her motivation extends beyond her love of fashion; she aims to maintain a stylish relevance within her circle, which is increasingly interested in fashion. 

Editorialist.com Stats: 

• 87% F/ 13% M
• HHI: $200K 
• Average Age: 25-40  

Editorialist Private Client App Stats: 

• 87% F/ 13% M 
• HHI: $550M 
• Average Age: 35-55 
• Top Client Locations: CA, NY, TX, CT, PA, FL, IL, AZ 

What sets you apart from other publishers?

The worldwide UHNW ($50M+ in assets) population is forecast to grow 46%, from 264,000 people in 2022 to 385,000 in 2026! While an ocean of startups and media companies has focused on discounted or resale luxury items and many have focused on full-price luxury e-commerce, very few have built anything of note that serves the UHNW segment. UHNW offerings are typically service extensions of the primary e-commerce business. Unlike our competitors who are trying to win through SEO tactics targeted to mass shoppers, you will rarely find content on Editorialist from Mass Fashion brands. We are discerning with our brand relationships and only accept data feed and brand relationships with luxury partners. Luxury doesn’t always have to be a very expensive $1,000 item; it can be a $125 tee made from the most premium cotton. 

In addition, unlike Traditional Media Publications and Catalogs, we have one-on-one personal relationships with our Private Clients. We know every upcoming life occasion that they’re shopping for – from their trip to Saint Barth’s to their week of yachting in the South of France and sending their kids to school in the Alps. We have access to unique, first-party data that we then use to predict purchasing patterns, inform content strategy, and help our partners effectively connect with consumers. 

Editorialist is different from other publishers in the fashion/beauty/lifestyle space because we are laser-focused on luxury. We can drive a very strong ROI to our core retailers in the luxury space. Through our Private Client App, our audience is the 1% of the 1%. They have an average net worth of $550M and ⅓ are billionaires. We provide partners with unparalleled access to these individuals as our team of experts helps drive all purchase decisions. 

How do you help advertisers add value and drive incrementality?

Great curation, personalization, authoritative content, and robust technology platforms are common among today’s winning online businesses. We offer strategic partnerships within our Guided Shopping Experience across all our platforms. We place the most luxury brands in front of the most valuable shopper through Editorial Storytelling, Social Content Creation, App Placements, Data Feed Integration, and much more. Through a Paid Partnership, we can guarantee these types of placements, driving strong incremental ROI. 

What excites you about the affiliate marketing industry and its direction? Are there any new innovations we will see from you in the coming months?

At Editorialist, we love that we can utilize the affiliate links offline at our brand partner shopping events. As we look to the new year, we’re excited to continue onboarding new partners to our SHOP Catalog experience and to further expand our network of luxury brand and retail partners. 

Editorialist has become the premium luxury shopping destination and our Editorialist SHOP pages have become highly sought-after resources for all our HNW + UHNW shoppers to find the season’s best pieces from their favorite brands and retailers, with Rakuten Advertising x Affiliate playing a significant role. 

Additionally, Editorialist’s Luxury Talent Collective has been central to some of our most successful partnerships to date and we’re incredibly excited about the combined power of our talent network and .COM SHOP destination. Editorialist’s IRL events are another area of tremendous growth for the company, with numerous shopping-first events on the horizon as we enter 2024, where Rakuten and our affiliate links will be pivotal in driving revenue for Editorialist and our partners. Thus far, we’ve seen a tremendous amount of success across these three core pillars, with many more innovations to come in 2024, and affiliate marketing x Rakuten is at the forefront of the rising potential of each of those pillars. 

In 2024, some the markets were headed to are Aspen, San Diego, Los Angeles, Greenwich CT, Menlo Park, Nashville, Dallas, Palm Beach, Carmel and more!

At Editoralist, we love that we can utilize the affiliate links offline at our brand partner shopping events. As we look to the new year, we’re excited to continue onboarding new partners to our SHOP Catalog experience and to furth expand our network of luxury brand and retail partners.

Why did you choose to partner with Rakuten Advertising?

Editorialist comes to Rakuten Advertising for their strategic expertise in affiliate marketing. We believe that Rakuten is a true leader in the field, offering data-driven insights and an ecosystem with the largest network of global partners that aligns with our business model, core values and overall revenue goals. The Rakuten team has been an incredible partner of ours. We feel that the level of customized service and the solution-oriented approach the team takes makes working together a truly collaborative partnership. Rakuten has the greatest amount of luxury brands and retailers acitvating across the platform – which make it our perfect affiliate partner. 

Want to work with the Editorialist? Visit rakutenadvertising.com today or speak to your account representative.