ASX shares in AI-driven financial wellness company Douugh Limited (ASX: DOU) opened 10% higher Monday morning after it announced an affiliate marketing program with Rakuten. However, Douugh shares are now trading flat.
It’s been a rollercoaster ride for Douugh’s shareholders since the end of last year, with the share price reaching 49 cents at the height of the rally.
Rakuten partnership
Rakuten Advertising is a global affiliate network that will assist Douugh in expanding its acquisition channels and userbase through its dedicated fintech division that has over 150,000 publishers worldwide.
Rakuten has previously worked with many finance brands to help drive success and currently has five of the top 10 US banks as active clients.
Under the partnership, which will commence immediately for 12 months, Douugh will be able to gain access to a broad selection of publishers and influencers in addition to merchant offers. Rewards in the form of cashback offers on debit card spend will be passed back to new customers.
The partnership may prove to be a cost-effective method of accelerating customer acquisition. According to Douugh, 15% of the total digital media advertising revenue is attributed to affiliate marketing, but this generates between 15-30% of all sales for advertisers.
The exact terms including the pricing structure of the partnership weren’t disclosed, but Douugh did indicate it’s a low-risk activity given its cost-effective nature.
My thoughts
It seems to be another step in the right direction for the company. Last year Douugh partnered with Humm Group Limited (ASX: HUM) in a joint venture to expand Humm’s reach the US market.
Additionally, Douugh announced it would acquire millennial investing fintech Goodments, allowing its customers to invest in custom-built portfolios and fractionalised single stocks.
I think that it’s very much early days for Douugh. The narrative behind the company seems to make sense and could really help people with their personal finances.
While its partnerships and acquisitions appear to be positive steps, I’d like to see how these decisions by management translate into the company accelerating customer acquisition and growing its userbase, which will ultimately drive sales and profitability.
There’s not enough of a track record for me to be confident at these levels, but I think it’s worth watching in 2021 to see how its US expansion continues to unfold, as well as its proposed expansion into the Australian market.
There are other ASX growth shares I like at the moment that have a bit more of a track record of performance. For some more ideas, click here to read: 2 ASX tech shares I’m watching in March.
