In most industries, your product sets you apart. It’s faster, easier to use, looks better, tastes better.
But in other industries, it really doesn’t.
Take ticketing, for example. You can buy the exact same ticket to a sports game, concert, or play on dozens of platforms. And in those industries, it’s the company that gets people’s attention, that gives them value that wins.
Brian Blancho, Affiliate Marketing Manager at TicketSmarter is no stranger to this challenge. Over the years, he’s become a pro at exploring new avenues for meeting customers where they are, whether they’re a baseball fan or a Beyonce fan.
We sat down with him to talk through his approach, and he graciously shared six lessons that apply to anyone competing in a market where every product looks the same.
6 ways to stand out when your competitors are selling the same thing
1. Treat every sale as incremental
In most industries, budgets cap growth. Spend $50 per lead, generate 100 leads, and you’re done once the quota is met.
But TicketSmarter’s inventory is effectively endless: there’s no ceiling on how much they can sell. That means every order is worth chasing.
“It’s a different mindset,” Brian explains. “Instead of rationing spend across campaigns like I have in the past, at TicketSmarter, my goal is to capture as many transactions as possible across every channel.”
For him, that means making sure:
- TicketSmarter is everywhere. Social, search, content, Reddit, rewards apps, credit and debit card perks — wherever his customers are.
- He’s constantly testing new placements or creative angles to find new channels and fill any gaps in coverage.
If he doesn’t reach those consumers when they’re ready to buy, a competitor will.
2. Use cash back to push consumers to purchase
Brian’s noticed a distinct pattern among Millennials and Gen Z consumers: they are relentless price checkers.
“These generations have grown up with the internet, and if they’ve decided to make a big purchase, they’re going to want to get some cash back while they’re at it.”
Even a modest 3 or 4% cash back offer can be enough to get people to commit. “In my experience, cash back offers definitely move the needle,” Brian notes. “The challenge is figuring out how much is enough to make the offer appealing enough.”
Platforms like Kard simplify that decision with benchmarks from similar brands in similar industries. Plus, it’s pay for performance, so the process of getting an offer up and running doesn’t eat away any of your budget. You’re not paying for impressions.
3. Use affiliates to get in front of new audiences
For Brian, cash back rewards are more of a bottom of funnel play, which is great for conversions. But he also knows he has to get TicketSmarter to be top of mind, otherwise people won’t know to look for cash back deals. As he puts it, “We all know it takes six to eight touches to get a sale.”
That’s where affiliate marketing shines. Brian says:
“I see affiliate marketing and cash back rewards as two sides of the same coin. Affiliates operate higher in the funnel, with co-branded campaigns, blogs, and content placements that build awareness among the audience I want to target. Cash back offers convert that interest into intent with stronger CTAs (and actual value).”
4. Experiment with other models
To grow in a market this competitive, you have to stay curious. Brian is constantly trying out new strategies, like:
- A hybrid PPC/CPA structure with Groupon. They targeted a specific ROAS and billed based on that target. “I had to justify being slightly outside of our comfort zone with the attribution and payment model, not knowing if we would make money, but it ultimately paid off big,” Brian highlights.
- Kard, a commerce media platform. Pilot cash back offer campaigns were successful, particularly in attracting younger, digitally savvy audiences. Plus, there are always new kinds of offers to try — location-based, category-based, even offer boosts. “Kard’s model is uniquely helpful in that it’s pay for performance. If we’re running a campaign and there are no orders? No harm, no foul,” says Brian.
- Downloadable content for online baseball games. If a consumer bought a ticket through TicketSmarter, they would get 30 coins to buy upgrades in their game. “This one ended up being a bust,” Brian shared. “But we still ran it for a few months to see if we could break even, and it was a learning experience. Instead of buying real game tickets, people ended up buying $3 parking passes to get the credits. Now we know how people game the system.”
Some campaigns will fizzle, but others might deliver returns you weren’t expecting, and getting results from those tactics before your competitors do can give you a good lead. Brian’s advice? Give your campaigns some time to germinate.
“At the start of the month, a test can look horrendously unsuccessful,” Brian admitted.
“By the end, the orders come through and you see the return. You’ve got to have faith in the model. If it’s incremental volume and it costs less per order than we’re making, that’s a win.”
5. Invest in new (and old) publisher relationships
Some publishers charge onboarding fees to access their inventory, but Brian’s team treats those as experiments, too. Getting better placements early can make a big difference when everyone’s chasing the same buyer.
At CJU 2025, for example, Brian’s team took 13 meetings with new, under the radar performance marketing players breaking out in Europe for that very reason.
“I would never have come across most of these in my research, and it’s good to meet and talk to them face to face. Ideally, we lock them down before our competitors do so we can get exclusive inventory.”
But that doesn’t mean Brian only works with newcomers. He also keeps in close touch with other publishers he’s worked with, at TicketSmarter and other places he’s worked in the past, in case they are running a new deal or kind of campaign that he wants to invest in.
“The other half of our meetings at CJU were with our current publishers. In this business, it’s good to keep those lines open. Some of performance marketing success is about what you know, but a lot is about who you know.”
6. Partner where you can
TicketSmarter also partners directly with universities and stadiums to reach fans at the source. A single collegiate partnership or high-profile venue can generate thousands of impressions. And on-site exposure reinforces digital campaigns, keeping TicketSmarter top of mind during particularly high volume (read: high revenue) seasons.
If you’re in a loyalty-light category, it’s time to get creative
Standing out in a category like tickets is not for the faint of heart. But it can be a fun challenge to find new ways to get in front of customers, nudge them toward a purchase, and make your brand the first one they turn to when they’re looking for a deal.
Ready to try a new strategy? Sign up for a demo to see what makes Kard’s cash back offers so unique.
Or, download our Growth Hacks guide, packed with actionable strategies to help tackle rising costs, shifting buyer behavior, and loyalty challenges head on.
