Lazada announced a $100 million annual investment in its LazAffiliate Programme, positioning the e-commerce platform to capitalize on Southeast Asia’s expanding creator economy amid broader industry shifts toward performance-based marketing.

The investment, unveiled at the Lazada Affiliate Southeast Asia Awards in Bangkok recently, introduces an enhanced commission framework and new features designed to empower creators across the region.

“Lazada is committed to enabling influencers and content creators across Southeast Asia to unlock new income streams and scale their impact,” Jared Chan, Head of Regional Affiliate at Lazada Group, said in a press release.

Key enhancements include a redesigned affiliate channel with an improved interface, high-commission product curation, performance dashboards that provide traffic metrics and conversion insights, custom storefronts, and campaign rewards accelerators during major shopping festivals.

Image: New dashboard providing affiliates with data-backed insights and key metrics
Source: Lazada

Regional Creator Economy Shows Strong Growth

According to research from Vero, brand sponsorships account for 90% of influencer income in the region, with most creators posting sponsored content on a weekly basis. Sponsored content requests increased 72% this year, indicating substantial momentum.

In Indonesia alone, approximately 12 million creators produce between 500,000 and one million content pieces monthly, positioning the country as Southeast Asia’s leading content producer, according to GroupM-GOAT Indonesia.

Performance-Based Framework

Lazada’s approach aligns with industry trends, which show creators moving away from platform dependency toward building independent revenue streams. 

A recent Kajabi report indicates significant declines in traditional social media revenue sources over the past year, including a 33% decrease in platform payouts and a 36% decline in affiliate marketing income.

The LazAffiliate Programme establishes a performance-based framework where brands and sellers invest only in actual conversions, transforming creator collaborations into measurable revenue channels.

“The result is a performance-based framework where brands and sellers invest only for actual conversions – transforming creator collaborations into measurable, sustainable, and scalable revenue channels,” the company stated.

For the upcoming 6.6 Mega Sale, Lazada’s campaign rewards accelerator will offer affiliates a commission of up to 36% for promoting brand partners via store vouchers. Over 80 fashion and beauty brands have partnered with Lazada to co-fund affiliate rewards, with $100,000 in rewards allocated to top-performing regional affiliates.

The LazAffiliate Programme offers “no-barrier entry into creator commerce” with no minimum following required, allowing everyday shoppers to participate alongside established influencers and content creators.