Many US states are proposing legislation that would require advertisers to charge a tax on Internet retail sales and some states have passed such "affiliate nexus" laws.

Every state is different but typically these laws require advertisers to collect sales tax when sales from affiliates (publishers) reach a certain level.

Information per state can be found here: http://www.linkshare.com/internet_tax/

As a UK advertisers it is important to keep up to date with the latest information on this if you work with US affiliates, so please keep an eye on the US blog for updates.

The updated EU Cookie Directive came into force in May this year (see post from 25/05/11) and although the ICO has given UK businesses 12 months to comply (see post from 26/05/11) it is extremely important that all businesses have already completed a cookie audit and are working on plans to ensure that they can comply with this directive.
The ICO advises websites to take the following steps:

• Check what type of cookies or similar technologies you use and how you use them
• Assess how intrusive your use of cookies is
• Decide what solution to obtain consent will be best in your circumstances

A simple search engine search on “cookie audit” provides a number of good articles to help you carry out an audit of the cookies your site(s) currently use.

See the latest blog post for more information

THE VALUE OF VOUCHER SITES
Whaleshark Media Releases Research Results On The Value Of Voucher Sites

Advertisers often question the value of voucher sites and many brands don’t want to condition shoppers to expect offers. Consumers meanwhile are willing to search for the best deals on multiple sites, try new brands, and wait for discounts. Are voucher sites finding new customers? Do they inspire loyalty and do consumers to spend more when using vouchers?
Whaleshark Media set out to answer that question by doing some research on the topic with Forrester Consulting and recently announced the results. The report includes some great data about why voucher focused Publishers are an important part of the online marketing strategy for many brands.  Check out the blog post.

LATEST NEWS
Trends in Affiliate Marketing and Consumer Spending

Cyber-Shoppers: £1 In Every £10 Spent Online – Sky 20.10.11
British shoppers are now spending £1 in every £10 online, according to official retail figures. It is the latest evidence of the most dramatic shift in consumers' spending habits since the advent of supermarkets and out-of-town shopping.

Bulk of UK shoppers will research Christmas gift ideas online first – UTalkMarketing 20.10.11
A quarter of UK shoppers will not do any research before hitting the high street for gifts this Christmas - but of the three-quarters that will, more than half of those will turn to retailer websites for help. A survey of 1,500 UK consumers by customer insight specialists Kantar Media suggests that most shoppers (74%) will research pre-Christmas deals – with over half (54%) saying they will do so online via retailer’s websites.

Christmas shopping all wrapped up online for 13% – Internet 19.10.11
More than one in 10 UK shoppers will only buy their Christmas presents online this year, new research suggests. The HSBC Christmas Spending Survey found 13% of survey respondents said they would only buy over the internet – while the same proportion said they would only shop offline. By inference, that leaves some 74% potentially shopping through both channels, and means that 87% will do at least some of their shopping online.

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