Why Hosting Beats Advertising in E-Commerce Brand Partnerships

If you’re an e-commerce brand watching CAC climb and your ad returns shrink, you’re not alone. Paid media is losing its punch. Discounts are exhausting your margins. And customers? They’ve learned to scroll past the noise.

But something is changing. The most forward-thinking retailers aren’t shouting louder, they’re creating better experiences. And one powerful shift is happening quietly: moving from advertiser to host.

Top e-commerce brands like SharkNinja, EE, and Secret Sales are shifting from being advertisers to becoming hosts in their brand partnerships. In this article we will explain why that matters and what it delivers.

The Power of Being the Host

When you host a brand partnership, you stop chasing attention and start owning it. Instead of paying for impressions, you invite complementary brands into your ecosystem. Not to interrupt, but to enhance.

It’s subtle, elegant and effective. Think of it as hospitality in e-commerce form. You’re not pushing an ad; you’re offering a gift.

Secret Sales did just that. They introduced a Tyviso-powered widget to their basket page and simply offered customers a little something extra. The result showed a 66% increase in basket completion and a 14% rise in average order value. December alone saw an 11% lift across the site.

“This campaign shows that brand partnerships aren’t just short-term tactics. The uplift in spending and conversions proved that value-led experiences can drive significant growth,” said Adrian Vella, CEO at Tyviso.

How Can E-Commerce Brands Reduce CAC Without Using Discounts?

There’s a quiet brilliance in offering more without costing more. Hosting partner offers lets you bypass the chaos of paid channels. You stop shouting in a crowded feed and start whispering at the perfect moment: checkout.

EE proved just how powerful that whisper can be. By embedding rewards in their app, they attracted and retained their customers’ attention. Six months in, churn dropped by 34.5%, redemption rates hit 7%, while repeat engagement hit 90%. 

“You’d usually say that results like this are surprising. But, given the herculean effort of both teams and insight-based optimisation, I’m not. This campaign is a best-in-class example of what brand partnerships can deliver.” — Adrian Vella, CEO, Tyviso

Lifting AOV Without Lowering Value

Forget price cuts. Customers don’t want cheaper, they want more. A well-timed reward can inspire a bigger basket, a better experience, and a stronger bond.

Gifts leave a lasting positive impression. Offers that match a customer’s lifestyle and preferences build trust. Subtle, timely gestures send a powerful message: “You’re understood. You’re valued.”

Data helps, so does design, but above all, it’s about intention. When every element of your checkout becomes part of the experience, value stops being a number and starts becoming a feeling.