Case: A creator scorecard cut agency dead weight, lifted ROI 28%

Case: A creator scorecard cut agency dead weight, lifted ROI 28%
An affiliate program worked with 22 creators on gut feel. Spend was even; results weren't.

We built a quarterly scorecard, 4 columns, one row per creator:

1) Net revenue driven
2) EPC
3) Cost (flat fee + product)
4) ROI = revenue / cost

Decision rules:
— ROI under 1.0 two quarters: pause
— ROI 1.0-2.0: keep, no rate increase
— ROI over 3.0: offer exclusive + raise

Result: paused 6 creators (all ROI under 0.8), reinvested in the top 4. Program ROI rose 28% with the same total budget.

Checklist each quarter:
— Every creator scored on the same 4 columns
— Decision applied by rule, not by relationship
— Top performers offered upgrade before competitors do