Brands

摘要

With its myriad market-ing efforts this year, American Express Co. not only added to its customer base, it became a poster child for efforts to successfully bridge the gap between serving b-to-b and b-to-c markets simultaneously. American Express continued to tout OPEN: The Small Business Network, through ads and a Web site link that featured small-business owners and stories of how they were helped by the company and its small-business portal. Meanwhile, new co-branded cards and member benefits were added. And in September, OPEN sponsored a one-day small business summit in New York with The New York Times. Clearly, the brand also got a shot of adrenaline from "My Life. My Card," a global campaign launched late last year. The series of well-executed TV spots and print ads features American Express card-carrying celebrities talking about their lives. Comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres talks about dancing; golfer Tiger Woods speaks of rainy days. Actor Robert DeNiro focuses on New York, and Mike Lazaridis, inventor of the Blackberry, discusses coming up with ideas.