Influencer Q&A with American Express: connecting with moms in #EveryDayMoments

Tuesday, 21 October 2014

One of the biggest initiatives for @AmericanExpress in 2014 was launching the Amex EveryDay Credit Card, a credit card designed with multitasking moms in mind. When the brand’s marketing team realized how active moms were on Twitter, they decided to use the platform to engage them in unexpected and highly effective ways.

American Express unveiled the Amex EveryDay Credit Card during the Academy Awards and live-Tweeted the event, a rare move for a financial services company. The brand then took advantage of Twitter’s newest ad formats and Tweeted a steady stream of #EveryDayMoments-themed Twitter Cards, from Website Cards to a Twitter Card with GIFs featuring Tina Fey.

According to Susan Hammes (@Susanita96), VP of Content and Social Media Marketing at American Express, the campaign resonated with users. “We kept seeing our engagement rates go up,” Hammes said. “Now, they’ve reached never-seen-before levels.”

We caught up with Hammes last week to get the details.

@TwitterAds: According to The New York Times, the target audience for the EveryDay Card is “the multitasking, carpool-driving, Starbucks-hopping, grocery-shopping mom.” What made Twitter the right channel to reach this audience?

@Susanita96: Before the card launched, we did a lot of social listening to understand how the multitasking mom uses various social media platforms, and learned that she uses Twitter in several ways every day: to keep up with pop culture moments, to discuss TV shows with friends and to find shopping deals. We wanted to help her with these activities and enable her to enjoy these everyday moments even more.

@TwitterAds: Can you share how you’ve been using Twitter to promote the EveryDay Card, starting with your product launch?

@Susanita96: We first promoted the card during the Academy Awards. We knew that the multitasking mom would be Tweeting along with her friends to feel like part of the action. That made Twitter a really important place for us to be, so we set up a social media command center during the broadcast so that we could engage with Twitter users in real time.

For example, during our TV commercial, everyone was Tweeting about the fact that Tina Fey was shown swiping her EveryDay Card upside down. We quickly Tweeted in response that Amex is turning the industry upside down.

@TwitterAds: It sounds like Twitter’s real-time nature is part of what makes the channel valuable for your brand.

@Susanita96: Yes. I love that Twitter is very much in the moment. It’s also very dialogical. We get great feedback about our product, services and marketing, and that’s rewarding. We get feedback a lot faster than on other channels, and it tends to be richer and easier to measure.

@TwitterAds: After the Academy Awards, how did you continue to promote the EveryDay Card on Twitter?

@Susanita96: When the card became available, we ramped up our content on Twitter in three distinct ways. We celebrated everyday moments by providing value via entertainment and inspiration, utility (such as content with recipes and health tips) and information about the Amex EveryDay Credit Card.

One of my favorite Tweets was this one:

@TwitterAds: What were the results?

@Susanita96: We discovered that two tools worked especially well: GIFs and Website Cards. Overall, we saw our engagement rates reach double digits.

@TwitterAds: How has your thinking about Twitter evolved in recent months?

@Susanita96: Our Twitter strategy has evolved with the product. We’re seeing the platform become a lot more engaging as Twitter continues to roll out new ad formats, and we’ve been excited to try them.

The platform is also becoming more personalized. Twitter’s new targeting options are enabling us to get the right message to the right person at the right time.

Finally, we’ve been noticing how well Twitter plays with other channels. Twitter can start a conversation, but it can also fuel a conversation started elsewhere, such as on TV. It’s a huge opportunity for marketers.

@TwitterAds: Overall, what role does Twitter currently play in your social media strategy?

@Susanita96: We use the platform to service our Card Members, and were one of the first to use Twitter that way. We also use Twitter to keep Card Members informed of benefits and offers, and to share content that shows prospective customers what it’s like to be a Card Member.

Our whole philosophy is about enriching the lives of current and prospective members. Twitter does a fantastic job of bringing our offering to life in a relevant way and making it compelling.