Credit card company American Express saw that holiday shopping underserved the small business community as big-box stores and online retailers with muscle had the upper-hand in community attention during the holidays. That?s why in 2010, the company founded Small Business Saturday? a shopping holiday held on the last saturday in November that motivates customers to patronize their local mom-and-pops.
?The thought was, let?s give small businesses a day of their own during the most critical time of the year,? says Scott Krugman, spokesperson for American Express. ?It?s our way to support small businesses.?
Mashable spoke with Krugman about the marketing strategy American Express used ? with the aid of digital media companies Crispin Porter + Bogusky and Digitas ? to motivate both small business owners and potential consumers to participate in the holiday and the results of their hard work.
What do you think about the Small Business Saturday campaign? Let us know in the comments.
Strategy for Small Business and Beyond
The campaign to promote Small Business Saturday is inherently two-fold: American Express offers small business tools and DIY promotional material (through their OPEN program) and incentives for customers looking to shop local. These messages were presented in tandem on Small Business Saturday?s Facebook Page and @ShopSmall Twitter account. Small businesses were also encouraged to sign up for free Facebook advertising of their brands, paid for in full by American Express.
?This is what makes Small Business Saturday so unique. Even though it?s something that was created by American Express, it wasn?t about American Express,? Krugman explains. ?We really wanted to help small businesses in getting their brand on social media.?
But the motivation didn?t stop at online tools and message. Krugman says that the company brought the campaign into the real world by offering a $25 statement credit for anyone who registered a card and spent $25 at a local store during Small Business Saturday. Krugman adds that the perks didn?t stop with American Express customers ? those without an AmEx card could apply for a $25 gift card for the shopping holiday as well.
?We wanted consumers to recognize the real tangible benefits of having small businesses in their community,? Krugman says. ?Hundreds of thousands of consumers did that.?
Also, the company didn?t have to promote the holiday on their own. Companies like FedEx and Google chipped in their resources, offering their own gift cards and campaigns to help make Small Business Saturday a success. Krugman explains that the concept was so popular that even American politicians began promoting the holiday to their constituents in an effort to jumpstart their own local small business economies. To top it off, President Barack Obama got in on the act, posting tweets with the #smallbusinesssaturday hashtag. He adds that the campaign went beyond a simple promotional one and into a movement to motivate citizens to spend some cash on Main street.
?This is an opportunity for consumers to pledge their support to small businesses and find local small businesses and offers,? Krugman says, ?And, to promote this to other folks as well.?
Results
The marketing campaign was a resounding success for American Express. The company indicated in a press release that more than 2.7 million people ?Liked? the program?s Facebook page and nearly 195,000 tweets were sent in support of Small Business Saturday throughout the month of November. There were gains in overall awareness of the holiday as well, rocketing from 37% in 2010 (its inaugural year) to 65% in 2011.
?Small Business Saturday was able to transcend beyond American Express,? Krugman says.
But what about the holiday itself? Did the campaign get people to spend (and keep spending) on Main Street?
An estimated 103 million Americans shopped at a small business on 2011?s Small Business Saturday ? November 26 ? and American Express saw a 23% increase in transactions at small business merchants. Krugman says that the anecdotal feedback the company got from local business owners jived with these estimates ? and some even had great success.
?In reading from testimonials and hearing merchants say, ?Because of Small Business Saturday, my year-over-year sales were 40% higher,?? Krugman says, ?That?s so great.?
The Future
Krugman says that for all the success that Small Business Saturday experienced in the second year of its operation, the program itself is still in relative infancy. But, he adds that he?s looking forward to watching it grow and keep momentum all year long.
?As great as year one and year two have been,? says Krugman, ?we?re incredibly excited for where this is going to take small businesses.?
Series supported by IDG
The Modern Media Agency Series is supported by IDG. The Digital/Interactive Industry is Surging! The digital/interactive industry remains the fastest growing advertising segment. According to an IDG Research study, tech marketers expect to spend 50% on digital alone. Smartphone use is exploding and social, mobile, and video marketing are heating up. With an estimated 100 different media platforms to choose from, marketers can be overwhelmed. IDG Communications CEO Bob Carrigan highlights global trends and issues to consider for 2012. Read more here.
Source: http://mashable.com/2012/03/22/american-express-small-business-saturday/
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