How American Express and IBM build B2B loyalty
November 30, 2015
Building loyalty within the B2B category can be very challenging, especially if price negotiation has taken place. Suppliers may feel they've already invested in a customer. Unfortunately, the B2B customer may not feel the same way. After the sale, the best ongoing signal of support for a B2B customer is helping them succeed with their customers. For instance Jim Griffing, founder of Griffing & Company accounting, always helps his clients understand if their operating expenses are inline with industry standards. IBM helps its big customers by sharing original marketing research on its customers's customers, and American Express helps its small customers with advertising and promotions.
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Excerpt from Boston Herald: AmEx drops Small Business Saturday perk, 2015-Nov-28
Over the past five years, American Express has dangled a carrot to encourage cardholders to patronize independent stores on Small Business Saturday: statement credits from $10 to $30.
As the sixth annual homage to mom-and-pop shops starts today, AmEx cardholders who make a conscious decision to forgo the big chains must settle for a warm-and-fuzzy feeling in addition to whatever bargains they pick up.
AmEx, a longtime promoter of Small Business Saturday, isn’t making the incentive widely available this year to cardholders, according to its website.
“This year we are not offering a statement credit offer on Small Business Saturday,” the company said on the “Shop Small” section of its website. “In past years, the offer was one of the ways to encourage our customers to make a habit of shopping at small businesses as they begin the holiday season.” The company’s ShopSmall Twitter page addressed questions from consumers asking about the credit. “No incentive to shop small,” atom58 tweeted to ShopSmall.
American Express said it would continue to promote Small Business Saturday through local and national advertising. It said 55 percent of U.S. consumers are aware of the day — the highest figure yet recorded in a survey done on AmEx’s behalf.