Small Business Saturday

The Project: Marketing

At American Express OPEN, our mission was to help small businesses do more business. And one of the projects I worked on that best met the spirit of that mission was Small Business Saturday. I was a member of the American Express team launching Small Business Saturday in 2010 and helped grow the initiative in 2011 and 2012 with increasing levels of responsibility for marketing communications to OPEN Cardmembers. In the first year, Small Business Saturday had the fastest growing page on Facebook hitting 1.2MM likes by Small Business Saturday. In the second year, we gained even more recognition with a mention from President Obama and official recognition from the United States Senate. And in the third year, elected officials in all 50 states championed Small Business Saturday.

Small Business Saturday won numerous marketing awards including:

  • Effie Awards: 2012 - Silver for Brand Experience, Bronze for Finance, Bronze for Positive Change in Social, Bronze for Influencers; 2013 - Gold for Financial Cards, Gold for Positive Change in Social, Bronze for Brand Experience, Finalist for Carpe Diem
  • Jay Chiat Awards: 2012 - Gold for Media Communications Strategy
  • Cannes Lions: 2012 - Grand Prix for Direct in Financial Product & Service, Grand Prix for Promo and Activation in Financial Product & Service, Silver for Direct Best Integrated Campaign Led by Direct Marketing, Silver for Promo & Activation in Best use of Social Media in a Promotional Campaign, Bronze for PR in Financial Services, Cyber Gold for Best Digitally Led Integrated Campaign, Cyber Silver for Other Interactive Digital Solutions, Cyber Silver for Viral Marketing, Silver for Titanium and Integrated
  • Clio Awards: 2011 - Grand CLIO for Content and Contact, Gold CLIO for Facebook Integrated Media, Gold CLIO for Interactive/Social Media; 2012 - Gold CLIO for Facebook Integrated Media in Financial Services, Gold CLIO for Interactive Campaign, Silver CLIO for Integrated Campaign; 2013 - Short List for Engagement in Experiential
  • One Show: 2012 - Gold Pencil for Brand Transformation
  • PMA Reggie Awards: 2012 - Super REGGIE, Best Cause for Green or Social Responsibility Marketing Campaign, Best Social Media Campaign, Best Retailer for Specific Campaign
  • New York Festivals: 2012 - World's Best Idea for Integrated Campaign
  • Facebook Studio Awards: 2012 - Blue Award Winner
  • Webby Awards: 2012 - Honoree for Interactive Advertising in Interactive Campaigns

In 2010, I helped bring our first Small Business Saturday to life by coordinating emails to OPEN Cardmembers working alongside my counterpart on the consumer side of the business, and helping small business owners one-on-one to post their own Facebook ads using free Facebook ad credits.

In 2011, I coordinated agency and internal execution and analysis for marketing communications to OPEN Cardmembers, and managed our team budget for Small Business Saturday marketing.

In 2012, I developed the strategic marketing brief, and managed execution, & analysis for marketing communications to OPEN Cardmembers, resulting in over 1MM impressions, 20% increase in email engagement, and 70% increase in digital engagement over the previous year.