American Express 2006 Annual Report Download - page 20

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Beyond Membership Rewards, we offer a growing array of rewards-based products. In
2006, we launched new cards for small-business owners with co-brand partners JetBlue
and Starwood. We also expanded the OPEN Savings program, which provides savings
on travel and other major business expenses. And when our research showed that
many small-business owners expressed a preference for cash rewards, we developed the
SimplyCash Business Card. For consumer cardmembers, we enhanced rewards on our
co-branded cards with JetBlue and Starwood.
Giving our cardmembers more opportunities to save on purchases, earn extra points
and receive priority access to events that interest them is another key dimension of the
rewards we offer. Because of our sophisticated information management and marketing
capabilities, it’s also something that American Express can do uniquely well. Throughout
2006, we brought an array of targeted offers to cardmembers that served to increase
their spending and deepen their loyalty to American Express.
Global Scale, Local Solutions. Around the world, American Express continued to expand
relationships with affl uent consumers and merchants by tailoring products and services to
meet their needs. We combined global capabilities and proven strategies with local
marketing expertise. For example:
• Because many high-spending cardmembers travel frequently, we launched or enhanced
several premium card programs with large airline and loyalty partners
—
Aeroplan,
AeroMexico, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Spanair and Thai Airways International.
• We expanded our “any airline anytime” program, which lets cardmembers redeem
Membership Rewards points for fl ights on virtually any airline to destinations
proprietary card products
New American Express cards launched in 2006, some of which are pictured above, allowed us to meet the
wide-ranging needs of consumers, small businesses and corporations around the world. Gift Cards geared
to teenagers, cash-back cards for small-business owners, airline affi nity cards for frequent travelers, Platinum
cards for affl uent consumers
—
American Express introduced all of these and more last year as part of our
continuing effort to provide superior value and service to our cardmembers.
letter to shareholders
[ 18 ]