American Express recently launched “The Members Project“
It looks like a simple idea but look under the marketing and this is a brilliant idea. The tagline for the project is: “Our Money. Your Ideas. Your Decision.”
The basics of how “The Members Project” works is described on the site:
1. Register. It’s easy. Just for registering, American Express contributes $1 to The Members Project.(up to $5 million!)
2. Explore. Read, rate, and discuss the projects submitted by fellow Cardmembers.
3. Create. If you’re feeling inspired, share a project idea of your own.
4. Vote. Starting July 3, help narrow it down to one winning idea.
On the Project site, American Express says its motivation is to be influence by its member community:
“We are asking cardmembers to submit their biggest and most innovative project ideas.”
“Whether you want to make a difference across the globe or in your neighborhood, we’re looking for original, achievable ideas that have a broad positive impact. So get creative.”
What American Express does not say is that beyond potentially funding a major global project, explicitly connecting their members’ ideas and their voting patterns will enable American Express to develop a vast database on their members’ personalities, their causes, their closest thoughts. This is a brilliant stroke of member relationship management.
