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Integrating public service and marketing differentiation: an analysis of the American Express Corporation’s “Charge Against Hunger” promotion program

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Abstract

Dating back to the 1980s, American Express (AMEX) has been a corporate leader in successfully applying cause-related marketing (CRM) to boost membership and credit card usage in troubled markets. During a downturn in the mid-1990s, AMEX and Share Our Strength (SOS), a nonprofit organization tackling the problem of hunger in the United States, formed a strategic alliance to create one of the best known and most highly touted CRM campaigns. AMEX implemented an innovative cause branding (CB) effort to convince its cardholders to “Charge Against Hunger” (CAH) by utilizing their AMEX credit cards more frequently during the holiday season. Over the 4-year life of the program, the issue of hunger in the United States was put somewhat higher on the public agenda as more than US $21 million were raised for SOS projects. This study assesses how AMEX’s public relations efforts contributed to the success of the CAH campaign.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Manship School of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803-7202, USA

    Richard Alan Nelson

  2. Department of Communication, The University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX, 78249-0643, USA

    Ali M. Kanso & Steven R. Levitt

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  1. Richard Alan Nelson
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  2. Ali M. Kanso
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  3. Steven R. Levitt
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Correspondence to Richard Alan Nelson.

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Nelson, R.A., Kanso, A.M. & Levitt, S.R. Integrating public service and marketing differentiation: an analysis of the American Express Corporation’s “Charge Against Hunger” promotion program. Service Business 1, 275–293 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11628-006-0013-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11628-006-0013-8

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