Illustration through ExpressClub. Alpha Card Merchant Services and Affinion International @ Relationship Marketing congres (Stichting Marketing) http://alphacardservices.com/ http://www.affinioninternational.com/ http://www.relationshipmarketing.be http://www.stichtingmarketing.be

1. Deliver the right message at the right time
Illustration through ExpressClub
Relationship Marketing Congress , 07.05.2009
Marie Scuvée, Alpha Card Merchant Services
Ante Rimac, Affinion International
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2. The company
The approach
Some references
2

3. Affinion Group
+ 300 clients
19 millions members
Global leader in Affinity Marketing
North American
Expertise in multi-cghannel direct marketing
3.500 employees world wide; Affinity Membership 400 millions messages sent per year
1000+ outside the US
Presence in 11 countries and 18
markets
$ 1.5 billion turn over
US participation fund Appolo as Leader in direct marketing for invazlidity and
shareholder death insurance
North American Enrichment programmes for current accounts
Insurance & Packaging (package)
Marketing expertise in branches network
animation
35 years of service
70 million members worldwide Point based programmes on added value
Over 800 million direct marketing pieces mailed Loyalty services
annually 100 billions points distributed
46,000 marketing campaigns conducted over the 2 millions customer calls per year
last decade
80 million telemarketing contacts annually
Over 1 million new online members added each
year 20 years of service
Multiple industry experience including financial, 70 programmes on more than 100 segments
retail, travel, entertainment, e-commerce and Partnership with 12 banks out of the EU top 20
direct response TV
Nearly 19 millions members in 13 countries
25 core products with custom flexibility (200+
versions) Servicing in 11 different languages
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4. Some global references :
Affinion’s presence
Europe:
Benelux office:
South Africa: North America
Major accounts managed from Brussels office:
4

5. Affinion International
Business model:
• Affinity marketing
• Membership principle
•B2B2C
Main target: Enrich the customer relation in order to:
• Create more revenues
• Increase the link with the customer
Product lines:
• Based on consumers' needs
• Regrouped in categories like travel, leisure, lifestyle, insurance,
security
Competence domains:
• Acquisition
• Retention
• Animation
• Revenue generation
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6. Affinion helps partners maximize the
Lifetime Economic Value of their customer relationships
Incremental Fee Income Fee Income Loyalty / Loyalty / Retention
Retention
• Products and services sold Partner • Rewards programmes or
stand alone or bundled enhancements
Customer
• Expanded segmentation • Solutions bundled with
Base
partner products for
differentiation
Brand Utilisation
Core Brand Utilisation
• Solutions designed to increase transaction
activity
• Offerings that create incremental customer
contacts
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7. Turn Key Provider
Fee Income/Revenue Membership programs with Classical point based
non core services programs
Competitive Differentiation
« Packages » « Loyalty »
Loyalty/Rewards
Client Influence Consumer Behavior
Objectives
& Retention
Affinion
Motivation
Product-Line Expansion Solutions
Increased Utilization
Distribution Expansion
« Marketing
« Retail »
Further Segmentation
services »
Tactical programs focused Side selling approach with
on specific needs optional membership
Cross-selling Opportunities
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8. 4 core competences
Advice
Integrated contact center Analysis
Multi channel back office & Benchmarks
Fulfilment capacities Business models
Concept Full concept development
Quality follow up
Account management
Day to day Product / Solution
running development
Marketing Tailor made development
Creation
& Partnerships
Distribution
Multi channel communication Communication
Deployment
including:
Direct marketing
Websites
Sweepstakes, animations
Newsletters
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9. Affinion International
Our know-how
Marketing Fidelisation
Packages
Card enrichment programmes
Marketing Acquisition « Club » porgrammes
« Side Selling »
Member get member
Marketing services
Cards
Sweepstakes,
Multi channel
marketing
newsletters, …
Points programmes
Earn Cards
Burn Debit
Catalogue managment Affinity
Co-branded
Partnerships Protection services
Different themes « Cardcops » :
Different periodicity Payment card protection,
Different targets Security pack
Virtual Safe
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10. Strong Long-term Relationships with Diverse Affinity Partners
Over 5,200 affinity partners
– 17 of top 20 U.S. credit card issuers – 7 of top 10 U.S. mortgage companies
– 17 of top 20 U.S. debit card issuers – 13 of top 30 European retail banks
INDUSTRIES SELECTED AFFINITY PARTNERS
Banks
Retail
Credit card issuers
Insurance companies
Internet
Telecom, Utilities & Media
Many of our key distribution partners have been with us for more than ten years
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11. ExpressClub:
How to increase customer loyalty & customer intelligence
in a B2B environment ?
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12. American Express
• World wide:
Historically first global payment scheme
Activity in 130+ countries
93 million cards
Spread into consumer cards, business cards and corporate cards
Large product range from basic up to very exclusive products
Co-branded products
Membership Rewards (Card loyalty program)
Several million acceptance points
Travel Agencies
Insurance products
• BeLux
Alpha Card is the unique American Express Card issuer & Merchant acquirer
in Belux (joint venture American Express & Fortis)
Active for 11 years
Full American Express product range
Issuing of the cards
Management of the merchant network
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13. The challenge
• Context:
While chains and key accounts are considered as strategic partners (targeted
marketing,..) we want to be perceived as Business partners by medium &
smaller merchants. We want them to be proud of the American Express
network !
The independant merchants are crucial for the perception of coverage
We have to build a competitive advantage for our merchants and confirm our
Value based pricing
The challenges were:
Retention
– How to increase customer loyalty ?
– How to increase the value of our customer relation ?
Animation
– How to generate positive interaction with customers ?
DB enrichment
– How to increase our customer intelligence ?
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14. The answer: ExpressClub
• The Answer:
ExpressClub makes your time easy!
American Express offers affiliated merchants, business and leisure benefits with
free access for eligible Merchants
• Structure:
Save your time (business oriented benefits)
Benefits based on DISCOUNTS
3 categories to help merchants to run their business
Spend your time (leisure oriented benefits)
Benefits based on ADD ON & EXTRA’S
Benefits ranked in function of time available
Tips & Tricks
Some nice extra’s to make the life easier
Fairs agenda, usefull links, legal line
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15. The answer: ExpressClub
The approach:
Web based platform; online offer collection
Accessibility from americanexpress.be (.lu) or directly :
www.expressclub.be(.lu)
°
Protected website (merchant n°) with a public home page (teaser)
Communication plan:
Acquisition mailing:
Letter + flyer + give away (mouse pad)
The website
See next slide
Regular supporting actions and communication:
E-news letter for the members where e-mail is known
Program awareness & animation
Recap paper mailing to entire base of the eligible members
Stimulate merchant visits on the website and sustain awareness of
the entire base
Regular sweepstakes
Incentivize the data gathering & create animation
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16. Full integration in the
current corporate website:
• Aim is to make the
customer experience as
smooth as possible
• Sustain the fact that the
offer is integrated
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17. Integration with the Access protected by the
corporate site navigation affiliation number
Split into different categories
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18. Split of the business Details of the selected offers
benefits by categories Split by time available
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19. Ergonomic, easy
and straightforward
internal navigation
Take care of the convenience of use
Sustain program awareness
Stimulate e-mail gathering
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20. Internal ergonomic Extra Tips & tricks
navigation
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21. E-mail adress is playing a crucial and central role: for the
same affiliation different users possible; the e-mail adress
is the differenciator
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22. Customer intelligence enrichment
through:
• usage tracking
• information / details gathering
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23. Reinforcement of the links with
the customers via a growing
personalisation of the interactions
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24. Early results - conclusions
• Measurable results (3 weeks after launch):
More than 40 000 pages viewed
11,3% response rate (unique visitors)
On average 11.4 page views/visitors, meaning they navigate on the site,
discover it and visit different areas (business&leisure)
• Pre-conclusions:
We are adding value to our customer relationship
We are creating opportunities for increasing the customer intelligence
We are delivering the right message at the right moment.
« Even in harder time, American Express invests in the relationship
with their best partners, the Merchant Network .»
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25. Thank you !
Marie Scuvée
Merchant Marketing Manager
marie.scuvee@alpha-card.com
+ 32 476 760804
Ante Rimac
Director Benelux
ante.rimac@affinioninternational.com
+ 32 477 724 483
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