American Express Canada is set to launch the latest phase of an ongoing blogger outreach program to help “test drive” its Starwood Preferred Guest Card.
The credit card company has been working with bloggers for a number of years as a way of producing authentic and relevant content about its products. American Express introduced its first sizable blogger program in 2009 to coincide with the launch of its Starwood Preferred Guest Card.
“There was a lot of discussion in the market about this product and a blogger strategy allowed us to get information directly to those who were interested in the product,” said Lauren Dineen-Duarte, director of public affairs and communications at American Express Canada.
Response to the program was positive and American Express saw it as a strategy that could be beneficial across other lines of its business, said Dineen-Duarte. American Express works with a network of bloggers throughout the year on both small and large-scale projects.
In addition, the credit card company also works continuously with five brand ambassadors that contribute Twitter, Facebook and blog content.
For its most recent efforts, American Express has enlisted lifestyle blogger Marta Tryshak to hit the beaches of Miami mid November for a weekend of food, sun, fun, and of course, a little work.
Tryshak, the founder of WithLoveGabrielle.com and one of Marketing’s inaugural 30 Under 30, will stay at Starwood’s W hotel and document her experience using the card and redeeming travel rewards called Starpoints in a series of four posts. Tryshak will also take advantage of member benefits including access to VIP concerts.
The expectations American Express places on its bloggers vary from program-to-program. For a singular program, bloggers can write between one to six posts, said Dineen-Duarte, stressing how important it is that content be authentic.
“While we ensure the bloggers content is factual in nature, it’s very important to have the blogger’s own voice come through in their posts and at the same time, create content that is on-brand to Amex,” she said.
Dineen-Duarte said American Express is really “entrenched in the Canadian blogger community” and as a result was familiar with Tryshak’s work. This is the first time Tryshak has partnered with the credit card company.
When asked why American Express is a good fit for the WithLoveGabrielle.com brand, Tryshak said her site “celebrates the small luxuries of life. Part of that luxury is having a credit card that offers a variety of programs that suit different needs.”
