Ch.5 Developing a Global Vision

Global Business Travel Solutions

  As a global leader in business travel managment, American Express work with companies around the world to design and manage comprehensive travel programs that meet their business goals.

  When a company partner with American Express that company will benefit from a program that helps maximize savings and improves program compliance delivered by a partner with a 150 year heritage of customer service.

  You can also experience customer service around the world, and around the clock through the consistent processing, global best practices, and quality assurances.

  With the flexibility of American Express, you can choose from a variety of service options, online, offline and on-the-go, including a single consolidated offer to find the ideal fit for your company. And with 24/7 support in more than 140 countries, American Express is available virtually whenever you need them.

  With AMEX solutions, you can create a consistent program anywhere you do business. In their Corporate Card program, American Express can issue Cards in the local currencies in over 40 countries, billed and payable in the local currency, with local customer service and local program features.       

  They can also issue Dollar Cards in U.S. dollars for all other countries, billed and payable in U.S. dollars, with centralized customer service and consistent Cardmember benefits across borders.

   In the AMEX Corporate Purchasing Solutions program, American Express issue Cards in 24 countries worldwide, billed and payable in the local currency, as well as issue Dollar Cards in U.S. dollars in 40 countries.

 

  American Express delivers secure worldwide data consolidation through a fully proprietary network. And with American Express at Work, you can access and customize this information from anywhere on the globe 24/7 in a secure web-based environment.

  As a multinational company, American Express understands the complexities and challenges of doing business on a global scale. We've also helped some of the world's biggest and best companies effectively manage their Corporate Card programs. That experience, backed by local knowledge and global insight, allows us to deliver a superior level of business insight and consultative expertise.

Exclusive services include:

Worldwide security & support

• Personal assistance from over 2,200 Travel Service & Foreign Exchange locations in more than 140 countries
• 24-hour emergency support from our Global Assist Hotline

Service & convenience

• 24/7 customer service
• 24/7 online account access, statements, payment, and expense report submission
• 24-hour emergency Card replacement
• Worldwide cash access

Insurance coverage

• $350,000 24-hour door-to-door Business Travel Accident Insurance
• Up to $1,750 Baggage Insurance Plan (up to $1,250 carry-on baggage; up to $500 checked baggage)
• Optional Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage available for $4 per rental for up to 42 consecutive days

Enhanced benefits & rewards

• Reward employees for business spending through the Membership Rewards program
• Enhanced travel benefits through our Premium Corporate Cards

Source: americanexpress.com

Ch.4 The Marketing Environment.

American Express and The Environment

''Do a little digging, and you'll find that this company's environmental efforts are wide-ranging and impressive''.

   American Express is a household name. Everyone knows you don’t leave home without it. But its environmental policies are less well known. The global financial services company has been quietly reducing its impact and funding eco projects for decades, though details of its various green initiatives are buried deep in its website. But do a little digging, and you’ll find that its efforts for the environment are wide-ranging and impressive. You could say the credit card company is better at walking than talking.

   Although credit card companies do not traditionally have a large carbon footprint, American Express acknowledges that it is a “significant user of natural resources” and a “large consumer of paper.” And it is making a big commitment to reducing its impact. Having determined that its emissions in 2006 exceeded 300,000 metric tons of CO2 and its equivalents 70 percent of which came from electricity the company vowed to reduce its carbon footprint by 10 percent by 2012.

   To reach its environmental goals, American Express is taking a multipronged approach. It is focusing inward, on its own operations, business, products, and customers; and outward, on ways to help environmental organizations, other industries, and the world at large.

Environmental Program

   The credit card company’s primary environmental initiatives revolve around operating sustainably and reducing its impact. It recently implemented an enhanced environmental program built on its first set of principles, established nearly two decades ago. The program’s three elements are energy conservation, waste reduction, and sustainable use of natural resources.

• Energy conservation: to operate more efficiently, the company has installed energy-efficient technology and lighting systems and building controls to manage electrical usage. It also supports green building design, as evidenced by its facility in Sydney, Australia.
• Waste reduction: in addition to encouraging customers to go paperless for their statements, decreasing paper consumption, and offering a robust recycling program, American Express is looking for ways to reduce waste even in the lunchroom. Green initiatives in its cafeterias include reusing fryer oils for bio-diesel fuel, offering organic foods and sustainable seafood, and using bulk condiments.
• Natural resources: the company strives to respect existing resources when building new facilities, as well as conserve land, water, and fuel.

   To ensure that its program is respected and followed, American Express created an Office of Environmental Responsibility, headed up by senior executives at the company. It is also holding its vendors accountable for their environmental policies, by reviewing the environmental impact and responsibility of its supply chain.

Environmental Impacts of American Express

   The services sector, which now accounts for three-quarters of the nation’s employment and Gross Domestic Product, has a major influence on the environmental health of the United States (Halperin, 2000). So although not typically regarded as a major contributor to environmental degradation, financial-services companies such as American Express, like all companies, have an environmental impact. And while American Express has no formal environmental policy in place, many of their leading competitors have developed one in response to pressures from various stakeholders.

   A significant amount of American Express’s environmental impacts result from their internal operational activities. These include heating and lighting in their buildings, transport of employees and materials, waste in all its forms, purchasing of goods and services and the use of resources such as energy, paper and water. These activities contribute to pressing environmental issues such as global climate change, solid waste issues and depletion of the earth’s natural resources. However, good management of these activities can not only reduce the overall environmental footprint of the company, but also assist American Express in achieving higher operational efficiency and cost reductions.

   In addition to internal activities, American Express also has an environmental footprint associated with some of their business activities such as marketing. Similar to Coca-Cola, Microsoft and McDonald’s - American Express is considered one of the world’s most reputable brands. According to Business Week American Express is the 14th most valuable brand in the world and is valued at over $18 billion (Business Week Online, 2006). Consistent with building a strong brand is having exceptional marketing and advertising efforts. In fact, it was estimated that global advertising expenditure for the company was $694 million in 2005 making American Express the world’s #45 advertiser (Mind-Advertising.com, 2006).

 

Ch.3 Ethics & Social Responsibilities

Philanthropy: Bringing good citizenship to life around the world

   At American Express, we believe that serving our communities is not only integral to running a business successfully, it is part of our individual responsibilities as citizens of the world. The mission of our program is to bring to life the American Express value of good corporate citizenship by supporting communities in ways that enhance the company's reputation with employees, customers, business partners and other stakeholders. We do this by supporting visionary nonprofit organizations that are:

• Preserving and sustaining unique historic places for the future
• Developing new leaders for tomorrow
• Encouraging community service where our employees and customers live and work.

Historic Preservation & Conservation: Preserving and sustaining unique historic places for the future

"It has been said that, at its best, preservation engages the past in a conversation with the present over a mutual concern for the future." -- William J. Murtagh

   Historic Preservation is about saving and sustaining historic places – preserving them for future use and protecting them for all to enjoy. It helps us to understand who we are and shapes relationships with our neighbors and other communities around the world. At American Express, we believe that respect for – and celebration of – these historic places is vital to ensuring that their history lives on, and that the public understands the significance they have to sustaining communities today and into future generations.

   We support organizations and projects that preserve or rediscover major historic sites and monuments in order to provide ongoing sustainable access and enjoyment for current and future audiences. The programs we support include historic landmarks and public spaces. We emphasize preserving sites that represent diverse cultures.

Leadership: Developing new leaders for tomorrow

 

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -- Mahatma Gandhi

   At American Express, we appreciate the impact that talented leaders can have on business and society as a whole, and we dedicate significant resources to attract, develop and retain talented employees.

   We are seeking the best methods, programs and partners that provide current and future nonprofit leaders with practical opportunities to learn and build leadership skills. We are especially interested in proposals that cultivate leadership opportunities for diverse communities within the nonprofit sector or that focus on innovative leadership development programs for emerging leaders of world-class institutions. Our focus is on training professionals with demonstrated commitment to the nonprofit sector in programs specifically targeted to the arts, environment, higher education and social service arenas. We will accept a limited number of requests for programs impacting emerging leaders in the public sector and requests for programs that support entrepreneurs.

Community Services & Engagement: Encouraging Community Service and Engagement Where Our Employees and Customers Live and Work

"Service is the rent we pay for living. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time." -- Marian Wright Edelman

   At American Express, service has been a hallmark of our company throughout its 160-year history. This service ethos comes to life every time we help a customer – whether with a simple, everyday request or in an emergency situation. We show the same care and commitment to service in our communities.

   We encourage good citizenship by supporting organizations that cultivate meaningful opportunities for civic engagement by our employees and members of the community, whether as volunteers, donors, voters or patrons.

   We also serve our communities by supporting immediate and long-term relief and recovery efforts to help victims of natural disasters. Funding also goes to support preparedness programs that allow relief agencies to be better equipped in responding to emergencies as they occur.

Ch.2 Strategic Planning for Competitive Advantage

Strategy & Business Development Group of American Express

  As the internal consulting division and incubator for new business ideas, the Strategy & Business Development Group (SPG) of American Express occupies a special place in its parent company's heart. Comprised of three areas of focus, Strategy Consulting, Business Development, and Mergers & Acquisitions, SPG offers consulting services to each of American Express's Business Units, as well as the Office of the Chief Executive. Recently, the unit was responsible for the successful launch of American Express's Direct Brokerage and Membership Banking services. Consultants at SPG tend to stay in the group for up to three years, before taking on leadership roles within American Express.

"From the top down, American Express sets an example for corporate citizenship and responsibility.”

  Reporting directly to chief executive, the Strategic Planning Group is staffed by thirty professionals who advise operating presidents on issues ranging from the development of new products to the acquisition of strategic assets. At the same time, the group serves as a conduit for bringing seasoned talent into the company and preparing it for senior management.

  The Strategic Planning Group recruits many of its people from outside consulting firms. They work for several years as internal consultants with the Chief Executive and other top executives on a variety of the firm's most challenging issues in the U.S. and abroad. By time they are moved into a top position, group members have acquired direct exposure to the diverse issues that top executives must tackle.

Business Travel As a Competitive Advantage

William Deutsch credits the success of his White Plains, New York, wine distributor to “shoe leather traveling.”

  Deutsch, founder and chairman of W.J. Deutsch & Sons, seeks a year on the road. Kelly Soendker, his senior vice president of strategic accounts, logs about 60 percent of her time traveling.

Over the years, personal visits to customers and wine makers helped the 30-year old business grow to 180 employees and $500 million in annual revenue. “We have valued distributors around the country. Through that effort, our sales people continued to broaden distribution to national accounts,” Deutsch says.

  As Deutsch & Sons learned, travel can give companies a competitive edge and the return often trumps the expenditure. For every $1 invested, companies realize an average of $20 in additional gross profit, according to a recent report from the Global Business Travel Association Foundation (GBTA) and American Express Global Business Travel.

  Yet, not every mid-sized company looks at travel as an investment. Many view it as an indirect cost, and during the recession, trimmed travel budgets accordingly, according to the report.

  Historically, finance executives and CFOs haven’t had good data to calculate optimal travel expenditures. As a result, no one knew how much to cut when the economy slumped so they slashed their entire travel budgets. “It could have been better managed,” says Christa D. Manning, director of American Express Business Travel’s eXpert insights, a subscription-based managed travel information service.

  Companies started trimming travel spending before the recession. Ten years ago, business travel represented 1.4 percent of every revenue dollar; now it's 0.9 percent, Manning says.

  The cuts were most drastic during the recession. A recent survey by Egencia, Expedia’s corporate travel arm, found that 59 percent of 500 North American business travel buyers slashed budgets in 2009. That number improved slightly in 2010, to 30 percent. GBTA’s 2009 business travel forecast revealed a similar motivation to cut travel expenditures. About one in five companies responding to the survey downsized travel departments and amplified cost-containment strategies by reducing non-essential travel, enforcing travel policy mandates, and using analytics to track spending.

“For every $1 invested, companies realize an average of $20 in additional gross profit, according to a recent report from the Global Business Travel Association Foundation and American Express Global Business Travel.”

  Yet many U.S. industries under spend on travel, never hitting the point where additional trips add more to costs than they yield in new sales, according to the report. “You have to wonder, did they leave sales opportunities on the table?” Manning says.

  To reach optimal revenue potential, U.S. industries could increase business travel spending by an average of just over 4 percent, or about $70 dollars more per worker, according to the report.

  Gradually, though, attitudes are shifting. “Business travel is no longer seen as just an expense,” says GBTA President Craig Banikowski, whose industry trade group represents thousands of U.S. and international business travel managers.

What the company is doing now?

"Link, Like, Love" on Facebook

   Now, American express takes what you like, and gives what you love.
American Express Launches "Link, Like, Love" on Facebook -- First-Ever Platform to Deliver Deals, Access and Experiences Based on Cardmember "Likes" and Interests.

   Cardmembers Link Their American Express Cards, Choose From Exclusive Coupon-less Deals and Experiences, Receive Statement Credits and Special Rewards. American Express Also Unveils "Go Social" Offer Tool for Small Businesses to Distribute Coupon-less, Location-Based Cardmember Offers in Facebook Places and Other Digital Platforms.

American Express Business Insights

   American Express today released its series of Q2 2011 Business Insights Spend Sights reports, which examine spending patterns across several key categories, US cities and demographic groups. Based on actual, aggregated spending data between April 1 and June 30, 2011, the Business Insights Spend Sights reports provide a year-over-year comparison of consumer and business spending across sectors such as luxury retail, dining and entertainment, and travel.

   The latest Business Insights Spend Sights reports highlight the analytical capabilities of American Express Business Insights, which help companies identify trends and changes in spending behavior across a range of industries and consumer groups. By analyzing real spending, businesses can gain perspective into both emerging and sustained trends that impact their industries, and reveal opportunities to reach key customer segments.

About American Express Business Insights

   As part of the Global Merchant Services organization within American Express Company, American Express Business Insights provides in-depth, actionable insights into consumer and business spending at the business, industry and geographic levels, leveraging proprietary transaction data from the American Express network of approximately 90 million cards in force across over 125 markets.

   American Express Business Insights produces in-depth quarterly reports for the Airline, Car Rental, Cruise, Lodging, Restaurant, Entertainment and various Luxury Retail categories, as well as sector-specific geographic reports.

American Express Supports Small Business

Who we are?

    A heritage built on service and sustained by innovation. American Express is a global services company, providing access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.It is a multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best known for its credit card, charge card, and traveler's cheque businesses. Amex cards account for approximately 24% of the total dollar volume of credit card transactions in the US, the highest of any card issuer.


    Each day, American Express makes it easier, safer and more rewarding for consumers and businesses to purchase the things they need and for merchants to sell their goods and services. An engine of commerce, American Express provides innovative payment, travel and expense management solutions for individuals and businesses of all sizes. Most of all, we help our customers realize their dreams and aspirations through industry-leading benefits, access to unique experiences, business-building insights, and global customer care. We enable our customers to do more and achieve more.

American Express Mission Statement

" The mission of our program is to bring to life the American Express value of good corporate citizenship by supporting diverse communities in ways that enhance the company"s reputation with employees, customers, business partners and other stakeholders. We do this by supporting visionary not-for-profit organizations that are: Preserving and enriching our diverse cultural heritage. "

But, American Express uses a vision statement rather than a mision statement.

"We work hard everyday to make american express the world's most respected service brand."

(Customer Commitment)

We develop relationships that make a positive difference in our customers' lives.

(Quality)

We provide outstanding products and unsurpassed service that, together, deliver premium value to our customers.

(Integrity)

We uphold the highest standards of integrity in all of our actions.

(Teamwork)

We work together, across boundaries, to meet the needs of our customers and to help the company win.

(Respect for People)

We value our people, encourage their development and reward their performance.

(Good Citizenship)

We are good citizens in the communities in which we live and work.

(A Will to Win)

We exhibit a strong will to win in the marketplace and in every aspect of our business.

(Personal Accountability)

We are personally accountable for delivering on our commitments.

Source: americanexpress.com