Brand Experience and Activation > Product & Service
SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY
DIGITAS, Boston / AMERICAN EXPRESS / 2011
Awards:
Overview
Credits
Overview
ClientBriefOrObjective
American Express OPEN created Small Business Saturday, the first-ever holiday to support independently-owned businesses hit hardest by the recession. Celebrated on November 27th, right between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday offered a powerful alterative to malls and mega-stores. If Black Friday is about deals at big box merchants, and Cyber Monday is about finding deals online, Small Business Saturday is a day to show support for local economies, stores and the people who work there. Small Business Saturday isn’t just about finding deals, it’s about preserving the character of their local neighborhoods and the people in them.
Effectiveness
Small Business Saturday was huge. In its third week, it was the fastest growing page on Facebook with 1.2 million “likes”. 30,000 Tweets were sent using #SmallBusinessSaturday and #SmallBizSaturday. 200,000 Cardmembers registered for $25 “Shop Small Incentives”, which translated to $5 million for small businesses. The entire nation got involved, with 41 elected officials from 27 states declaring November 27th a national holiday. Small business owners also saw big benefits. 10,000 received free Facebook advertising to promote their business. 100,000 downloaded point-of-purchase and promotional materials on Facebook. And most importantly on November 27th, small retailers accepting Amex saw a 28% sales increase.
Implementation
With the economy and unemployment very top of mind, the fact that for every $100 spent at small businesses, $68 stays local and is reinvested in the community is a very compelling fact. People across the U.S. had a strong sense of the importance of shopping locally and at small businesses – but never had a way to express this before. Preserving small businesses was yet to be considered a ‘cause’. So we gave people an easy and achievable way to show their support. Small Business Saturday, a single day devoted to “shopping small” at local independent businesses.
Relevancy
Social media was a driving force, enabling us to orchestrate a grassroots campaign that spread practically overnight. Facebook and Twitter built a core base of passionate small business advocates and armed them with tools to get involved and spread the word. Small businesses not only utilised the digital tools provided on Facebook, they created their own signs, sales, even commercials. Our social media tactics lit a fuse that sparked a national response that was bigger than we could have ever anticipated.
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