JUMPSTARTING CANADIAN BUSINE
CXO INSIGHT
First founded in 1853 in Canada , American Express has expanded exponentially since then , to have global reach , however , the company has never forgotten its roots . The company is committed to helping Canadian small businesses and has released multiple initiatives to aid their growth . For example , in 2020 American Express rolled out its largest ever global ‘ Shop Small ’ campaign , with the aim to jumpstart spending at SMEs affected by COVID-19 . This programme was a heavy success in Canada with cardmembers swiping their cards at more than 64,000 small businesses across the country .
In addition , the company launched ‘ Blueprint : Backing BIPOC Businesses ’, a campaign designed for BIPOC small business owners
Paul Roman , Vice President and General Manager of Global Commercial Services at American Express Canada in Canada , offering a detailed mentorship programme and CA $ 1,000,000 in grants to get these businesses up and running .
To further help SMEs , this autumn , the company announced the launch of the newly refreshed Business Gold Rewards Card – something which has not been done since 2014 . It was designed for entrepreneurs and small business owners , with the refresh including : more bonus points , financial flexibility / protection , and digital management tools . The Card helps Canadian business owners reinvest in their passion with richer rewards linked to higher everyday business-to-business spending . As part of the Card refresh , Amex unveiled a new campaign aimed at the entrepreneurial # GoldGetters of Canada who embody the quintessential ‘ go-getter ’ spirit . Designed by Dentsu McGarry Bowen , North Strategic , Notch Video and UM Canada , the new multi-channel campaign reaches audiences through online video , digital , PR , social and influencers .
Paul Roman , Vice President and General Manager of Global Commercial Services at American Express in Canada , spoke to Intelligent CXO about these in more detail and how Amex is continuing its pledge of aiding Canada ’ s small businesses .
What are the pain points for SME customers and wider businesses ?
A lot of the pain points are around things like access to capital , cash flow and how organisations can scale their business . Questions like ‘ how do I find new customers ?’ and , increasingly , ‘ how do I go digital
“ One of the most important things that you can do is use and leverage the resources and partners around you .”
Small businesses were hit heavily by the pandemic and the effects of this are still ongoing as the economy begins to recover . American Express has supported SMEs by relaunching its successful ‘ Shop Small ’ campaign in Canada last year , encouraging cardmembers to shop at small businesses . Paul Roman , Vice President and General Manager of Global Commercial Services at American Express Canada , tells Intelligent CXO about the campaign in more detail , its success and similar initiatives .
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