Q&A with AMEX Chief Marketing Officer, John Hayes

John Hayes of American Express

This Brand Innovator Spotlight is the first of a series on John Hayes, Chief Marketing Officer at American Express. John shares highlights of his 16 year journey overseeing AMEX’s marketing and provides tips for staying ahead of the curve.

Brandon Gutman: You’ve overseen American Express’ global marketing efforts for more than 16 years. What are the top moments or milestones you’ve witnessed during your tenure?

John Hayes: I’m incredibly lucky to be someone who has always loved his job, right from day one. There have been a lot of highlights over the years – so many, in fact, that it’s tough to pick my favorites. I feel a bit like a parent being asked to name their favorite child. But there are a few current, as well as more iconic campaigns that come to mind.

First, American Express has had a long held belief that it is noble to serve. We stand for service – in all its forms. And I’m very proud of the commitment American Express has to using its global scope and scale for service. Through the years, I‘ve been fortunate to lead many of our cause-related marketing campaigns like Members Project, which we created to help bring our Cardmembers together to help them champion that causes that mean the most to them.

Another standout is Small Business Saturday, where we partnered with Facebook to build a national movement encouraging Americans to support small businesses during the 2010 holiday shopping season – specifically on the Saturday between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Consumers took ownership of it and made it their campaign, and in just two and a half weeks, more than 1.4M people voiced their support on Facebook. But more importantly, on the inaugural Small Business Saturday, small business saw a 28% lift in revenue over the prior year.

And lastly, I would be remiss to not include the “My Life. My Card” campaign, which really stands out for me for several reasons. It was our very first umbrella marketing campaign for the entire American Express card portfolio, and it was built on the platform of fostering a personal, emotional connection. It really resonated with consumers and helped to personalize the value of membership.

So much has changed in the world of marketing, especially in the last 10 years. In your role, is there anything that’s stayed the same?

One thing that hasn’t changed in the more than 160 years we’ve been in business is the importance we place on relationships. We don’t just market products, proud as we are of those products, we build relationships.

Everything we do is designed to engage our customers, our merchants and our partners in a long-term relationship, one that deepens over time through the creation of value. We make it our business to be “active listeners,” so as attitudes and ways of doing business change among our Cardmembers and merchants, we understand how to position ourselves in ways that serve and anticipate their needs. Our goal is to create customers for life.

American Express seems to be willing to experiment with many new ways to market to your customers. How do you spot the “next big thing”?

It’s really about striking a balance. You need to keep your finger on the pulse of the latest trends and technologies, and at the same time not allow yourself to compromise your standards. We’re always on the lookout for new ways to engage and connect with our customers, improve the Cardmember experience, and create new relationships with potential customers, but we make sure not to get distracted by shiny objects or the latest buzz words.

We embrace new technology when it makes sense for our business, and our brand – whether that means leveraging Facebook to support the small business community, partnering with foursquare to provide special geo-targeted offers to our Cardmembers, or making concerts by the hottest artists available through live streaming technology.

What are the key takeaways or tips for other marketers based on your experiences so far?

Focus on building lasting relationships with your customers, never lose sight of your values or principles, and don’t forget that you’re communicating with human beings. Brands will always look for new ways to attract, engage, and retain customers. How do you keep pace with the constant change, how do you make effective decisions, what’s the best way to spend marketing dollars? The answer is simple: don’t forget to take a step back, a deep breath, and remember who you are and what you stand for. We’re guided by our core values of trust, service and security. Those are our constants, and we never lose sight of them.

Follow Brandon on Twitter at http://twitter.com/brandongutman

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