Knowing the customer is essential in the ability for an organization to be successful in its respective business. If the organization is not in touch with its target consumers than it strongly needs to reevaluate its methods for obtaining marketing research. As discussed in the previous unit, data mining is one way in which the organization can attempt to understand the target consumer. As in the case with American Express, the organization was able to evolve over time in order to adapt and remain relevant and in touch with its consumers. It wanted to broaden the scope of its customer base by taking into consideration market segmentation. A prime example of American Express’s success with knowing the consumer was by its introduction of the Blue Card. It was able to ascertain a great marketing spokesperson, Jerry Seinfeld, which took part in a lot of the advertisements for the American Express Blue Card. The goal was to make people aware that the having an American Express card is within their reach. It was meant to be practical and could be used on everyday purchases and not something extravagant or decadent.

I have always wanted to get an American Express card ever since I was eighteen years old. It was a status symbol, a representation of financial accomplishment like “I work hard, I pay by bills on time, I deserve to the prestige of an American Express card. As I got older and built credit, I again applied for the American Express card and I was approved. I applied for the Costco American Express Card. The American Express Card had no annual fee with a paid Costco membership. The card comes with great benefits, which include rewards and an extended warranty feature. The partnership between American Express and Costco was a great decision on both parts. Costco consumers are those who want to get the most value for their money. This is a market segment that