Brand purpose guides American Express into fin-tech future

American Express, the financial-services provider, is tapping into the power of brand purpose as it adapts to rapid changes in its category.

When they want to pay for products at checkouts, an increasing number of people now reach into their pocket for a smartphone.

For American Express, which has approximately 50 million cards-in-force in the United States, that shift towards digital devices – as epitomized by tech companies like Samsung, Apple, and Google launching virtual “wallets” – means its brand soon may take on a very different shape.

“In short order, and I’m not making any [specific] predictions here, the credit card as we know it is going away in your wallet,” explained Christopher Frank, a VP at American Express who leads...

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