--- title: American Express Builds Fandom Through Premium Products description: What are little things you can do to build fandom for your business? Paying attention to the details. American Express creates metal cards for its platinum customers, creating a special experience that makes customers feel valued. image: https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Amex%20metal.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/marketing-premium-products#maincontent) [ «  View All Posts ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog) # American Express Builds Fandom Through Premium Products February 8th, 2018 1 min read By [David Meerman Scott](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) ![Amex metal](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Amex%20metal.jpg?width=2000&height=1333&name=Amex%20metal.jpg) *Editor's Note: The original version of this post has been edited to highlight the power of fandom.* I received a new [American Express Business Platinum Card](https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/business/business-credit-cards/american-express-business-platinum-credit-card-amex) and was delighted to find that it is made out of metal. It’s really substantial, sleek, and stylish. All of a sudden my other credit cards seem mundane. As I was geeking out about a seemingly simple bit of branding, I realized the new metal card is an interesting marketing move by Amex. **By focusing on seemingly minor details, Amex builds fandom by giving customers a premium product.** If you want to see how you can build fandom like American Express, check out my new book, [Fanocracy: Turning Fans into Customers and Customers into Fans.](https://www.fanocracy.com/) ## Premium Products Grow Fandom Amex pioneered the metal card years ago with the ultra exclusive American Express Black card. Although the requirements for the Amex Black card aren’t published, rumor is you need to spend $250,000 a year to qualify. The most avid Amex customers would probably be the ones using this card. I’ve been an Amex member since the year I graduated from university, 35 years now. I added the business account back in 2002 (the Platinum card). I'm not a Black card member, but I've spent a decent amount on Amex and been a steady customer for a while now. I’m surprised by how strongly I felt about this silly credit card. Whenever I hold it, the quality and “wow factor” reminds me of my new iPhone X. It’s well designed and a joy to use — a premium product that feels special. By making the Platinum card metal like the Black one (but not the Gold or Green cards), the company extends the premium feel of the Black card to more of its customers. While this might alienate some Black card customers, it increases the number of people that get that special product feeling that I felt. This goes to show that [exclusive experiences for fans ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/create-exclusive-experiences-for-your-most-passionate-customers)can also extend to products. When customers feel like the products they use are special, they become fans! ## Key Takeaway For me, the premium services of the Platinum card feel more special to me now that it’s made out of metal. I feel kind of dorky about talking about this, but if I’m enjoying the experience, I’d bet others are too. Well done, Amex. What simple change can you make to your product to delight customers and turn them into fans? [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/413105/a384ecf0-8527-465a-8578-1840a51d0495.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/413105/a384ecf0-8527-465a-8578-1840a51d0495) [ David Meerman Scott ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to clever entrepreneurs who are building emerging companies, and the international bestselling author of a dozen books published in 30 languages. David’s high-energy keynote presentations, masterclasses, and virtual events educate, energize, and inspire. Connect: [mailto:david@freshspot.com](mailto:david@freshspot.com) Topics: [ Case Studies ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/case-studies) [ Marketing ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/marketing) [ Best Practices ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/best-practices) [ Fanocracy ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/fanocracy) Don't forget to share this post: ## Related Articles [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/HubSpot%2020th.jpeg?width=800&height=448&name=HubSpot%2020th.jpeg) ### Congratulations Team HubSpot for 20 Years of Helping Organizations Grow June 12th, 2026|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/congratulations-team-hubspot-for-20-years-of-helping-organizations-grow) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Scott%20Pryor.jpg?width=1500&height=771&name=Scott%20Pryor.jpg) ### How Filmmaking and Fronting a Rock Band Make Scott Pryor a Better Lawyer May 27th, 2026|1 min read 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