SEAN TINER

The Visa Black Card "And the black card don't got no max." - Jay Z Years ago, American Express launched the Centurion Card The prestigious card carries a $2500 annual fee and is awarded to American Express users who spend $250,000 annually. The card essentially has "got no max." New Bentley? No Problem. New Yacht? No Problem. Invitation for your cousin to attend a sleep over at Hannah Montana's home? Well, that may be a problem. American Express' Centurion Card paved the way for the recent launch of Visa's Black Card. Similar to the Centurion Card, Visa's Black Card is awarded to the top percentage of Visa Card users. However Visa Black Card users only pay a $500 annual fee and there is no exorbitant annual spending requirement. A Visa advertisement claims that the card is "the world's most prestigious and versatile card." It may be versatile. However, with Visa's goal to have 3 million users carry the card,...

How do you engage loyal consumers? Do you make them feel exclusive and part of an unique group? When they are engaged, how do you reward them? Instead of imitating other marketers and sending a FaceBook or MySpace invitation to promote a Halloween party, Fing , a San Diego independent band, is rewarding their target audience with an exclusive Halloween concert. Throughout this week, fans who click a banner link on their MySpace Page will have the opportunity to RSVP for an exclusive Halloween party. Only select guests who register on the promoted site will be sent the location of Fing's Black Friday Party , which promoters promise to be at a "five-star venue." As social media users become numb to the saturation of application, group, party and friend invitations, it's important to leverage massclusivity to promote your brand. Target audiences want to feel rewarded for their decision to interact with your company. They want to feel exclusive. They want a unique e...

What makes people visit your website? As you move forward with your marketing strategy, it's important to focus on the incentives that bring traffic to your website. Yes, an aesthetic layout is cool, but what's the motivation for people to regularly visit your site? 1) Do you offer exclusivity? Initially, Facebook utilized this strategy. Only college students with a .edu address were allowed to register on the site. The site's massclusivity created excitement for younger audiences to join the site, when they received their email account. If you register on The Motley Fool, you receive exclusive access to "members only" investment strategy. Although, I don't know how many people are purchasing stock this week. 2) Do you regularly update? No matter the rigor of his schedule, Seth Godin writes one blog entry a day. Giving a regular incentive for marketing professionals to check his site. Perez Hilton constantly updates his blog with the latest Hollywood gos...