YakShaving

Before there were social networks like the Facebook or CafeMom, people used real social networks to tell other people what products they liked to use.

American Express just launched a social network (or maybe foisted is a better term) that is for all card members that subscribe to the American Express credit card. (I’m sure many of you must have received the same email in your inbox today).

It’s called the “Members Know” network, and it’s based on the assumption that lots of people who are already card members of Amex will share some common bond and share recommendations/inspiration with each other. On the site, one can find local favorites (dining establishments), connections to travel experts (aka, travel agents), and “executive offers”.

So, ultimately, does it work to “superimpose” a social network service on a base of service subscribers?

I don’t think so. I remember when we were working on our Foodie Rating site almost three years ago now– As we anticipated exit strategies (could we be bought by Diner’s club? The Food network, though that’s not a social network? Any other network of subscribers?) Our preliminary research showed that this wouldn’t work. Creating a social network organically was much ’sticker’ when it came down to it, because it used real friends who were often also Foodies. It seems like everyone has an American Express card. And yet, in the real world, social groups often are as much about exclusivity as they are about inclusion.

In Amex’s defense, they have very little to use. Existing cardmembers may use the network, or they might ignore the email entirely. No harm, no foul. The only real risk they have is the site becoming a hub for money saving tips — causing far fewer dollars to be spent using an American Express card!