This week, we distill insights around Small Business Saturday - a purpose-inspired movement launched by American Express to encourage Americans to shop small at local independently owned businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. 100+ thinkers and planners within MSLGROUP share and discuss inspiring projects on corporate citizenship, crowdsourcing, storytelling and social data on the MSLGROUP Insights Network. Every week, we pick up one project and do a deep dive into conversations around it -- on the MSLGROUP Insights Network itself but also on the broader social web -- to distill insights and foresights. We share these insights and foresights with you on our People’s Insights blog and compile the best insights from the network and the blog in the iPad-friendly People’s Lab Quarterly Magazine, as a showcase of our capabilities. For more, see: http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com

1. crowdsourcing | storytelling | citizenship | social data
People’s Insights: Volume 1, Issue 47
Small Business
Saturday

2. What is Small Business Saturday?
A purpose-inspired movement, founded by American Express, which
encourages Americans to shop small on the Saturday after
Thanksgiving. People spent $5.5 billion during this period in 2012.
forbes.com

3. Built around a powerful shared purpose
AmEx highlighted the role of small businesses in creating jobs and
contributing to local communities and the national economy, thus
establishing a strong shared purpose around which people united.
momgenerations.com

4. Mobilizes small business owners
Small business owners leveraged tools and materials provided by AmEx
to promote themselves. Tools included free online ad credits, marketing
materials and tips to make their businesses social.
1) facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday, 2) prweekus.com

5. Also mobilizes people
AmEx provided supporters with a map to find participating stores and
encouraged supporters to do four things: shop small, rally friends,
spread word and share photos on Instagram.
1) facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday, 2) in.5thvillage.com

6. Incentives for customers
AmEx also incentivized participation for cardholders, rewarding them
with a $25 credit for spending $25 at a participating merchant, and
allowing them to redeem membership points for Shop Small gift cards.
1) thepointsguy.com, 2) facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday

7. Support from public figures
The movement was also promoted by advocacy groups, city and state
governments, and public figures, including President Obama, who
tweeted his support and participated by shopping at a local bookstore.
twitter.com/whitehouse

8. Movement becomes bigger than the brand
Quite a few people who participated in the movement did not realize it
was an AmEx initiative. Marketers point out that this is true – and
necessary – for most successful branded movements.
MSLGROUP’s Now & Next: Future of Engagement report on Grassroots Change Movements

9. AmEx still benefits
AmEx reported a 21% increase in card transactions on Small Business
Saturday 2012. Thinkers point out the movement also helped AmEx
gain the goodwill of small business owners.
businessweek.com

10. Stories to spark participation
AmEx encourages participating small businesses to share their stories
to sustain momentum of the movement, to encourage more participants
and to provide a feel-good to shoppers who supported the movement.
facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday

11. Sets precedent for more movement marketing
Small Business Saturday was awarded two Grand Prix awards at
Cannes, drawing attention to this type of program and carving a role for
grassroots change movements in the future of engagement.
adage.com

12. More People’s Insights Weekly reports
Every week, we dive into one topic for discussion on the MSLGROUP
Insight’s Network and discuss insights and foresights, in four key areas:
crowdsourcing, storytelling, citizenship and social data.
Crowdsourcing Storytelling Citizenship Social Data
Mahindra Spark the Rise @MarsCuriosity #Kony2012 MTV Fantasy Election
For more reports, visit: peopleslab.mslgroup.com/peoplesinsights/

13. Read People’s Lab insights and foresights
The People’s Lab team shares the insights and foresights from the
MSLGROUP Insights Network on the People’s Insights weekly blog and
the People’s Insights Quarterly magazine.
MSLGROUP Insights People’s Insights People’s Insights
Network weekly blog Quarterly magazine
50+ MSLGROUP planners We deep dive into Every quarter, we will compile
share and discuss inspiring conversations around one the best insights from the
projects on corporate project -- on the MSLGROUP network and the blog in the
citizenship, crowdsourcing and Insights Network itself but also iPad-friendly magazine, as a
storytelling. on the broader social web -- to showcase of our capabilities.
distill insights and foresights.
For more, visit http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com

14. People’s Insights Annual Report
In early January 2013 we will publish the ten-part People’s Insights
Annual Report, in which we synthesize our insights from 2012 and
provide foresights for business leaders and change-makers for 2013.
Now & Next: Future of Part 1: Crowdfunding Part 2: Behavior Change
Engagement Games
(coming soon as an iPad app)
Subscribe to the report at: http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com/peoplesinsights/annual-report/

15. People’s Lab: Crowdsourcing Insights &
Innovation
People’s Lab is MSLGROUP’s proprietary crowdsourcing platform and
approach that helps organizations tap into people’s insight for
innovation, storytelling and change.
For more, visit http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com

16. For People’s Lab
solutions, contact
pascal.beucler@mslgroup.com