Membership has its privileges

Bob Garfield writes a column about a credit card brand that is doing well globally while being virtually invisible in North America today – Diners Club.  (Coincidentally, it was the original credit card, created in 1949).

The writer’s argument is that the credit card market has become increasingly commoditized – not even American Express is as exclusive as it used to be.  So Diners Club holds a key marketing advantage that it has yet to fully capitalize on – the fact that it is a club.

(And here is an ad from the “Belong” campaign referred to in the column.  This campaign has aired globally although not, to my knowledge, in the US).