Reaching the next generation of shoppers.

The world was a very different place when American Express launched Small Business Saturday in 2009. Millennials were just entering the workforce, social media was limited to a new platform called Facebook, and online shopping was a scary proposition for many.

For Gen Z shoppers, discovering new products and brands in-app is as natural as taking a walk down Main Street - and major big box retailers are investing heavily to ensure they are top of mind at this new point of consideration location.

So to help small businesses compete with the big guys, I helped American Express launch a partnership with TikTok to accelerate small business owners presence on the platform - including educational video content on why and how they should be on TikTok, bringing in influencers to help tell the story, and giving away free ad credits for small business owners to try it out for themselves.

All of this led to the most innovated Small Business Saturday ever, as thousands of small business owners took the plunge and started connecting with younger shoppers directly on TikTok, helping them compete not only in the busy holiday season, but for years to come.