American Express’ secret social media weapon: an in-house history nerd
American Express has found success on social media through 'Ira, The Archivist,' a series featuring long-time employee Ira Galtman. The content's authenticity has resonated with younger demographics, supporting the company's goal of attracting millennial and Gen Z cardholders.
Why it matters
This demonstrates how traditional financial institutions are leveraging human-centric, authentic content strategies to engage younger generations and modernize their brand image.
Ira Galtman, Amex's in-house archivist, didn't expect to become such a social media hit. American Express Ira Galtman has been Amex's archivist for 30 years and has become an unexpected social media hit. His videos outperform most of Amex's content, and are especially popular with younger TikTokers. Galtman said he tries to "keep it real," forgoing hair and makeup for the nostalgia-tinged series. Scroll down in American Express' TikTok account, and you'll find a video of Ira Galtman popping up from behind a bison at the Bronx Zoo. "Ira content makes my day," one commenter wrote, evidently already familiar with Galtman, who, as a middle-aged archivist, didn't expect to become a social media hit for the brand when he first started filming "Ira, The Archivist" videos in 2023. "I don't even have a cat in my video, and people are looking at it!
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