Partnerships as Retention Levers: A Study of Credit Card–Entertainment Collaborations

Abstract

In mature, competitive sectors such as financial services and media and entertainment, customer loyalty is increasingly difficult to sustain. This thesis explores the emergence of cross-industry partnerships, specifically between credit card issuers and digital entertainment platforms, as a strategic response to rising churn and declining differentiation. Through a case study of the American Express Digital Entertainment Credit, the research examines how lifestyle-aligned benefits can foster deeper behavioral engagement, reduce switching, and enhance customer lifetime value. The thesis situates these partnerships within the broader evolution of loyalty strategies, marked by hyper-personalization, subscription fatigue, and platform convergence. Findings suggest that flexible, recurring rewards embedded in consumers’ daily routines offer a path to durable retention, especially among younger, digital-native cohorts. The study concludes that such partnerships are not peripheral marketing tools but increasingly core to competitive strategy in commoditized markets.