IntroductionIn the early 1980s American Express Co. tried out a new marketing conceptto increase the use of their card and the cards acceptance at retail outlets (Anderson1996). For every purchase, a consumer made using an American Express cardAmerican Express Co. would make a donation to charity. First, American Express Co.used this marketing practice in San Francisco, and following the success of thatcampaign, the company later developed a national campaign that benefited therenovation of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. American Express Co. had hitupon a marketing concept so innovative they were able to copyright the term theydeveloped to describe it: Cause Related Marketing (CRM).