HESS CORPORATION
“Our core business is retail – not co-branding. We came into the contract negotiation unfamiliar with the touch points of the process, so we were implicitly at a disadvantage. This is not a simple thing. Advantage brought a level of experience and expertise we would never have been able to acquire in the time it took to execute the program. This is their bread and butter. They were a responsive, contributing part of our team.”
“Our core business is retail – not co-branding. We came into the contract negotiation unfamiliar with the touch points of the process, so we were implicitly at a disadvantage. This is not a simple thing. Advantage brought a level of experience and expertise we would never have been able to acquire in the time it took to execute the program. This is their bread and butter. They were a responsive, contributing part of our team.”
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
“The college and university credit card marketplace had changed quite a bit since our last partnership selection process. Advantage’s knowledge of and relationships within the industry were incredibly valuable to us, as was their ability to manage our expectations. With Mike Stephens’ expertise and industry contacts, we were able to write a compelling RFP that garnered more proposals, to objectively assess the banks’ fit with our goals and to negotiate a contract which leverages our marketing assets, maximizes our potential royalty stream and protects our standing with our constituencies. Prior to this selection process, we depended solely on our own industry knowledge to manage partner selection; the marketplace is too complex now. Mike was our expert, our project manager and our advocate. Without him, we would never have been able to negotiate and construct the partnership we now have in place.”
“The college and university credit card marketplace had changed quite a bit since our last partnership selection process. Advantage’s knowledge of and relationships within the industry were incredibly valuable to us, as was their ability to manage our expectations. With Mike Stephens’ expertise and industry contacts, we were able to write a compelling RFP that garnered more proposals, to objectively assess the banks’ fit with our goals and to negotiate a contract which leverages our marketing assets, maximizes our potential royalty stream and protects our standing with our constituencies. Prior to this selection process, we depended solely on our own industry knowledge to manage partner selection; the marketplace is too complex now. Mike was our expert, our project manager and our advocate. Without him, we would never have been able to negotiate and construct the partnership we now have in place.”
HAWAIIAN AIRLINES
“It’s easy to underestimate the complexity of the credit card industry. Everyone’s a card user, but that doesn’t make you qualified to choose a co-brand partner. Our consultants at Advantage knew things about this industry that we couldn’t have known. They were always available, even with a six-hour time difference, and advised us very closely on negotiation – where to push back, what to ask for. I can’t imagine doing it alone.”
“It’s easy to underestimate the complexity of the credit card industry. Everyone’s a card user, but that doesn’t make you qualified to choose a co-brand partner. Our consultants at Advantage knew things about this industry that we couldn’t have known. They were always available, even with a six-hour time difference, and advised us very closely on negotiation – where to push back, what to ask for. I can’t imagine doing it alone.”
NBCUNIVERSAL
“They have the ability to take what, to me, are fairly foreign concepts and make them work within our context. They were realistic about what we should expect and who the players are. Very strategic, very good at managing our expectations – dispassionately putting all the pros and cons in front of us so that we could make the decisions. We considered them part of our internal staff, leading us through the process and even negotiating on our behalf.”
“They have the ability to take what, to me, are fairly foreign concepts and make them work within our context. They were realistic about what we should expect and who the players are. Very strategic, very good at managing our expectations – dispassionately putting all the pros and cons in front of us so that we could make the decisions. We considered them part of our internal staff, leading us through the process and even negotiating on our behalf.”
MIDWEST AIRLINES (Now Frontier Airlines)
“Chris [Theoharides] has his finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the industry. He understands the key elements of a successful co-brand relationship from both the issuer and partner side and knows how to leverage these elements. His support and advice steered us in the right direction in each of the projects he worked on for us. A lot of people ask me about our co-branding experience and I tell them, ‘find a good consultant to work with.’ We found that the money we spent engaging Advantage’s expertise paid for itself tenfold in results. The advice is truly ‘priceless.”
“Chris [Theoharides] has his finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the industry. He understands the key elements of a successful co-brand relationship from both the issuer and partner side and knows how to leverage these elements. His support and advice steered us in the right direction in each of the projects he worked on for us. A lot of people ask me about our co-branding experience and I tell them, ‘find a good consultant to work with.’ We found that the money we spent engaging Advantage’s expertise paid for itself tenfold in results. The advice is truly ‘priceless.”
FRONTIER AIRLINES
“Our contract with the issuing bank for our co-branded program was coming up for renewal, and we wanted to make sure we were getting the best possible terms. We asked Advantage Consulting to evaluate the bank’s renewal offer and advise us. They showed us that some elements of the deal we were offered were very competitive, but others were less so and there was room for a counter-offer. Their advice put us in a much stronger negotiating position; we were very, very pleased with the results.”
“Our contract with the issuing bank for our co-branded program was coming up for renewal, and we wanted to make sure we were getting the best possible terms. We asked Advantage Consulting to evaluate the bank’s renewal offer and advise us. They showed us that some elements of the deal we were offered were very competitive, but others were less so and there was room for a counter-offer. Their advice put us in a much stronger negotiating position; we were very, very pleased with the results.”
HERITAGE AFFINITY SERVICES
“Obviously, a bank is in the business of making as much money as it can. Without Advantage Consulting’s expertise, we wouldn’t be in the best negotiating position. They helped us make the best deal on our initial cobrand program – knowing what to expect, what we should ask for. Since then, we’ve called on them to make sure the portfolio was performing and to help us go to the next level in adding a new aspect to our program. “An issuer actually told us once, ‘Use Advantage Consulting or be taken advantage of’ It’s amazing how true that was! They’re not cheap, but I look at what we paid, and it was nothing compared with what we received in return.”
“Obviously, a bank is in the business of making as much money as it can. Without Advantage Consulting’s expertise, we wouldn’t be in the best negotiating position. They helped us make the best deal on our initial cobrand program – knowing what to expect, what we should ask for. Since then, we’ve called on them to make sure the portfolio was performing and to help us go to the next level in adding a new aspect to our program. “An issuer actually told us once, ‘Use Advantage Consulting or be taken advantage of’ It’s amazing how true that was! They’re not cheap, but I look at what we paid, and it was nothing compared with what we received in return.”
THE GYMBOREE CORPORATION
“Advantage Consulting was a key resource in negotiating with both the banks and the credit card associations. They provided valuable insight on which contract points we should discuss in more detail and which were non-negotiable. With their help as a sounding board, negotiations progressed quickly and efficiently. At the end of the day, the fee we paid them was money well spent.”
“Advantage Consulting was a key resource in negotiating with both the banks and the credit card associations. They provided valuable insight on which contract points we should discuss in more detail and which were non-negotiable. With their help as a sounding board, negotiations progressed quickly and efficiently. At the end of the day, the fee we paid them was money well spent.”
AVON CORPORATION
“I called Advantage because people at two different companies referred me to them. They brought invaluable expertise and objectivity to the contract negotiation process, giving me objective feedback on how to expect the bank to respond. The final version was well-received by both partners – a happy partnership. It was a win-win situation.”
“I called Advantage because people at two different companies referred me to them. They brought invaluable expertise and objectivity to the contract negotiation process, giving me objective feedback on how to expect the bank to respond. The final version was well-received by both partners – a happy partnership. It was a win-win situation.”
