In today's episode, host Andrew Davidson sits down with Anthony Merola, Head of Proprietary Products for Citi Branded Cards, to discuss Citi's vision for its credit card products and the rise of travel credit cards. Listen to find out more about the importance of customer feedback in driving product innovation and how financial powerhouses navigate the increasingly competitive landscape of the credit card industry. Download our FREE 2025 Financial Services Marketing Trends to hear our predictions on the future of the industry. Head over to Mintel’s LinkedIn to share your take on the future of branded travel cards, and visit mintel.com to become a member of our free Spotlight community. Host: Andrew Davidson, SVP, Chief Insights Officer, Comperemedia. Guest: Anthony Merola, Head of Proprietary Products for Citi Branded Cards. Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction to Citi and the travel credit card landscape (02:57) Citi's vision and how it relates to product development (07:17) What gave rise to travel credit cards (09:49) Brand cards refresh - how did it go (12:07) The branding of Citi Strata Premier (21:40) Impact of inflation on consumer spending (23:30) Looking ahead: Innovations and customer engagement