black-owned friday
Capabilities:
What if you could reimagine the biggest spending day of the year into an annual event to support Black-Owned businesses?
This is the story of how we partnered with Google and the US Black Chambers, Inc to turn Black Friday into Black-Owned Friday.
300%
Increase in ‘Black-Owned business’ online conversation
1/2
Billion impressions
3000%
Sales growth for Grounded, a plant store we spotlighted
Covid-19 hit everyone hard, and Black-Owned businesses especially so. An estimated 41% of them were forced to close their doors in 2020. 1
Instead of asking for charity, we redirected dollars to make a positive change.
We teamed up with Google and the US Black Chambers, Inc to co-opt Black Friday, the biggest shopping moment of the year, to flip the focus (and funnel massive amounts of spending) towards small Black-Owned businesses and create an initiative to promote real change. And with the debut of the ‘Black-Owned’ badge on Google Search and Maps, it couldn’t have been easier for people to find them.
To launch our day of change, we spotlighted several Black-Owned businesses, their stories, and the meaning they hold to the people that shop at them. We asked celebrated Black artists Wyclef Jean and Ari Lennox to write jingles for real local Black-Owned businesses they loved, which we turned into animated video odes as well as Spotify tracks. Wyclef also created an anthem for Black-Owned Friday, and helped us spread the word through press interviews. We encouraged followers to share their favorite Black-Owned businesses on social and provided GIF & sticker packs as well as statements of support that consumers could download and share. We also encouraged businesses to add the Black-owned badge to their Business Profile. All of this was housed on a campaign landing page, g.co/blackowned.
By Black Friday, the message had travelled far and wide that on this day and every day, show up and show love.