In the wake of COVID, Black-owned businesses have been especially affected, with estimates predicting that more than 40% are not expected to survive the current climate. So our objective was simple: support the economic empowerment of the Black community.
To celebrate Black Business Month we used the Facebook App page, with its 200million+ followers, in a never-been-done-before way to promote and empower as many Black-owned businesses as we could. The goal was simple; encourage our community to #BuyBlack throughout the month of August on FB app social.
In a Facebook first, our cover photo became a buyable, virtual storefront window for each business, accompanied by a “View Shop” button that led people directly to the business's website to buy what was in the window. A new business was featured every 2-3 days and at the end of each week we compiled products from each business into a shoppable Facebook Stories catalog, another first for the brand. All of it intended to elevate and direct money to Black-owned businesses.
The campaign continues to develop, with a Facebook Live shopping series launching in the coming weeks. Titled The Black Black Friday Show, its focus will be elevating Black-owned small businesses so people buy from them rather than large big box stores. The show will run through the year, with a special event on Black Friday in November, when we will ask all of Facebook’s followers to withhold from spending money in the traditional Black Friday sales and purchase from the Black-owned businesses featured on the show. The Black Black Friday Show will be another first, utilizing Facebook’s new shopping features on Live to allow people to buy directly from the businesses featured in each show.
Here is a sampling of businesses we featured:
Bling from Ben Oni Jewelry
Noms delivered by Zac’s Sweet Shop
Sustainable coffee from Red Bay Coffee
Tulsa-made clothing from Greenwood Ave
Must reads curated by Fulton Street Books & Coffee
Vibrant, artisan crafted apparel from Cee Cee’s Closet
Tress-friendly hats from Layd
Clean polish by Breukelen Polish
Flare reimagined at Coloring Pins
Dope prints from Leandro Assis (also our illustrator for the work)
Not your average glassware from Estelle Colored Glass
Handmade accessories from The Tiny Tassel
Houseware from Reflektion Design
Skateboards and apparel from Proper Gnar
T’s or gift cards for KC locals from Ruby Jean’s Juicery
Dog and cat approved everything at The Bark Shoppe
All things two wheeled from Ride On! Bike Shop
While providing the community at large with an easy and accessible way to support Black-owned businesses everyday in August we achieved a click through of 72k to the stores of the businesses we featured. They gained more awareness across the US with over 10 million impressions through our campaign, and our community responded, with 27K reactions and 12.3K comments. As a team we believe more work is needed in this area and we will continue our promotion of Black-owned businesses through the holiday season. Stay tuned for more!
