Last week, Black Lives Matter and J. Walter Thompson New York launched Backing Black Businesses, a new long-term initiative to support the growth and performance of small Black businesses nationwide. The beta site includes over 300 businesses and offers an opportunity for additional businesses to add their businesses.
DIVERGE spoke to JWT’s Chief Creative officer, Brent Choi, and Shanelle Matthews, Director of Communications for the Black Lives Matter Global Network to find out more.
Why are JWT and Black Lives Matter partnering for Backing Black Businesses and why is this significant?
Choi: We have a long history of believing-in and supporting our team and their passions, especially when it comes to cause marketing. The BLM Network and their movement is at a critical moment right now. Several of our agency members realized this and were inspired to reach out and help them. We believe that communications and marketing creativity, with their ability to inspire, inform and influence behavior, can play a key role in helping make a difference.
Matthews: We are partnering on this effort because we understand the importance supporting and growing the economic power of Black communities. With our commitment to Black people and Black-owned businesses, and JWT’s powerhouse staff and worldwide reach, we knew doing this together would mean more visibility for Black people this holiday season and beyond.
What will be the goal with this new initiative?
Choi: In a time when the Black community is under attack, we wanted to draw attention to the large and often underestimated racial disparities in business ownership and give people the opportunity to use their dollars to support locally owned Black businesses. We also wanted to reframe the importance Black-owned small businesses have for the Black community as safe spaces, places which give back and offer a welcoming environment in uncertain political times.
The website has over 300 businesses but it’s only in Beta. It will be an ongoing effort for both teams to grow the site and we hope it will be become the biggest and most easily accessible Black businesses database in the country.
Matthews: Our goal is to develop and implement a long-term initiative to support the growth and performance of small Black businesses nationwide. In a time when the Black community is under attack, it is more important than ever to buy local and buy Black. Small businesses provide jobs and economic security.
What can we hope to see in the future?
Choi: We want to help raise awareness but we also want to develop the right creative work. We have a couple of ideas that we are already working on. We are very excited about them and what our partnership will bring to the BLM movement.
Matthews: In the future, we want real a real economic transformation for Black business and communities and we will continue to partner with JWT to make it a reality.
Why is diversity so important to focus on and encourage?
Choi: Lynn Power, my partner in NY, and I have been vocal about the importance of diversity and truly, fairly representing the society we live in. We believe it is core to our success as a company. BLM has changed and is still changing the conversation on race and racism in American and we are extremely proud that they trust us to help build their communications.
What role will JWT play in this?
Choi: 2017 is a year full of expectations and apprehension for most people in the Unites States. We hope we can help BLM plan this important year strategically and be a trusted creative partner producing work that will make a difference.
