Google

Get Black British businesses to thrive by inspiring consumers to change their shopping behaviour, and empower Black entrepreneurs to grow their business, so people can easily find and buy from them.

Google is deeply committed to helping the economy grow in the UK. 2020 was a very challenging year for Black British Businesses. Already facing systemic discrimination – Black entrepreneurs in the UK are four times more likely to be rejected for business loans than any other demographic, and those who do secure a loan are subject to higher interest rates (+2%) than white-owned businesses – the Black Community was also hit the hardest by the pandemic, which only increased economic inequality. Google wanted this to change and make the commitment to help the Black Community survive, recover and thrive in the UK economy.

Nowadays we are very aware that how we spend our money can have a huge impact on the environment. Yet what we’re less aware of – or simply don’t think about – is that it can also impact the distribution of wealth and society overall. This powerful truth was brought to life with the idea ‘Your Spend Has Power’, encouraging people to #SpendBlack and use their power to help make a difference and start to address economic inequality. At the same time, we empowered Black British entrepreneurs to grow their business online, so people can easily find and buy from them.

The campaign culminated with a full ad-takeover of the Observer Magazine. With over 500,000 readers, the magazine supported our audience criteria; open to learning about societal issues, and acting on making changes to create a more equitable society. The 22 page campaign featured 13 entrepreneurs, consciously covering a wide breadth of businesses from organic dog treats, to a publishing house for Black authors.

Nearly half of The Observer readers said the campaign inspired them to SpendBlack. 60% of people who saw the campaign said they felt that Google is supporting Black-owned businesses in the UK.

The Black-owned businesses featured saw increases in sales and awareness:

• ‘Village and Home’ reported an 1,200% increase in website visits.
• ‘The Clean Tea Company’ saw a 50% increase in sales.
• ‘ColorBlend Makeup’ founder Kesha Williams witnessed a massive increase in social-media engagement and sales. She also said that the campaign has definitely added to the brand’s credibility and visibility, which is exactly the support she needed for her business.