The Black Makers Market project aims to enhance the visibility, branding, and marketing efforts of the market to attract more vendors and attendees while fostering economic opportunities for Black entrepreneurs. The project scope includes developing a clear brand message and visual identity, implementing targeted marketing campaigns, and fostering community engagement to increase awareness and participation in the market's events. By focusing on these aspects, the project seeks to empower Black makers, promote inclusivity, and create a vibrant marketplace that supports the growth and success of Black-owned businesses.

About the client

Challenges

• Visibility and Awareness: Increasing awareness of the market's events among both vendors and attendees is crucial for expanding its reach and attracting a larger audience.

• Branding Misconceptions: Addressing misconceptions about the market, such as misunderstandings about its nonprofit status or perceptions of elitism, is essential for effectively communicating its mission and values.

• Expansion and Sustainability: Balancing the goals of national recognition and expansion with the need for sustainability presents challenges in scaling operations and managing finances.

• Competition and Unique Selling Proposition: Differentiating the market from competitors and effectively communicating its unique value proposition is vital for attracting vendors and attendees in a crowded market space.

• Community Engagement and Support: Maintaining strong community engagement and fostering relationships with vendors, sponsors, attendees, and community partners is crucial for the market's long-term success.

Smooth ended up using many of the images on their website and in big print advertising campaigns across Europe and North America

Solutions

• Visibility: Your approach focused on revamping the brand's direction, including color, logo, and overall aesthetics, to tap into submarkets and attract attention from brands outside the community. This strategic shift aimed to broaden appeal and increase interest among potential attendees and vendors.

• Branding: We emphasized the importance of challenging the perception that nonprofit brands must be dull, instead aiming to create an established and curated experience that appeals to black vendors, entrepreneurs, and community members. This approach sought to elevate the market's brand identity and establish a strong connection with its target audience.

• Expansion and Sustainability: Given heightened competition in the events space post-pandemic, your strategy focused on standing out by highlighting the human aspect of the market through visuals that showcase vendors and their products. Building trust and rapport between vendors and the market was prioritized to ensure mutual success and longevity.

• Community Engagement and Support: Your design materials aimed to spotlight vendors and makers at the market while maintaining a cohesive and inclusive visual identity. By featuring vendors' names and sponsors' logos alongside engaging visuals, the materials fostered a sense of community and support while avoiding competition among elements.

We wanted to create images that felt still but simultaneously bold and futuristic

MOOD

As Smooth is working in the frontline of sustainable and responsible fashion, we didn't want to bury the materials with elaborate backgrounds and sets

Results

The project resulted in significant outcomes for the Black Makers Market, including increased brand awareness both locally and beyond, heightened community engagement, and improved trust and satisfaction among vendors. By spotlighting vendors and makers through revamped branding and design materials, the market effectively differentiated itself from competitors and fostered a stronger sense of connection with attendees. These efforts led to sustained growth and longevity for the market, establishing it as a vibrant and inclusive platform that empowers black entrepreneurs and fosters economic opportunities effectively within the community.

Smooth ended up using many of the images on their website and in big print advertising campaigns across Europe and North America