Google Black-Owned Friday
Helping Google authentically support Black-owned businesses through community-driven strategy
Role: Strategic Development
Award: Wood Pencil
Project Overview - Google Black-Owned Friday is an annual campaign by Google and the U.S. Black Chambers that encourages people to support Black-owned businesses during Black Friday and year-round.
Challenge: Google wanted to authentically support Black-owned businesses during Black Friday without appearing performative.
My Strategic Approach: I researched how Black consumers felt about corporate allyship campaigns and identified that authenticity comes from action, not just messaging.
The key insight: Black-owned businesses grow through community recommendations - being "put on" by people who believe in them.
The Strategic Foundation I Developed: I contributed the foundational idea of reframing word of mouth as media — "Put them on" — turning personal video shoutouts into powerful brand amplification. This was grounded in the cultural truth that Black-owned businesses grow through community endorsement, not traditional advertising.
To make it feel real and rooted, we proposed featuring successful Black entrepreneurs to spark participation and ensure authenticity — while giving everyday users the tools to amplify local businesses they believe in.
Our strategic framework focused on:
Community-driven storytelling
Frictionless sharing through mobile-first content
A digital hub that lived beyond the campaign window
Why It Matters: Black-Owned Friday was more than a campaign it was a movement powered by culture, community, and participation.
Campaign Evolution
Google's final approach, executed by Entropico, directly reflected the strategic insight I helped establish:
Hero Film - Partnered with cultural icons Druski, GloRilla, and Jayda Cheaves, along with YouTube creators like WillOnAWhim and Taty Cokley, to celebrate their favorite Black-owned businesses nationwide
Digital Hubs - Leveraged Google's social media channels (YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok) to promote the campaign and encourage audience participation
Media Amplification - Ran paid campaigns on YouTube and Meta to extend reach and drive engagement with Black-owned businesses
Spotlights on Black Businesses - Featured businesses on Google's social channels and even had a Google Keyword blog post authored by one of the featured businesses