Original

NEW

Challenges

Enhancing Brand Identity and Local Visibility: The Black Makers Market in Austin, Texas, has recognized the need to strengthen its local brand identity. By expanding its color palette and modernizing its visual appeal, the market aims to stand out within Austin's competitive market landscape. Addressing misconceptions about its nonprofit status and clarifying its mission are crucial for increasing local visibility and attracting a larger audience of vendors and attendees.

Expansion and Local Sustainability: Balancing the goal of local recognition with sustainable growth presents challenges in scaling operations and managing finances effectively. The market is committed to expanding its reach within Austin while maintaining financial stability to ensure long-term sustainability.

Competitive Differentiation: To differentiate itself from local competitors, the market emphasizes inclusivity, community support, and economic empowerment for Black entrepreneurs. Communicating these values effectively is key to attracting vendors and attendees who value community-driven initiatives in Austin.

Community Engagement and Support: Strong community engagement and relationships with local vendors, sponsors, attendees, and community partners are essential for the market's success in Austin. These connections not only enhance event participation but also sustain the market's impact and influence within the local community.

Solutions

Visibility: Our approach centered on revitalizing the brand's direction, including color schemes, logos, and overall aesthetics, to resonate with submarkets and attract interest from brands beyond Austin's community. This strategic shift aimed to broaden appeal and capture attention from potential attendees and vendors alike.

Branding: Emphasizing the importance of challenging the misconception that nonprofit brands must lack vibrancy, we aimed to create a curated experience that resonates with Black vendors, entrepreneurs, and community members in Austin. This approach was designed to elevate the market's brand identity and forge a strong connection with its target audience.

Expansion and Sustainability: In a competitive post-pandemic events landscape, our strategy focused on differentiating the market by showcasing the human aspect through visuals that highlight vendors and their unique offerings. Building trust and fostering relationships between vendors and the market was a priority to ensure mutual success and sustainable growth.

Community Engagement and Support: Our design materials were crafted to spotlight local vendors and makers at the market while maintaining a cohesive and inclusive visual identity. By prominently featuring vendors' names and sponsors' logos alongside engaging visuals, these materials fostered a sense of community support without overshadowing individual contributions.

Results

By spotlighting vendors and makers through revamped branding and design materials, including cohesive brand assets, colors, and branding strategies, the market effectively differentiated itself from competitors and fostered a stronger connection with attendees. These efforts led to sustained growth and longevity, establishing the market as a vibrant and inclusive platform that empowers Black entrepreneurs and fosters economic opportunities within the community.