Black In Business

Branding a ground-breaking initiative, led by Channel 4 and Lloyds Bank, dedicated to fostering the growth of Black owned businesses in the UK.

Background

Brand,
Communications,
Design

Black In Business emerged as a response to extensive research conducted by Channel 4 that sheds light on the unique challenges and experiences faced by Black business owners at the outset of their entrepreneurial journeys.

The research revealed significant disparities in funding opportunities compared to their white counterparts and highlighted a knowledge gap in marketing and advertising.

In alignment with its commitment to improving Black representation both on-screen and within the TV industry, Channel 4 introduced Black In Business as a vital component of its “Black to Front” legacy.

The initiative offers 10 Black entrepreneurs’ access to substantial support, including £100,000 worth of TV advertising on Channel 4, the creation of their own TV commercial, and six months of tailored marketing and business mentorship to accelerate their growth.

Black in Business is a concerted effort to level the economic playing field and create meaningful opportunities for the Black community, guided by the lived experience and expertise of DOES, a successful Black owned business.

Project Overview

Channel 4, in collaboration with Lloyds Bank, engaged Two Stories to undertake the design and branding of the Black In Business initiative.

The project aimed to create a brand identity that would seamlessly complement the partner brands, while standing out as an independent entity.

Our involvement in the initiative began during its early stages, contributing to the naming and conceptualisation of the project, and went right through to developing an eye-catching brand that could be easily adapted for various marketing materials.

Brand Development

We began our design process with thorough research on the Black In Business research and initiative and a comprehensive study of the Channel 4 and Lloyds Bank brands. This approach allowed us to ensure coherence between partner brands, while preserving the distinctiveness of the Black In Business initiative.

We captured the core values and spirit of Black In Business through a distinctive logo and complemented it with a colour palette that was thoughtfully selected to harmonise with the partner brands and convey an atmosphere of inclusivity.

Brand Outputs

At Two Stories we believe your brand spans more than just your logo and we developed the brand to work effectively across all touchpoints.

We extended the brand identity to email templates, custom PowerPoint templates for presentations on the initiative, branded backdrops for event filming, and winner announcement collateral, to further reinforce the visual identity.

A range of social media assets were also created, including static visuals, animated content, and video, to ensure the brand’s visual identity remained consistent across multiple platforms.

Our studio also produced captivating social video shorts to promote the live event and encourage engagement, and at the event, provided art direction for the beneficiaries’, judges’, and partners’ video interviews to effectively convey the initiative’s messages.

Our work on the Black In Business initiative successfully resulted in the creation of a distinctive brand identity, which not only complemented partner brands but also conveyed a powerful message of inclusivity and support for Black owned businesses in the UK.

Testimonial

“Two Stories have been exceptional as the brand creators of Black In Business, a brand-new Channel 4 initiative supporting Black owned businesses through the power of TV advertising and mentorship. Their creative talent and commitment to our vision resulted in a brand that perfectly encapsulates the Black In Business mission. Their professionalism, attention to detail, and powerful storytelling have helped to create a unique positioning for the brand. The website, social assets and videos they created have been hugely impactful – we wholeheartedly recommend Two Stories for their outstanding work in bringing Black In Business to life!”

Jurie Venter, Commercial Marketing Manager, Channel 4

Brand // Communications // Design // Digital

GoShorty

Brand // Communications // Design