Black Digital

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the FARE Project Manager of Financial Alliance for Racial Equity (FARE)

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The FARE mission is to increase racial diversity, drive greater equity and foster inclusion within the financial services industry and the communities served.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Black Digital to accomplish?

• Website development and maintenance
• Social media strategy and campaign development services
• Marketing, content creation, creation as well as distribution of quarterly digital publication

SOLUTION

How did you find Black Digital?

RFP

Why did you select Black Digital over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Data-driven

How many teammates from Black Digital were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Summary of Key Deliverables: 
Weekly: 
1. Ad hoc email communication with FARE Staff regarding ongoing initiatives. 
2. Weekly FARE social media posts highlighting upcoming and recent events and initiatives. 
3. Social cards for FARE Board, Staff, and Operating Committee members. 
4. Weekly status update on content, social strategy, and website provided to FARE Staff. 
Monthly: 
5. Monthly one-hour meeting with FARE Staff to discuss ongoing and completed activities. 
6. Management of monthly marketing email and associated tactics for FARE HBCU students. 
7. Monthly report on website and social media engagement. 
8. Monthly report (if needed) on website updates and recommendations. 
Quarterly: 
9. Creation, distribution, and management of distribution list for the Quarterly Digital Publication. 
10. Participation in FARE Marketing committee meeting to provide status updates. 
11. Design tactics and deliverables for semi-annual HBCU Educational & Recruitment Event. 
Annually: 
12. Annual report detailing accomplishments and strategic priorities. 
13. Proposal regarding the 2024 Marketing support strategy. 
Communication: 
14. Frequent communication during onboarding, selection process, and throughout the contract year. 
15. Periodic phone check-ins based on evolving needs. 
16. Ongoing collaboration and coordination with FARE staff and FARE marketing committee through web-conferencing. 
17. Expected email communication with FARE and periodic updates for similar marketing services provided to other clients.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Measurable Outcomes for FARE and Black Digital: 
1. Event Attendance Increase: 

• FARE sponsored 2021 Diversitas Summit and CFP Board Career Fair drew over 1,000 attendees.
• Outcome: Measurable success in event participation and engagement. 

2. Diversity Scholarship Impact:

• Funded $120K+ FARE CFP® Certification Diversity Scholarship in 2022-2023.
• Awarded scholarships to 14 diverse professionals. - Outcome: Tangible support for Black professionals pursuing CFP certification. 

3. Internship and Employment Success: 

• Hired 5 interns and 1 full-time associate directly from FARE HBCU Events in 2022-2023. 
• Notable interns include NaKyla Comer and Kayla Farris. 
• Outcome: Concrete results in talent acquisition and workforce diversification. 

4. 501(c)(6) Non-Profit Status Achievement:

• Successfully attained 501(c)(6) non-profit status.
• Outcome: Formal recognition as a non-profit organization, enhancing credibility and potential for support. 

5. HBCU Mentorship Program Success:

• Engaged 11 mentors and 25 mentees in FARE’s inaugural HBCU Mentorship Program in 2023. 
• Outcome: Measurable impact on mentorship and professional development within the industry. 

6. HBCU Scholarship Award Impact: 

• Launched FARE HBCU Scholarship Award, awarding 14 HBCU students up to $3,000 for SIE certification. 
• Outcome: Tangible support for HBCU students pursuing securities industry certification. 

7. Educational Series Growth:

• Hosted FARE educational series event, HBCU Live: In the Black, at Howard University, with 70+ attendees. 
• Achieved an 86.8% increase in attendance from the previous year through digital marketing efforts. 
• Outcome: Successful event growth and increased audience engagement. 

8. Website and Publication Success:

• Launched FARE website in Fall 2023, resulting in a 4.5K increase in website visits. 
• Quarterly publication launched in Fall 2023.
• Outcome: Enhanced online presence and communication. 

9. Social Media Revamp: 

• Black Digital revamped all social platforms, increasing audience size by 532.6% and engagement by 1,463.4%. 
• Outcome: Significant improvement in social media presence and engagement. 

These outcomes collectively demonstrate the tangible impact of the marketing efforts led by Black Digital in collaboration with Suzanne Siracuse Consulting Services, contributing to FARE's growth, industry awareness, and program success.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Black Digital exhibits excellent project management skills. While they generally delivered items on time, there is room for improvement in providing deliverables at least one week in advance. This adjustment would allow FARE members and stakeholders sufficient time for comprehensive reviews involving legal, compliance, and internal marketing partners. 
Despite this opportunity for enhancement, Black Digital's project management remains fairly strong, and they have demonstrated a high level of responsiveness to our needs throughout the collaboration.

What was your primary form of communication with Black Digital?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What I found most impressive and unique about this company is their exceptional ability to simultaneously manage multiple key projects, tasks, and deliverables while still giving individual attention to detail for each. 
Additionally, their skill in receiving feedback and making edits to high-profile and high-visibility pieces, such as our digital industry publication, was particularly commendable. This combination of multitasking prowess and attention to detail sets them apart in their capacity to handle diverse and complex projects with finesse.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Black Digital could have done differently?

Enhancing our collaboration further could involve spending additional time on strategic planning. Specifically, I recommend that Black Digital and FARE invest dedicated time to define our year-end success metrics collaboratively. By aligning our visions and clearly outlining milestones, we can ensure that our efforts are even more cohesive and that the impact we seek to achieve is maximized. 
I see this as an opportunity for Black Digital to leverage their expertise not just in execution but also in shaping the broader strategy in tandem with FARE. The outcome of such focused collaboration would undoubtedly strengthen our partnership and contribute to even greater success in our shared mission.