Compass and Jamii announce second collaboration to give free Out of Home advertising space for Black-owned businesses

Following the hugely successful 2021 campaign that saw over 200 UK-based Black-owned businesses apply for the chance to win free Out of Home advertising space, Bauer Media Outdoor and Jamii are back again to offer this unique opportunity to spotlight Black entrepreneurs.

Understanding the challenges that face Black British businesses - with visibility being one of the most vital parts of business success - the scheme will offer free outdoor advertising space to select businesses and is open to both physical and online Black retailers and service providers. 

Applications are now open and will close on 17 March 2023. The selection process will be overseen by Jamii and Bauer Media Outdoor to help choose 10 businesses whose campaigns will run from April 2023. Campaigns of the selected businesses will run across Bauer Media Outdoor’s Adshel Live screens, part of the biggest digital Out of Home network in the UK. Bauer Media Outdoor will also offer free design support to help create the advertisements, while any selected e-commerce brands will also be listed on Jamii’s marketplace.  

Recent research conducted by Bauer Media Outdoor, in collaboration with Channel 4, The Good Side and Blacklight, found that 64% of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) entrepreneurs agree that advertising is crucial to growing their business, compared to 40% of their White counterparts.  

Despite this, BME entrepreneurs still find it difficult to increase their brand’s visibility, with 22% stating they face significant difficulty when it comes to acquiring and paying for advertising space, compared to 10% of White entrepreneurs.  

Based on learnings from the research, additional support will be provided to Black-owned businesses through networking events and webinars throughout the year, with further details to be provided at a later date. 

"After the huge success of the first competition, we’re really proud to collaborate with Bauer Media Outdoor again. High street advertising is powerful marketing that isn't ordinarily accessible for many Black-owned businesses." Courtney Ismain, Jamii co-founder. 

"We know the power of advertising and understand how significant outdoor advertising space is when it comes to growing a business and creating a lasting economic impact - especially for Black entrepreneurs,” says Caroline Forbes, Head of Sales – Out of Home Agencies at Bauer Media Outdoor. “Operating as a Platform for Good means we’re committed to supporting Black-owned businesses in the long term, and we’re excited to continue building on the momentum of last year’s success by evolving the scheme to reflect our most recent research findings.”