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Our Pride campaign this year was really our biggest marketing push yet.
In years past, Pride was typically one of our busiest production months -- everybody loves Pride swag! -- but of course, Covid managed to nip that in the bud ... pretty much for two years in a row.
So, what were we able to do this year that really helped bring attention to who we are while also making sure that we were sticking to our social mission and social justice roots?
One of the things that was really important to me was making sure that we weren't one of those companies that just slapped rainbow colors on their logo and called it a day. In the same way that the Give 2021 A Shot store is donating proceeds to The Bail Project and Feeding America, I wanted to support similar efforts with LGBTQ+-focused charities. So I was quite happy for us to announce that all proceeds from the Pride merch store will go to the It Gets Better Project and True Colors United.
Oh, and did I mention how amazing our pride product ideas deck turned out?
For our blogs, I also wanted to make sure we were bringing in diverse writers to cover topics that we wouldn't really be able to tackle otherwise. I'm super grateful we were able to bring in international author Laura Kate Dale to write about what it looks and feels like staying home and celebrating Pride, and Heather Deeb, treasurer for Trans Heartline and small-town pastor, to talk about the often tricky overlap between religion and Pride. If you missed either of these blogs the first time around, please do check them out!
We also spent a lot of time trying to pull together some super awesome partnerships across social media -- another big first for us. We sponsored our first-ever Twitch giveaway with local drag artist Cash Monet, and were able to get a lot of coverage from influencers and artists alike with our Pride gift boxes. I grabbed just a few of these great videos and included them below!
We even got to work closely with the amazing San Francisco Bay Area Moms group on a collaboration for their website that featured our Pride collection. I cannot thank everyone who helped us spread our message during Pride enough.
The way the promotional product industry works is interesting because while I was heavy in the Pride world, most of the company -- and the industry -- was already looking forward to events coming up in the next several months. We have our next Give 2021 A Shot theme picked out, and it will be announced very, very soon. I'm excited to continue the momentum we've built already this year, and I think you all will love what we've put together, too.
But even as we look ahead to the next social justice milestone we are celebrating, there is one last thing I want to stress. June may be over, but our commitment to the LGBTQ+ community didn't end when the clock struck midnight on May 30.
Are we a promotional printing company? Yes. But we're one with a social mission, and we take that social mission seriously. We're always learning and listening, and all of our Pride initiatives this year were really the START of a continual effort and conversation to help our brothers and sisters and everyone in the gay community.
We're proud of all the businesses, creators, artists, and writers we've worked with so far this month, and we'll continue to be an employer where all are welcome, where everybody can grow and be trained and given a first -- or a second -- chance.
LGBTQ+ people aren't going anywhere, and neither is our continued support for their community, no matter what month of the year it is. The fight for true freedom and equality is far from over, and it's a fight we're sticking out until the end.
Cheers,
-Willie Clark
Social Imprints, Marketing Manager