Comcast RISE Initiative Provides Small
Businesses with Free Marketing Insights and Opportunities to Apply
for Media, Technology Upgrades and Grants Up To $10,000
Black-Owned Small Businesses,
Those Impacted Most by the Pandemic, are the First
Eligible Applicants for Comcast RISE Resources and Grants.
Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA) today launched Comcast RISE,
an initiative created to help strengthen and empower small
businesses hard hit by COVID-19. The Comcast RISE program will help
thousands of small businesses over the next three years. The
multi-faceted program offers grants, marketing and technology
upgrades, including media campaigns and connectivity, computer and
voice equipment, as well as free marketing insights to all
applicants.
U.S. small businesses have been particularly hard hit by the
pandemic. A recent study from the National Bureau of Economic
Research found that the number of U.S. active business owners
dropped from 15 million to 11.7 million from February to April. The
study cited that Black-owned small businesses were hardest hit,
suffering the steepest decline (41 percent), followed by Hispanic
and Asian American-owned small businesses.
The program will roll out in waves, and starting today,
U.S.-based Black-owned small businesses can apply for marketing and
technology support and equipment to jumpstart and help them sustain
business operations. In addition, all small businesses are able to
sign up for free marketing insights and resources. The next wave of
the program will open up eligibility to include Black, Indigenous,
and People of Color (BIPOC), those next hit hardest by the effects
of the pandemic.
“There’s this old saying, ‘When America catches a cold, black
America catches pneumonia.’ Black Businesses, which never recovered
from the great recession, have been ravaged by COVID-19 with
Black-owned businesses twice as likely to close as their white
counterparts. While many businesses have responded by moving online
or retrofitting to allow for social distancing, many Black business
owners have had to halt their operations completely,” said Ron
Busby, President/CEO, U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. “Comcast RISE will
help Black businesses adapt to the changing landscape and position
them to be leaders in America’s burgeoning online to offline
economy. USBC commends Comcast for starting this program and for
their hands-on support of Black-owned businesses, because advancing
Black businesses advances us all.”
Comcast decided to launch Comcast RISE, which stands for
“Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment,” to help the
hardest hit small business owners get a fresh start and boost their
operations during this difficult time. Comcast RISE brings together
two of the company’s brands —Comcast Business and Effectv, both
with expertise in the small business space — to help empower
business owners with the tools, expertise and resources needed to
navigate the economic effects of the pandemic.
“We see and know firsthand how vital small businesses are in
powering economic growth, recovery and innovation. Now more than
ever, driving awareness and maintaining a strong digital presence
are crucial for these businesses to succeed,” said Teresa
Ward-Maupin, SVP for Digital and Customer Experience at Comcast
Business. “We created Comcast RISE to give these business owners
access to the tools and resources they need to survive the pandemic
and thrive.”
“Small businesses have always played an integral role in our
nation’s growth and future. In the midst of the pandemic, these
entrepreneurs provided many of the services and resources that keep
our communities up and running,” said Comcast Advertising Chief
Marketing Officer Maria Weaver. “We’re proud and humbled to support
those hit hardest by the pandemic, and provide them with marketing
and technology support at a time when they need it the most.”
Comcast RISE consists of the following main components:
- A media and technology resources program: This pillar
combines Effectv’s renowned media platform and marketing expertise,
its award-winning creative agency, Mnemonic, and state-of-the-art
technical support from Comcast Business to help small businesses
foster and elevate growth. Recipients will receive help with their
marketing, media campaigns and creation of 30-second commercials,
as well as website and tech upgrades, including:
- Consulting: Advertising and marketing consultations with
local Effectv marketing, research and creative teams to gain
insights on how to grow your business.
- Media: A linear TV media campaign to run over a 90-day
period.
- Creative Production: Turnkey :30 TV commercial
production for their businesses.
- Technology Makeovers: Computer equipment and Internet,
voice and cybersecurity services for up to a 12-month period to
support business recovery while implementing other Comcast small
business initiatives. (Taxes and other fees may still apply for
tech makeover services.)
- Business resources to help with curated content: Comcast
will create a business learning destination page on the X1
platform. This will include programming content about small
businesses, tutorials and educational content intended to help
businesses grow.
- Grants: In the coming months, Comcast will be
awarding grants of up to $10,000 each for U.S.-based small and
diverse businesses that have been in operations for three to five
years.
Comcast RISE is part of a larger $100 million Diversity, Equity
and Inclusion initiative that Comcast launched this summer. In
June, Comcast NBCUniversal announced the development of a
comprehensive, multiyear plan to allocate $75 million in cash and
$25 million in media over the next three years to fight injustice
and inequality against any race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual
orientation or ability.
In the future, the program aims to expand to other small and
diverse business owners. Visit http://www.ComcastRISE.com for more
information on eligibility requirements, and the latest
updates.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and
technology company with three primary businesses: Comcast Cable,
NBCUniversal, and Sky. Comcast Cable is one of the United States’
largest high-speed internet, video, and phone providers to
residential customers under the Xfinity brand, and also provides
these services to businesses. It also provides wireless and
security and automation services to residential customers under the
Xfinity brand. NBCUniversal is global and operates news,
entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo
broadcast networks, television production operations, television
station groups, Universal Pictures, and Universal Parks and
Resorts. Sky is one of Europe's leading media and entertainment
companies, connecting customers to a broad range of video content
through its pay television services. It also provides
communications services, including residential high-speed internet,
phone, and wireless services. Sky operates the Sky News broadcast
network and sports and entertainment networks, produces original
content, and has exclusive content rights. Visit
www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
About Comcast Business
About Comcast Business Comcast Business offers Ethernet,
Internet, Wi-Fi, Voice, TV and Managed Enterprise Solutions to help
organizations of all sizes transform their business. Powered by an
advanced network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast
Business is one of the largest contributors to the growth of
Comcast Cable. Comcast Business is the nation’s largest cable
provider to small and mid-size businesses and has emerged as a
force in the Enterprise market; recognized over the last two years
by leading industry associations as one of the fastest growing
providers of Ethernet services. For more information, call 866-
429-3085. Follow on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social
media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social.
About Effectv
Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, helps
local, regional and national advertisers use the best of digital
with the power of TV to grow their business. It provides
multi-screen marketing solutions to make advertising campaigns more
effective and easier to execute. Headquartered in New York with
offices throughout the country, Effectv has a presence in 66
markets with nearly 35 million owned and represented subscribers.
For more information, visit www.effectv.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201013005182/en/
Elaine Wong, 929-388-9098 elaine_wong@comcast.com
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