How Walmart Spent Its Summer as a Megainfuencer For Black-Owned Businesses

The title of "influencer" is usually awarded to people with a massive online presence and equally large follower counts — or so we think. The truth is anyone — even the average person — can influence people, especially when it comes to sharing the products they love. In fact, promoting a brand via word of mouth is so effective, Walmart built its new experience, Black & Unlimited: The Shoutout, on the promise. And the best way to give something or someone their flowers is to show up and show out, which is exactly what The Shoutout did this summer.

Acting as a megaphone for Black-owned businesses, The Shoutout tour kicked off in June, popping up at partner festivals and events across the country. In July, The Shoutout stopped at Broccoli City Festival in Washington D.C.; there, The Shoutout held court with several activations. The goal: to increase the visibility of Black business creators, owners, and artists.

One activation included designing a literal shoutout — a countertop design bar featuring merch with pre-printed and artist-designed graphics. Festival goers could also grab a pre-loaded shoutout swag bag to fill with their choice of four Black-owned products, allowing them to keep two and give the others away to friends. And because you can't fall in love with a brand before you try it, everyone with a swag bag was able to sample products from Black & Unlimited brands, including Black Girl Sunscreen, The Shop, and Kazmaleje.

The Shoutout was busy in August, stopping at three events: Artscape in Baltimore, Sai Summer Cookout in D.C., and the Detroit Jazz Festival. Like Broccoli City Festival, these events serve as their own megaphones for the Black community. Artscape, one of the largest free outdoor art festivals, has attracted up to 350,000 in one weekend, while Detroit Jazz Festival was estimated to garner about 25,000 attendees. Sai Summer Cookout may be new (Chapter One launched last summer in Atlanta with 2,000 guests), but the annual event hosted by Marsai Martin is built to feel like "one big family reunion." The more intimate setting promotes even more conversation with games and a marketplace. The Shoutout stood at the cookout's entrance, welcoming in guests throughout the day.

Like Broccoli City Festival, the Sai Summer Cookout community was able to get creative at the Design a Shoutout Bar, try samples, and score some swag while they discovered brands and artists at Walmart's gallery wall of shoutouts. Every stop on The Shoutout tour also featured a photo opp with an oversized megaphone. Attendees snapped and posted photos encouraging their friends and followers to be a megaphone within their own communities, taking word-of-mouth influence to the next level.

Luckily, The Shoutout tour isn't over yet. It'll continue on through the fall, making a few more stops around the country. In the meantime, you can spread the word all on your own. All it takes is one text to the group chat: "I need to tell you about ___."