2 minute read
Trend Evidence
Figure 3: Facebook App Christmas Market (Facebook)
Figure 4: Instargram app feature (Instargram) Social media platforms such as Tiktok highlight the popularity amongst a younger audience as the hashtag “small business” has over eleven billion views (Tiktok, 2020). Instagram has around fifty million posts on the hashtags “supportlocal” and “supportsmallbusiness” which creates hundreds of millions of interactions(Instagram, 2020). A function within Instagram, Instagram Stories has created a sticker (see figure 4) to help discover and support of local business’ which was introduced in May 2020. Facebook introduced a small business grant programme ($100M) to help connect and support people’s livelihoods (Facebook, 2020) Facebook App has also introduced a ‘UK Small Online Christmas Market’ (see figure 3).
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( T i k t o , k 2 020 ) #SMALL BUSINESS HAS 11 BILLON VIEWS ON TIKTOK (Facebook , 2020) $100 MILLION DONATED FROM
50 MILLION
EVIDENCE IN SOCIAL MEDIA
2 0 ) POSTS ON (Instagram , 20 INSTAGRAM
EVIDENCE IN FASHION
Retailing platforms such as ASOS Marketplace and Depop create a space for small businesses to sell their creations, however they are not affiliated with the Brand and are independent. Fashion magazines such as Elle, Marie Claire and Vogue have posted numerous articles to help support small business’ such as ‘100 Independent Clothing Brands to Support This Christmas’ (Murray and ELLE, 2020). Department stores have concessions4 (Unibox,2018) which give the opportunity to showcase smaller business’ however these are usually already well-established. Burberry has taken it upon themselves, in collaboration with Marcus Rashford, to become a Civic Brand5 by helping support young creatives and better local communities through investment (Scott and Scott, 2020).
Figure 5: Babylon Advisory (ASOS Marketplace)
The UK Government have urged the nation to shop locally to help the economy and community (Skully P, 2020). The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs have released a publication regarding a project named Support Micro-, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, 2020). The highest authorities are urging people now more than ever to take part in supporting the small business’ around them. This is a trend that has potential to expand exponentially.
