Campaign Strategy

Strategic Campaign for Women Entrepreneurship Capital Program

Situation

Women-owned small businesses across the United States often face barriers to accessing affordable capital and the technical resources needed to scale. These challenges include limited access to low-interest loans, gaps in financial literacy, and difficulty navigating marketing and growth strategies.

To address these barriers, a Fortune 500 company with a $1.5 billion lending and investment portfolio launched a program in partnership with a well-known American fashion designer and businesswoman based in New York to expand women entrepreneurs' access to capital and business support.

The initiative was supported through strategic partnerships with the designer’s foundation and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), mission-driven lenders that specialize in serving underserved communities through low-cost capital and technical assistance.

Strategy

• Positioned the program as a flagship initiative to demonstrate a sustained, enterprise-wide commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs and advancing small business growth across the United States.
• Maximized visibility and engagement by formally launching in New York City, aligning with the mission-driven fashion designer’s headquarters and a key market for the Fortune 500 company.
• Deployed a fully integrated marketing and communications campaign across earned, owned, and paid channels to drive brand equity and program awareness, engagement, and participation.
• Implemented an ongoing narrative strategy highlighting women-owned businesses at regular intervals to sustain visibility and reinforce program impact over time.

Implementation

Secured top-tier print and television media, including The Charlotte Observer and CBS This Morning, to formally announce the women’s entrepreneurship lending program, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to strengthening the economic vitality of small businesses, particularly those owned by women.

To expand reach and accessibility, the initiative hosted live events in more than 20 markets.

Market Events

Hosted live events to enable targeted outreach and help women entrepreneurs access low-cost capital. Press releases were issued to announce local capital investments and events, supported by a coordinated digital communications strategy featuring video, visual assets, and storytelling across owned and social channels.

Each event convened a diverse group of stakeholders, including established women business owners, prospective borrowers, and leadership from all organizations, including CDFI partners. A local media personality moderated the program, which featured a structured agenda including:

• Opening remarks from senior leadership
• Overview of the lending program and partnership model
• Women entrepreneur testimonials
• Audience Q&A

PR/Media

Engage national and niche media outlets covering women's initiatives and small business topics to provide a firsthand view of the program, highlighting how the Fortune 500 company leverages its resources and strategic partnerships to support women entrepreneurs and drive social and economic impact.

• Issued press releases via the corporate newsroom and wire services
• Distributed targeted messaging across multiple channels
• Focused outreach on national women's initiatives, small-business media, and economic impact coverage
• Briefed executives and key partners for press interviews (print, TV)
• Engaged established women business owners and key local stakeholders to enhance program visibility and strengthen community-level engagement

Social Media

Leveraged corporate and partner channels to amplify the program, aligning messaging and themes and capitalizing on key moments, such as National Small Business Month, to drive awareness and engagement. Incorporated target marketing and paid media to extend reach and impact.

Key themes included: Capital Deployment and Access, Women’s Leadership, Small Business Growth, and Social and Economic Impact.

• Engaged professional photography and videography to capture event content for post-event distribution, extending reach through video highlights, leadership quotes, participant stories, and audience reactions.
• Developed an editorial and content calendar to guide launch communications and sustain ongoing storytelling beyond the event.

Internal Communications

Leveraged internal communication channels to keep leadership and employees informed about the program, reinforcing the organization’s ongoing commitment to corporate responsibility and its impact at both the local and national levels.

• Published internal articles and partnered with market leadership to integrate messaging into existing communication channels, including emails, fact sheets, newsletters, and business-line-sponsored events.

Metrics

• Total media impressions
• Number of media placements
• Event attendance and participation
• Social media engagement, conversion rates
• Press release views and wire pickup rates
• Number of program/capital applications submitted
• Total capital deployed
• Number of businesses funded

Results

• Successfully launched the program in New York City and across more than 20 markets, supported by live events and ongoing communications highlighting women-owned businesses and their access to capital and growth opportunities.
• Achieved above-average engagement across digital channels, including social media; secured ongoing interviews and coverage in top-tier media outlets.
• Increased capital investment for women entrepreneurs by $40 million.
• Leveraged the success of the women’s capital program to raise awareness of the Fortune 500 company’s strategic partnership with CDFIs and to support the launch of a $20 million capital program by the company for veteran business owners.

Key responsibilities included: Developed and executed integrated campaign strategy to drive awareness and engagement; prepared leadership for high-impact media interviews and live events; led editorial and content development, including interviews with women business owners; produced press materials, leadership messaging, and multi-channel content; and used data insights to refine assets, storytelling and uncover ongoing narrative opportunities.

Photo: Stevie Howell, business owner, textile and wallpaper designer and participant in the capital program.