In 2017, Facebook partnered with the US Chamber of Commerce and a third-party research firm to examine how small and medium-sized businesses use digital and social platforms to grow. The brand wanted to identify the critical digital skills that businesses say they’ll need.

Facebook’s study confirmed a growing skills gap, and that far too many American businesses will struggle to find the expertise they need to scale. By 2030, the skilled labor shortage could result in 85.2 million jobs going unfilled.

In response, Facebook decided to expand its leadership role in supporting the growth of small and medium-sized businesses, both nationally and globally. The brand formalized two objectives for a 2018 event program to be called Facebook Community Boost:

1. Spread essential, technology-based business skills and knowledge across Facebook-owned/partner platforms

2. Position Facebook as a go-to resource for digital training/business growth support, establishing the brand as an eager, empowering partner

To spread digital skills and reinforce the brand’s positioning as a partner to small and medium-sized businesses, Facebook Community Boost needed to combine the innovation of the Facebook brand with the approachability and personal touch of a local small business support organization.

The creative solution was a fun, free global roadshow—an immersive, richly educational event series to boost attendees’ digital skills across Facebook/partner platforms and empower small businesses to succeed in our ever-more-digital world.

To drive relevance, each activation celebrated the local host market, customized through:

• Unexpected venue selections

• Flexible event footprints

• Local partner integrations (including spotlights on local small business successes)

• Special guests (Facebook executives plus hometown heroes, from entrepreneurs to policymakers)

• Ancillary programming (special off-site events)

To build the brand, each activation delivered a consistent, high-quality learning experience thanks to core, scalable immersions defined by Facebook/partner content and shaped by our agency.

With a primary goal to engage/support businesses, Facebook Community Boost was open to the public, its entire target audience spanning:

• Businesses (with a focus on small/medium-sized)

• Aspiring entrepreneurs

• Non-profits

• Jobseekers

To attract this audience and effectively boost their skills, our approach was to make the digital tangible and unintimidating.

Aside from lack of awareness, one key obstacle hampers adoption of digital tools: they can seem hard to grasp, or too complex to try. We shaped an innovative attendee journey, walking attendees through the opportunities Facebook/partner tools could offer their businesses (no matter their current skill level) and making personal support available at every step.

To customize each experience, our approach was to engage local partners—substantively.

Global programs can suffer from lack of local insight and relevance. We welcomed a wide range of local partners and diverse vendors into our planning to ensure every activation hit home.

Facebook Community Boost spread digital education across 72 markets from March 26 to December 20, 2018. Activations in priority markets lasted 2-3 days and hosted 1,200 people, while smaller/shorter events hosted under 600.

Each event centered around a main, open Hub space. Diverse selections ranged from a public library to a sports hall of fame—requiring adaptive execution.

Hub immersions included a one-on-one Facebook Learning Bar and interactive booths showcasing the brand’s cross-functional partners (e.g., Blueprint, Pages, Creative Shop). Additional learning stations featured software partners (e.g., Wix, QuickBooks/TurboTax, Amazon Web Services). Local contributors exhibited in dedicated areas.

Formal programming took place on the event mainstage (including kickoffs featuring Facebook executives, policymakers and locals) and in breakouts. Classes included topics like “Instagram 101: A Beginner’s Guide for Business.” Experts encouraged attendees to stay engaged via the event’s Facebook group and ongoing Blueprint classes.

Off-site events extended the experience into diverse neighborhoods.

Facebook Community Boost achieved clear success against its goals—building affinity beyond expectations.

35,000 diverse visitors attended around the world, 67% identifying as small business owners (U.S. only). Many received instantaneous boosts—improving their business accounts right from the Hub floor.

• 88% agreed/strongly agreed they’d learned useful skills they can incorporate into their work right away

• 86% responded they were likely/very likely to recommend the experience to other businesses/jobseekers

• 85% agreed/strongly agreed the event made them “feel more positively toward the Facebook brand”

• 73% agreed/strongly agreed they believe “Facebook is good for the world”

“It's great to see [Facebook] taking interest in lifting up small business and supporting continuing [sic] learning.” – Des Moines, IA

Impact spread beyond the event. The experience was covered by press 6,200 times, including by Inc., Adweek, USA Today and CNBC.

[Statistics/quotes represent voluntary survey findings and a response rate of over 25%]