Guests fill the Carlyle Room in Northwest D.C. for The Washington Informer’s Smart Marketing event on Feb. 29. Desmond "DB Bantino" Barnes, served as the event's emcee. (Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)
Guests fill the Carlyle Room in Northwest D.C. for The Washington Informer’s Smart Marketing event on Feb. 29. Desmond "DB Bantino" Barnes, served as the event's emcee. (Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

In a dynamic collaboration that seeks to propel local and Black-owned businesses into the digital age, BloomLab and The Washington Informer hosted a compelling and insightful digital marketing workshop at a jam-packed Carlyle Room in Northwest on Thursday.

Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes discusses the work of the publication in the community during The Informer's Smart Marketing event on Feb. 29 at the Carlyle Room in Northwest D.C. (Ja'Mon Jackson/ The Washington Informer)
Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes discusses the work of the publication in the community during The Informer’s Smart Marketing event on Feb. 29 at the Carlyle Room in Northwest D.C. (Ja’Mon Jackson/ The Washington Informer)

A diverse group of creative business leaders and entrepreneurs attended The Informer’s “Smart Marketing” workshop on the final day of Black History Month, giving audiences an up-close look at the nearly 60-year-old organization. 

Denise Rolark Barnes, publisher of The Washington Informer, expressed gratitude for the community response. Rolark Barnes asserted the importance of such an inclusive workshop and what it could mean to the community and newspaper going forward. 

“I was very happy with the turnout and to see so many established businesses and organizations that seem to see value in what we were promoting, which included not only what The Washington Informer had to offer but the value of the Black consumer,” Rolark Barnes stated.

She emphasized the event’s significance as a symbolic relaunch, formally marking the newspaper’s transition into the digital era as it approaches its 60th anniversary in the fall.

“We are now on a digital path, and we want to show everyone what we have to offer in the 21st century,” Rolark Barnes asserted. “It’s a reintroduction of the publication. One of the things we didn’t say but want people to know is that we’re not still your grandmother or your father’s favorite newspaper; we are a newspaper bridging generations.” 

The Washington Informer's Managing Editor Micha Green, digital strategist Ra-Jah Kelly, Anthony Stevens, who focuses on advertising partnerships, and Lafayette Barnes IV, publisher of the WI Bridge, hold a discussion during The Informer's Smart Marketing event on Feb. 29 at the Carlyle Room in Northwest D.C. (Ja'Mon Jackson/ The Washington Informer)
The Washington Informer’s Managing Editor Micha Green, digital strategist Ra-Jah Kelly, Anthony Stevens, who focuses on advertising partnerships, and Lafayette Barnes IV, publisher of the WI Bridge, hold a discussion during The Informer’s Smart Marketing event on Feb. 29 at the Carlyle Room in Northwest D.C. (Ja’Mon Jackson/ The Washington Informer)

Rolark Barnes also highlighted the commitment to both print and digital formats, acknowledging the importance of serving long-term print readers while embracing new opportunities in the digital realm.

Desmond “D.B. Bantino” Barnes, one of Rolark Barnes’ sons, served as moderator for the event. Washington Informer Managing Editor Micha Green and Advertising Director Ron Burke helped lead discussions with various business leaders at the event as staff members took in the riveting discussions. WI Bridge Publisher Lafayette Barnes, who is also Rolark Barnes’ oldest son, and advertising team members Ra-Jah Kelly and Anthony Stevens also took part in the program.

Dr. Sheila Brooks, founder, president and CEO of SRB Communications, spoke of the vital role of community partnerships in survival and success. 

“We’re able to survive and thrive because of partnerships like The Washington Informer,” Brooks asserted. She also noted the importance of telling diverse stories and connecting with audiences, which is in The Informer’s DNA.

Joe Hand, who represented AARP DC at the event, also underscored the invaluable partnership with The Washington Informer. 

“There are tons of reasons we’ve partnered with The Informer, including the big reach you have,” Hand stated. “In 2022, on my second day in the office, we hosted a forum with The Informer and city council members on Black and senior issues. We have a longstanding partnership and look forward to it continuing.”

Mike Bento, owner of Engage Strategies, shared his experiences working with The Informer over the past five-plus years, including a Department of Health-led partnership aimed at curtailing D.C.’s growing opioid deaths. Bento said African American males in the District are dying of overdoses at an alarming rate. 

“The opioid epidemic is unique in the District where, in 2023, we will have surpassed 500 overdoses, and that’s close to double the homicide rate,” Bento stated.

“We need to do more to get resources out there and encourage people into treatment,” he continued. “Our partner has been The Informer. Both through quarterly health sections and through regular advertising in the newspaper and through digital platforms to reach family members who have an opioid addiction, and we couldn’t do that without The Informer.” 

Attendees reported that they gained helpful knowledge while participating in discussions about the benefits of working with other minority-owned businesses.

Queen McKnight, CEO of Queen’s Energy Conservation LLC, a full-service general contracting firm founded in D.C. and serving the entire U.S., said she learned a lot about smart marketing tools and The Washington Informer through the event.

“I learned that not only has The Washington Informer been informing for nearly 60 years, but it’s more of a family,” she explained.  

“It’s just a very warm environment. Everyone sits together, they talk together, they have their strategic planning sessions, strategic planning groups, and that’s what we like at Queen’s Energy Conservation. So we would like to look into more opportunities with The Informer, we love the energy of The Informer. We learned several different marketing techniques from being present today, but what we truly learned is that we seek to do more business with The Washington Informer.”

Stacy M. Brown is a senior writer for The Washington Informer and the senior national correspondent for the Black Press of America. Stacy has more than 25 years of journalism experience and has authored...

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