# Black-Owned Business Pledges Yelp is the Latest to Join the 15% Pledge By Ell Smith | Published 2020-09-02 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/15-pledge References: [hypebae](https://hypebae.com/2020/9/yelp-joins-15-percent-pledge-black-owned-business-support-donation-feature) & [15percentpledge.org](https://www.15percentpledge.org/) Founded by Aurora James, the 15% pledge is an outcome of the Black Lives Matter Movement that encourages retailers and businesses to dedicate 15% of its "shelf space" to black-owned businesses, and [Yelp](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/limited-edition-wallpaper) is the latest company to join this pledge. After this year's Black Lives Matter protests, Yelp saw a 6,520% jump in users searching for Black-owned businesses, showcasing consumers commitment to supporting local or independent labels. In addition to signing the pledge, Yelp launched a Black-owned business search bar which helps to showcase different spots, and to streamline consumers' searches. Other brands that have joined the 15% pledge include [Sephora](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sephora-launched-brave-spaces), and Vogue. Of the many initiatives it plans, Yelp hopes to highlight Black-owned businesses through PR campaigns and more. Image Credit: Igor Golovniov/Sopa Images/Lightrocket Via Getty Images ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.6/10 - Popularity: 24% | Activity: 44% | Freshness: 9% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Black-owned Business Support:** The 15% pledge is driving consumers to actively seek out and support Black-owned businesses, creating opportunities for increased visibility and sales. - **Diversity and Inclusion in Retail:** Companies like Yelp are recognizing the importance of dedicating shelf space to underrepresented businesses, presenting opportunities for improved representation and customer loyalty. - **PR Campaigns for Social Impact:** By highlighting Black-owned businesses through PR campaigns, companies can leverage their support to build positive brand reputation and engage socially conscious consumers. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Retail:** The 15% pledge offers disruptive innovation opportunities in the retail industry by encouraging businesses to diversify their product offerings and support underrepresented entrepreneurs. - **Marketing and Advertising:** The emphasis on PR campaigns and highlighting Black-owned businesses presents disruptive innovation opportunities for marketing and advertising companies to create impactful strategies and campaigns. - **Local Business Directories:** Platforms like Yelp play a crucial role in the 15% pledge as they can innovate on their search features and algorithms to better showcase and promote Black-owned businesses. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Uplifting Restaurant Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pepsi-dig-in.md) - [Black-Owned Restaurant Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/blackowned-restaurant.md) - [Asian-Owned Search Tags](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/google-3.md) - [Black-Owned Restaurant Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pepsi-dig-in-day.md) - [Specialized Ethical Commerce Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ethical-commerce-platform.md) - [AI-Driven Discovery Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/yelp-guaranteed.md) - [Black-Owned Brand Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/actively-black-collaboration.md) - [Social Good eCommerce Directories](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/socially-minded-companies.md) - [Pride-Celebrating Skincare Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/2025-pride-campaign.md)