Calling All Bull City Makers

Passing the mic to Durham.

Over the course of 919 days, the Bull City collaborated with me to create “The Bulls of Durham” living history book. Together, on the way to capturing Durham’s history from 1701 to February 2019, 4100+ Bull Love Mugs went out into the world reaching 43 states (that we know of), 13 countries, and 4 continents. “Welcome to the Bull City,” a prelude to “The Bulls of Durham” the little book with big heart went on to become the best-selling book in Durham sharing words of love, inclusion, diversity, welcome, and Bull City real talk. 

The entire project has been a collaborate with the city. The Bulls of Durham platform was built for, by, with, and of Durham. The book is complete and I’ll continue to share pieces of it for years to come. Every Bull City home, business, and school needs a copy. Just saying.

The time has come to pass the mic to the city. The platform is here to share the Bull City magic that has been and continues to be shared with me. That is why I created The Bulls of Durham Community Partnership Program. I BULLieve that not only can marketing and do-gooding combined, but that the best marketing is do-gooding.

This program allows businesses to reach the most engaged Bull City audience while helping share Durham’s history, bolster the work of local non-profits, and strengthen the community. 

That’s the difference between advertising and marketing. Advertising is trying to shout the loudest to demand attention. Marketing is sharing your story. The difference between shouts AT Durham and shouts TO Durham.

Seth Godin said it best, “In the connection era, the marketing is the product, the service and most of all the conversations it causes and the connections it makes.”

Last week The Bulls of Durham acquired @MadeInDurham from an unBULLievaBULLy successful DurGram Social Media Marketing Workshop grad Jeremy Kamiya. Jeremy attended the first-ever DurGram Workshop and then followed his dream of making the most beautiful furniture. He’s now in High Point living his dream. And with that, he handed over the reins of @MadeInDurham Instragram page.

@MadeInDurham is an index of Durham Makers. A space where they can showcase their art, whatever the media. A space where conscious consumers who love to buy local, handmade visual art, food, booze, soaps, candles, and all the things can find what they’re looking for and more.

Being a maker often means not having the time to advertise because your hands, heart, and mind are busy making. In many cases, it means working extraordinarily long hours during the holiday season to make the bulk of your annual income. It’s hard enough to put a price on what you create, finding the time to create, and sustaining it all. 

We’re intentionally building @MadeInDurham to help with that. Combining the @MadeInDurham audience with The Bulls of Durham audience, a cohesive content strategy, and the collaborative nature of Durham. Y’all make the art and we’ll tell the world about it and how they can buy it.

We want to feature every Durham Maker to make y’all easy to find. Each @MadeInDurham Feature is only $20 and the proceeds go directly into promoting the Maker and growing the @MadeInDurham audience with engaged audience members who want to purchase handcrafted goods. The features will be shared on the @MadeInDurham Instagram (post + story) and Facebook page PLUS The Bulls of Durham Instagram stories and Facebook page (post + story).

Makers take advantage of this introductory rate and get your name in the mouth’s of Durham before the holiday season rolls around. Snag multiple features at this price and use them leading up to the end of 2019 to stay relevant during your most profitable time of the year. Click here to purchase your @MadeInDurham Feature.

This Community Partnership Program opportunity is availaBULL to Durham Makers and Maker Markets.

To the makers of Durham, let’s build something incrediBULL.