Small businesses have always powered eBay. So when COVID-19 forced them to close their doors, eBay committed $100 million to help businesses everywhere start selling online.

CHALLENGE

Small businesses are the foundation of the U.S. economy and local communities. They make up 99% of U.S. businesses, employ 48% of our workforce and 68% of money spent locally is put back into the same community. Before the pandemic, the majority of U.S. brick and mortar businesses relied solely on walk-in customers, seeing online sales as optional and intimidating. With their physical doors shut and most holding less than a month of cash reserve on hand, small businesses needed help and they needed it quickly. 

INSIGHT

There was a 5,000+% increase in Google searches for “supporting small businesses during Covid” in March (Source: Google Trends).  However, more than 70% of small businesses were not set up for e-commerce at the start of the pandemic. More than any other company, eBay was uniquely equipped to provide the platform, guidance and community support small businesses needed to start selling online.

IDEA

Up & Running: An accelerator program that committed up to $100 million to help small businesses impacted by the coronavirus transition to selling on eBay. The program was named, branded and launched in less than two weeks, recognizing the urgency with which shuttered small businesses needed help. Up & Running was launched as a comms-led integrated campaign across earned, owned and paid channels.

Launch Film

Seller Stories

Social Campaign

Social Stickers

Press