Meeting them where they live: using transmedia strategy to reach immigrant entrepreneurs

In the last twenty years, population growth in the South Bend region has been fueled by immigrants. A significant number of these immigrants start small businesses. Yet they are not using services available in the community in proportion to their numbers in the community. This creative project uses interviews with immigrant entrepreneurs and service providers working with small businesses to explore how to better inform immigrant entrepreneurs of the services available to them by using transmedia communication strategies. The initial phase of this plan is to reach immigrant entrepreneurs where they consume information – the Facebook pages of ethnic organizations, the website of the Latin American Chamber of Commerce, WhatsApp groups of immigrant entrepreneurs and radio stations focused on specific ethnic groups.