Downtown Locker Room

For retail chain stores, it's crucial to make an impact within each community served. For urban lifestyle retailer Downtown Locker Room, with more than 70 locations in 10 states, it was even more crucial to develop strategies to connect with young African-American men who prefer to spend money with neighborhood companies, rather than chain stores.

To help make these connections, MGH managed neighborhood community relations campaigns in Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. They featured Downtown Locker Room community partners such as local professional athletes, musicians and authors, and provided funds and resources to disadvantaged local schools, Boys and Girls Clubs and community centers. Community partners have included musicians Ludacris, Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy; athletes Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets), Chauncey Davis (Atlanta Falcons), Juan Dixon (Washington Wizards) and Ben Gordon (Chicago Bulls); and organizations such as the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts, near Atlanta.

The result has been consistent, branded media coverage and word of mouth in these neighborhoods that positions Downtown Locker Room as a company that's fully engaged in the communities it serves. Most importantly, it is more than just another company that sells shoes, clothes and music.