Nashville Living Wage: Building Awareness Through Certification

Following the success of A Voice for the Reduction of Poverty’s “Nashville Rising” event, the Nashville Living Wage initiative emerged to educate our community on the importance of fair compensation. The challenge was twofold:

1. Elevate businesses already committed to paying a living wage.

2. Encourage consumer behavior change by inspiring people to ask why their favorite companies weren’t yet certified.

As the Communications Lead, I spearheaded a strategy to bring visibility to living-wage employers and shift consumer perceptions. The goal was to make socially responsible businesses stand out while sparking conversations about fair wages in Nashville.

We developed a Living Wage Certification Program, which recognized employers who met wage standards every two years. To ensure ongoing visibility and accountability, we designed a Living Wage Seal—a prominent window cling displayed at certified businesses.

• Each certification cycle featured a new color, signaling to consumers that this was not a one-time award but a continuing commitment.

• The seal became both a badge of honor for employers and a cue for consumers to align their spending with their values.

This communications strategy helped differentiate certified employers as leaders in ethical business practices and normalize consumer advocacy, encouraging residents and visitors to question whether businesses were supporting fair wages.

I believe that educating consumers on where their money goes—through transparency and visibility—can shift the mindset that paying a little more for goods and services is not just a cost, but an investment in quality, dignity, and people. By combining clear visual branding with a values-driven message, this recognition framework both celebrates businesses and empowers the community to be active participants in creating change.