Innovative Spoken Word Marketing Initiative Gains Unexpected Recognition

Sept. 28, 2007 - PRLog -- Philadelphia, PA  - MasterGriot.com, the official website of The Master Griot Project^tm, has been nominated for a 2008 Black Web Award in the category of Best Site for Spoken Word.

Launched in the Spring of 2006 by Linton Publishing, the Black Web Awards began as an effort to highlight the myriad of original, positive websites with content from the Black perspective. Hosted exclusively at BlackWebAwards.com, the BlackWebAwards endeavored to produce an original event where the internet public both nominated and later voted for their favorite websites in one of almost one hundred categories ranging from religion and politics to entertainment and culture.

The representatives of Linton Publishing were surprised and humbled over the outpouring of interest and enthusiasm in both the nomination process and the votes cast. Over 5,000 original nominations were cast from 35 countries, and over 118,000 votes were cast from over 80 countries. By all measures, the Black Web Awards became an international success and highly anticipated event as it forged into its second year. The 2008 Black Web Awards represents its second year in existence and expansion. Site nominees, supporters and friends now have the opportunity to attend
the Black Web Conference and Awards Gala, to not only participate in the "envelope opening" ceremony, but to also interact and network with like minded website designers, business owners, and entrepreuners from across the globe.

Nominations were placed early summer 2007 by anyone who deemed a site worthy. The BlackWebAward.com committee reviewed each site against a ten item criteria list. Those sites that met the criteria were choosen as nominees.

The Master Griot Project^tm is an innovative marketing movement to create and demonstrate the viability of the spoken word industry and the opportunities for vertical movement within this industry. As The Master Griot Project^tm uses the artistry of eleven master level performance poets to create new products, develop new markets, and generate new sources of revenue, it also takes on the responsibility to use words spoken to help build functional African American communities.

Market creation and community building seem to be strange bedfellows for poetry/spoken word.  But, MGP's Chief Marketing Officer, Jacqueline Taylor-Adams, explains, "Functional communities must have a working independent
economic structure that functions within the overall economic engine. MGP proposes to use words spoken, the oral tradition, to help build the necessary thinking frames that support functional communities. At the same time giving life and longevity to the spoken word industry through product and image development. Our art is our culture; our history; our legacy. We as people of the Diaspora must own our art and control the images portrayed and stories told about us as a people. I hope our viable strategy for change and advancement as well as the artists' creative and phenomenal word play are part of why www.mastergriot.com was choosen as a nominee."

BlackWebAwards.com reports that after the first two days of voting for the 2008 awards, it registered and recorded votes from 91 countries. Leading countries by votes (in no particular order) include: Germany, Nigeria, Ghana, England, France, South Africa, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Brazil, Canada, Isreal, The Netherlands, and last but not least, the United States of America.

Voting ends on October 19, 2007. The Gala Awards and Networking Conference will be held on Saturday, November 3, 2007, 1:00pm until 5:00pm at Martin's West located 6817 Dogwood Road in Baltimore, Maryland.

The City of Philadelphia can boast of at least six other premiere websites that have been nominated:

EvoluerConsultants.com (Best Colthing, Style, and Fashion Site), JrMusicExec.com (Best Site for Youth and Young Adults),  UrbanPhilly.com (Best Local Community Site - East USA), Freedom Theatre (Best Regional Theater Site), Naturally You Magazine (Best Site For Hair Care) and The Philadelphia Tribune (Best Black Traditional Newspaper Site).

To vote for The Master Griot Project[tm] for Best Site For Spoken Word, visit
http://blackwebawards.com/2008/index.php?option=com_perfo.... For additional information, please visit www.BlackWebAwards.com.

To learn more about The Master Griot Project[tm], its strategic opportunities, and how you can support whether fan or industry insider, visit www.mastergriot.com or call toll-free 1.888.846.9811.

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The Master Griot Project™ is housed by Master Griot Publishing, a series of Jade Growth, LLC. The Master Griot Project™ operates on a yearly season and
manifests through eleven lesser-known master level performance poets.

Jacqueline Taylor-Adams conceptualized The Master Griot Project™ and is the Chief Marketing Analyst.  She partners with Mark Hampton, CEO of Jade Growth, LLC, in
formation of Master Griot Publishing.

Website: www.mastergriot.com