March 1 marks the first day of voting for KCSourceLink’s fifth annual Battle of the Brands, a bracket-style competition involving Kansas City’s startup, entrepreneurial and small brands.
KCSourceLink hosts this annual competition to promote and celebrate Kansas City entrepreneurship and small businesses, and the contributions they make to our city. Companies of all sizes and industries are encouraged to participate.
Sixty-four local companies will compete for votes until only one brand is left standing. The first round of voting ends at 4 p.m. on March 4.
A record number of 124 local companies self-nominated their brands this year, and then fans narrowed the vote down to 64 for the final bracket during a play-in round that ended Feb. 25.
How The Battle of the Brands Works
Participating brands are divided into four quadrants or brackets, each showcasing a different type of entrepreneurship:
- Second Stage – Existing business with 10-99 employees and annual revenue of up to $750,000.
- Microenterprise – The smallest of small businesses, with fewer than five employees.
- Main Street – Brick-and-mortar businesses.
- Innovation-Led – High-impact, high-growth companies that rely on technology or some kind of innovative service.
This Year’s Competing Companies
Here’s a list of all the brands competing in each bracket this year:
Innovation-led |
Main Street |
Microenterprise |
Second Stage |
| All Things Tech KC AMC Theatres blooom inc. Cerner Edge Up Sports HipHire Kansas City Dental Works LittleHoots Niall Pinsight Media Populous Rex Animal Health Riskgenius ShotTracker TeeQuest Updown Nightlife |
Boulevard Brewing Company Cinder Block Brewery d’BronxJess & Jim’s Steak House Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que The Local Pig Martin City Brewery Pinkie CoutureQ39 The Roasterie Ruby Jean’s Juicery Screenland TheatresSPIN! Neapolitan Pizza The Sundry Tapcade Underdog Wine Co.
|
Ampersand Design Studio Aunt Christy’s Country Kitchen Bonfire Chef Kansas City The Funnel Cake Truck Granola Jones Julie Cortés Copywriter KC Cool Messner Family Farm Nuggets of Goodness The Paw Wash Three Trails, LLC Woo Digital Marketing
|
Allied Global Services AlphaGraphics Kansas City FINDitKCGrade A Tree CareGragg AdvertisingGreat Day Moving J. Rieger & Co. Johnny Lightning Strikes Again KC Classic Gourmet Foods MEDiAHEAD Nerdery Rawxies Rosehill Gardens Sporting Kansas City Tippin’s Pies TREKK Design Group, LLC
|
Elimination Rounds
There will be a total of six elimination rounds, until the champion of Kansas City Entrepreneurship is crowned. Here is a list of the elimination rounds and their voting dates:
Round 1: 64 to the Floor, March 1-4
Round 2: Sturdy 32, March 8-11
Round 3: Scrappy 16, March 15-17
Round 4: Epic 8, March 21-22
Round 5: Fightin’ 4, March 24-25
Round 6: Dueling 2, March 29-30
Champion Announced: March 31
Fans can vote for their brand picks online on KCSourceLink’s website.
You can stay updated on the competition on KCSourceLink’s website here: www.kcsourcelink.com/kc-battle
