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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips Sustainability Tips

Sustainable Business Practices

Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword these days. Especially when it comes to business. That’s because business practices, whether sustainable or not, have far-reaching consequences. And this can have a profound impact when it comes to making the world a better place, something that Sparx is passionate about.

Investing in sustainability drives innovation. Redesigning a product so it meets new sustainability standards, reduces waste, or repurposes materials presents new opportunities for those willing to rise to the challenge. Even during the creation or design phase, it’s important to consider where a product will end up. A landfill? Or can it be repurposed or recycled? In short: what impact will it have on the Earth?

The cherry on top: according to this article in the Harvard Business Review, “80% [of the studies analyzed] show that stock price performance is positively correlated with good sustainability practices.” So you can have your cake and eat it, too.

Sparx’s 3Ps of Sustainability Practice

So how can a business be sustainable? At Sparx, here’s how we approach the business of sustainability:

Philosophy: It all begins with the simple belief that it’s the right thing to do. As stewards of the earth for future generations, we recognize not only the environmental and social issues that threaten our planet. We also believe it is our responsibility to leave the world in better shape than how we found it.

Possibility: Altering business practices so they meet sustainability goals requires innovation and creativity – and sometimes a reminder that it is possible. Having examples of organizations or individuals doing seemingly impossible things is the best catalyst for others to follow suit. Just think: there was a time people thought running the four-minute mile was impossible!

Profitability: Operating a business sustainably is undeniably the right thing to do, but unless it improves the bottom line, many companies won’t be on board There’s good news on this front, too. According to a recent survey, “more than 50% of Gen Z shoppers… are willing to pay more for a sustainable product.” And sustainability is one of the top drivers of repeat customers. Win-win.

Making the World Better One (Sustainable) Step at a Time

So what does sustainability look like in action? Here are a few examples of businesses that are working to make the world better and who can demonstrate that doing the right thing is possible and profitable.

Phool: Based in India, this enterprising business helps upcycle some of the over 8 million tonnes of floral offerings thrown into the country’s waterways each year. Phool (which means “flower”) concentrates its efforts on one of the most polluted stretches of India’s holiest river: the Ganges. The company turns the floral waste into incense sticks, paper, and coloured powders used for holy festivals. Other ideas are in the works too, such as a biodegradable alternative to styrofoam and a form of leather, or “fleather.” Not only is entrepreneur Ankit Agarwal keeping pesticides out of waterways, but he also employs more than 100 women, many of whom previously worked unsafe jobs or scavenged to survive.


The Soular Backpack to SAMARA: In 2015, entrepreneur Salima Visram launched Soular Backpack. Designed with Kenyan schoolchildren in mind, these backpacks come equipped with a solar panel that charges a battery pack. Once home, the children can use the battery pack to power an LED lamp to do homework by – a safer, less expensive alternative to kerosene. Initially, the business had a one-to-one model: for every backpack bought, one would be donated to a child in Kenya. But the backpack was a hard sell in North America: “Ultimately, people want a product they will use,” she realized. So she pivoted, and SAMARA – a line of elegant, vegan handbags – was born. The new line now funnels funds to Soular.


Stella McCartney: The luxury fashion designer recently debuted the “world’s first-ever garments made from vegan, lab-grown Mylo™ mushroom leather.” The sustainable alternative to leather uses renewable mushroom root systems to create the fabric, and is not petroleum-based like many other leather alternatives. The two pieces – pants and a bustier – are not currently for sale, but do “pave the way for future commercial offerings.” A campaign featuring model Paris Jackson modeling the pieces is generating buzz around this new, innovative fabric.


Handmade and Sustainable: Marketplaces like Etsy are filled with eco-conscious makers who often handmake their sustainable wares. There, shoppers can find online shops like Vita Beata Boutique, which specializes in post-consumer, biodegradable greeting cards. Plus, all the hand-drawn cards are made with paper embedded with seeds, to “create a lasting keepsake.” Compared to the boxes of cookie-cutter greeting cards found on online sites like Amazon, it’s easy to see why a customer might pay more for an innovative product made with such consideration and care.

Get In Touch

Make no mistake about it: sustainable business practices have a profound impact on the world around us. At Sparx, we know the profound impact words can have, which is why it’s our mission is to make the world better, one sentence at a time.

If you need help crafting content or marketing your business – whether your focus is on sustainability or other pursuits – or you simply have questions, the experts at Sparx Publishing Group are always available to chat. You can reach us here.

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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

World of Online Advertising: How It Works

Online advertising is not one-size-fits-all – and that may be one of its greatest strengths. 

Compared to traditional print ads, online ads can be very precisely targeted based on the audience’s age, location, or other demographics. These days, blogs, email newsletters, online articles, and social media are changing the advertising game, with ads often becoming an extension of the content the audience has navigated there to see.  

Types of Online Advertising

To get started, here’s a breakdown of some of the different types of online ads:

Digital Display Advertising: These graphic ads are found on third-party sites and use images, text, audio, video, and flash to catch the eye of their target audience. They can be found on websites, social media, and apps.

Search Engine Advertising: Also known as Search Engine Marketing (SEM). These paid ads appear alongside other search engine results pages (SERPs) and are tailored to a consumer’s immediate interests. After all, they did just type it into their search bar.

Text Ads: Making the leap from print to online, text ads now usually refer to text-based hyperlinks that promote a brand or product and often use a pay-per-click (PPC) model.

Social Media Marketing: Platforms like Facebook and Instagram are popular options thanks to robust analytics tools, which help marketers closely track the success of their ads.

How Online Advertising Is Done

So now that we know a little more about the world of online advertising, how does it actually work?

According to the “Father of Advertising,” David Ogilvy, “A good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself.” At Sparx, we agree. 

The best advertising not only complements its surroundings, it just feels like it belongs. When done right, a well-placed ad can enhance a user’s experience. Which is why where your ad is placed is just as important as what it says. 

On our own Sparx Trading website, for example, we only accept ads that speak to our specific audience.

How you place your ad brings into play direct versus programmatic media buying. Programmatic media buying is, well…programmed. 

Basically, you set up an account on an automated ad-buying platform and purchase your ads through that. Social media ads are a good example of programmatic buying – once you have an account, you can buy ads to your heart’s content, day or night.

In contrast, direct media buying brings more of a human touch – and expertise – to the whole process. It’s a little like the bricks-and-mortar version of shopping. 

Sure, you can buy almost anything online, but if you have questions or prefer more personalized service, you want to talk to a real human with expertise in the product being offered. 

Is Online Advertising Dead?

The rapidly shifting market of online advertising seems to bring up a common question: Is display advertising dead? 

The answer is no, with a caveat: as long as your advertising content is good. Ad blockers stop aggressive pop-up ads and auto-play content – basically the worst of the worst of interruption marketing

Some believe that newer players to the market, like TikTok and Instagram Reels, will eventually replace advertising as we know it. But it’s not an issue of replacement, otherwise television, radio, and newspaper ads would have disappeared long ago. Instead, it’s a matter of adapting and shifting gears. 

The name of the game? Capturing the audience’s attention. 

At Sparx, constant testing – and ad updates whenever needed – help ensure our clients’ messages never get boring or repetitive. 

Communicating value is the bottom line and leads to questions like: What does the audience want to buy? What’s in it for them? Or, as entrepreneur Seth Godin put it, “Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.”

At the end of the day, advertising is still big business, and it won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. 

In 2020, Google’s advertising products created more than $426 billion of economic activity for two million businesses – in the US alone. And, on average, businesses pull in $2 for every $1 spent on ads on Google’s platform. Definitely nothing to sneeze at.

Want Help Creating Your Online Ad?

When it comes to growing your business, online advertising has an important role to play. If you need help getting started, or have questions, the experts at Sparx Publishing Group are always available to chat. You can reach us here