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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

Recognizing and Eliminating Unconscious Bias in Your Organization

You’ve read anti-racism books, you’ve watched LGBTQIA+ documentaries, you consider yourself well-versed in diversity and inclusion, you stay up to date on human rights issues, so you’re impervious to being unintentionally prejudiced, discriminatory, and exclusionary, right?

Well, not exactly. Everyone has unconscious biases: “unconscious assumptions, beliefs, attitudes and stereotypes that human brains have about different groups,” as defined by the University of Victoria. 

Here are some examples of unconscious bias.

  • Affinity Bias – gravitating towards people who share similar interests, experiences, and backgrounds to us 
  • Confirmation Bias – drawing conclusions based on your personal desires, beliefs, and prejudices rather than unbiased merit 
  • Attribution Bias – judging a person’s behaviour based on prior observations and/or interactions you’ve had with them
  • Conformity Bias – acting similar to the people around you, regardless of your beliefs or desires  
  • The Halo/Horns Effect – placing someone on a pedestal after learning something impressive about someone (halo), or, alternatively, viewing someone negatively after learning something unpleasant about them (horns)
  • Contrast Effect – comparing two or more things that have occurred simultaneously or one after another, causing you to exaggerate the performance of one in contrast to the other
  • Gender/Racial Bias – judging or preferring one gender identity and/or racial identity over others  
  • Ageism – having negative feelings about a person because of their age
  • Name Bias – judging and/or preferring people with certain types of names, typically names that are of Anglo origin 
  • Beauty Bias – believing attractive people are more successful, competent, and qualified
  • Height/Weight Bias – judging people who are taller or shorter than average height, or smaller or heavier than average weight.
  • Anchor Bias – making decisions based on an initial impression that you’re unable to “unsee” 
  • Nonverbal Bias – ​​analyzing nonverbal communication attributes, such as body language, and letting it affect a decision or opinion
  • Authority Bias – weighing and/or giving more attention to ideas provided by authority figures because it’s thought to be more accurate
  • Overconfidence Bias – being more confident in your capabilities than is reasonable

Unfortunately, unconscious biases can have unwanted consequences for your organization, including negative PR or marketing campaigns, exclusionary products/services, and unfair hiring practices. Here’s why you should consider addressing unconscious bias in your organization and how to do it. 

Why You Should Address Unconscious Biases

  • Allows you to be more diverse in your marketing efforts. Unconscious biases could be preventing your organization from showcasing a true representation of your audience in your marketing.

    Take a look at your current marketing collateral; what do you see? People of varied abilities, genders, races, sizes, and ages? What are each of the roles of these individuals? Do those roles conform to outdated or stereotypical societal expectations? It’s a good idea to check your copy for potentially offensive or outdated language as well.

    If this exercise brings forth some areas of concerns, rest assured that you’re not alone. Research has found that stock image websites do show gender bias in work-related images. 

    So, why showcase diversity in your marketing? Not only does it make members of your community feel seen and heard, there are many business benefits to doing so. We’ve outlined these benefits in our Why and How to Add More Diversity Into Your Marketing Efforts blog. 
  • Helps you best serve your customers. Unfortunately, biases can lead to exclusionary, offensive, or even inaccessible offerings for certain customers. If you and your employees haven’t had occasion to think about things like accessibility ramps in buildings, closed/open captioning on videos, or text readers for website browsing, there’s a good chance your organization may be inaccessible for customers who have certain disabilities.

    Alternatively, perhaps confirmation bias has led your organization to provide offerings that unintentionally exclude the end customer — or some of them, at least. This can be offensive at best and dangerous at worst.

    For example, the automotive industry uses crash test dummies the size of the average man, so women can actually be more injured in a car crash because of this unconscious bias.

    By taking unconscious biases head on, you can think of all of your current and potential customers and provide products they want and need. Not only will this curb any potential PR incidents, but you’ll improve your sales and customer satisfaction and retention.
  • Adds objectivity during the hiring process. Biases can also cloud judgement when looking for new candidates. For example, men get hired more often for scientist roles, Anglo-sounding names get more interview requests, and CEOs are disproportionately taller (and male). 

    In addition, the affinity bias may be guiding you to unconsciously hire people who are similar to you instead of diverse candidates. 

    Other biases to look out for are ageism, racial, weight, beauty, and/or nonverbal. You may also be comparing candidates who you saw back-to-back with the contrast effect, or letting the halo/horns effect affect your judgement if you learn something impressive (i.e. where the candidate went to school) or less-than-perfect (i.e. a gap in the resume) about the candidate.

    By addressing any unconscious biases during the hiring process, you can look at what’s important: the skills and fit of the candidate for the job. That way, you get the best person for the role, and in turn, help foster a diverse and inclusive workplace. 

How to Eliminate Unconscious Biases in Your Organization

  • Discover your unconscious biases. We all have unconscious biases, whether we realize it or not. Even the most well-educated, cultured, “woke” people have to challenge the biases that were hard-wired into them from birth. But it’s one thing to accept you have unconscious biases, and another to find them. 

    One way to discover the biases you may have is to take an Implicit Association Test (IAT).

    An IAT will ask you to classify certain images and words into specific categories as quickly as possible. For example, you may be asked to assign terms that are accepted as feminine and masculine to categories associated with science or humanities.

    Knowing what your biases are is the first step to improving. After all, you can’t fix something you don’t know is broken. 
  • Educate yourself and your staff on unconscious biases. So, you know you have unconscious biases and what they are — now what? In order to address these biases head-on, you need to educate yourself on how to tackle them. It’s a good idea to involve your staff (perhaps have them do an IAT as well).

    By involving your entire organization, they’ll be able to challenge biases in their specific roles, provide understanding of marginalized groups they may come from, and be better equipped to catch issues that may come up in the future. 

    Unconscious bias training is really a stepping stone into a much bigger conversation. Many organizations who have done one-off training and then called it a day generally do not see long-term change, which is why this practice has been seen as controversial.

    Instead, be prepared to pair unconscious bias training with a more systemic, integrated approach to diversity and inclusion, including hiring diverse staff and creating sustainable initiatives in all departments. 
  • Audit your business to find where biases could be occurring. Go through every department, looking for processes that may continue to run with unconscious biases in the background. Auditing your marketing content and customer-facing collateral is a great place to start.

    We’ve covered how unconscious bias can affect things such as your marketing efforts. However, unconscious biases could be lurking in other areas of your business, too. For example, do you offer gender-neutral washrooms for customers or staff in any physical locations you have?

    Like finding mistakes in your own writing, it’s not easy to find issues in your own organization. Sometimes, you need to have someone else take a look. Diversity and inclusion consultants, like Canadian Equality Consulting, offer an objective look at your organization. 
  • Ensure diversity among your employees. When an organization is filled with the same type of person, conformity bias can occur. This could result in “blind spots” which may impact various initiatives and campaigns. 

    However, when the staff is diverse, insights into other types of lived experiences are expressed, issues related to exclusion or inappropriateness get flagged, and products and services can be designed with more types of people in mind. 
  • Listen to your employees and customers. Did you know only 29% of employees are engaged at their workplace? It’s one thing to have diverse employees and customers, but it’s another thing to actually empower them to get involved, listen to their insights, and implement their ideas and suggestions. 

    Did a customer bring up a pain point? Come up with an action plan on how to address and change it. Does a staff member have a great idea for making a product or service more accessible or user-friendly? Consider implementing it.

    Alternatively, you can use social media polls (like on Instagram Stories), physical suggestion boxes, focus groups, or feedback forms/surveys on emails (like Google forms) to generate data on areas of your business that may be affected by unconscious biases.

***

By addressing the unconscious biases within your organization, you can add diversity to your marketing efforts, and better serve your customers and staff. Remember, challenging biases is a lifelong process, so lean on your people and keep striving to do better. 

Let Sparx Help You Challenge Unconscious Biases in Your Marketing

At Sparx, our mission is to create content to make the world better.

If you want your marketing to better reflect diversity and inclusion but aren’t sure where to start, the experts at Sparx Publishing Group are always available to chat. We help purpose driven organizations secure their website, create great content, build experiences to delight their customers, and help grow their business. You can reach us here.

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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

5 Ways to Repurpose Evergreen Content

Content may be king, but it also requires a significant investment of effort and resources. Constantly churning out new content pieces to be your next “crowning achievement” requires a lot of researching, writing, editing, approving, and publishing. 

Luckily, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to achieve your content marketing goals. Your older content has been waiting in the wings and it might finally be time to give it an encore. 

There are many perks of repurposing evergreen content (content that continues to be relevant), such as providing an SEO boost, reaching new audiences, driving traffic, and potentially getting sales. 

However, not all of your old content is evergreen or should necessarily be given a second chance; sometimes, it’s already served its purpose. Instead, look to your best, top-performing, and still-relevant content to give a facelift.

Once you’ve audited your existing collection, keep reading for our five ways to repurpose evergreen content.

1. Transform Evergreen Content into New Content 

These days, books become TV shows, TV shows become movies, movies become, well, more movies. Content is versatile and malleable; it has the ability to become new, exciting things in different mediums. 

This should be good news for your content team. They may have put a lot of effort into creating a piece of content, and transforming it helps ensure you get the most out of their efforts. 

Use the information in an evergreen blog or landing page to create an infographic. Infographics use texts and graphics to display information in a fun, digestible way. Here are some great examples of infographics to inspire you. 

Video content continues to be one of — if not the most — popular forms of content these days. Fifty-four percent of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support. In addition to video content, over 11 million Canadian adults listened to podcasts in the past year. If you have either recording or film equipment, you could turn your content into a podcast or video for your audience to enjoy. 

2. Use Your Evergreen Content to Make an Email Newsletter

If you have an email newsletter, you know the time and energy it takes to come up with quality, consistent email content. Luckily, your older blogs can make their comeback in your next email send. 

Depending on your goals and newsletter style, you could tease your blogs in the email copy and drive traffic to these pages to give them an SEO boost. Crossing an email off your to-do list and boosting your SEO? It’s a win/win. 

Alternatively, you could “borrow” copy from the blog to put into the email itself. For example, a listicle blog could be repurposed into multiple email content blocks or an infographic embedded in the email. Here are some great examples of listicle-style emails. 

3. Turn Your Evergreen Content into a Social Media Post

According to Global WebIndex, 53.6% of the world’s population uses social media with an average daily usage of 2 hours and 25 minutes. There’s no doubt that a good portion of your customers are hanging out on social media — so why not meet them where they’re at? You’re likely already doing social media posts for updates on your latest offerings, so adding in more content-focused posts is a great way to get your content in front of your audience.

Here are some quick stats from Forbes: 54% of social browsers use social media to research products and 71% watch videos on social media to laugh. With this in mind, think of your existing content that could check these boxes. Social content that is interesting, helpful, or funny is more likely to get shared and engaged with. 

So how do you take a blog or webpage and make it into a social post? It’s simple: think of the content and the platform. Stats can be turned into tweets; infographics can be turned into Instagram grid carousels; listicle blogs can be turned into Instagram stories. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

4. Refresh Your Evergreen Blog Posts

Turns out, you can teach an old blog new tricks. Give an old blog a second chance by updating dated information. For example, if you had written a blog at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic about changes to your service offerings, you could update that information with your latest protocols instead of writing an entirely new blog. That way, you don’t add unnecessary work for your copywriters, and you maintain the SEO value of the original blog. 

As consumer behaviour changes, we’re learning how to best market to our target audiences.  Perhaps you had written a long-form blog which isn’t seeing the same performance it once did. Don’t worry, it’s nothing personal. 

According to a Microsoft Study, people have an attention span of eight seconds, a decrease from 12 seconds back in 2000. Consider refreshing that long-form blog into a shorter listicle blog. Alternatively, you could take that longer blog and stretch it out into several, shorter blogs, depending on your goals. 

5. Combine Your Evergreen Content into Long-Form Content

People might have shorter attention spans these days, but that doesn’t mean that longer form content doesn’t have its place. There are lots of reasons for long-form content: they earn the most organic traffic, readers spend more time with them, and Google rewards them. 

So how do you take your existing blogs, infographics, or social media posts and combine them into long-form content? Some ideas include: combining multiple blogs into an ultimate guide or ebook, building out an infographic into a slidedeck for internal brand trainings, or making a blog post featuring your top social media posts. 

Old content doesn’t have to be left behind; it can boost SEO, drive traffic, reach new audiences, and more. Choose evergreen content that’s relevant, high-performing, and engaging, and don’t be afraid to get creative with how you repurpose it. 

Create Incredible Content with Sparx  

At Sparx, our mission is to create content to make the world better.

Whether you want to give your old content new life or create new content, the experts at Sparx Publishing Group are always available to chat. We help purpose driven organizations secure their website, create great content, build experiences to delight their customers, and help grow their business. You can reach us here.

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Work Life & Culture

What is Sparx Trading? A Content Marketing Success Story

Think of your last (virtual) dinner party – maybe terms like “zero-commission trading” or “ETF” came up in conversation. These days, it seems like everyone and their grandma is interested in DIY investing. Perhaps you’ve even considered it, finding yourself Googling online brokerages.

If you’ve ever tried to find information to compare online brokerages, you know it’s not always an easy feat. In fact, you may have spent more time going down reddit rabbit holes than actually putting your hard-earned money to work. Solving this problem was the spark that brought Sparx Trading into existence.

Founded in 2011 in Vancouver, Canada, Sparx Trading was built to make it easy for self-directed investors with different levels of knowledge and experience to research and choose an online brokerage. The overwhelming number of products, services, and materials available in the online brokerage space resulted in a clear need for an educational platform that provided reliable, straightforward, and most importantly, accessible information.

What Does Sparx Trading Do?

  • Helps self-directed investors research and compare online brokerages. Investors come in three main types: those who use portfolio managers to help them make investing decisions, those who use robo-advisors, and self-directed or DIY investors, those who build and manage their portfolios themselves. Sparx Trading’s main focus is on self-directed investors.

    While self-directed investors don’t pay for the services of a portfolio manager, they still have to invest via an online brokerage — which has its own set of potential fees and features — to be able to trade stocks on an exchange.

    Sparx Trading is a one-stop source of industry-grade information for DIY investors about online brokerages. Users are able to find deals, read brokerage reviews, and compare online brokerages with a comprehensive tool.

    The information is designed to improve financial literacy and increase transparency when it comes to online brokerages and the world of investing. In other words, to level the playing field for DIY investors. The material is usable, impartial, accurate, and all in one place, so users at varying levels of experience can make their own decisions on which online brokerage is best for them.

    By having access to this information, self-directed investors are empowered to build their wealth by choosing an online brokerage that can best help them achieve their specific financial goals. 
  • Provides information and analysis for industry professionals. When it comes to news and trends in the online brokerage space, it can be challenging for those in the industry to stay up to date on everything that’s happening, too.

    Each week, Sparx Trading releases the Weekly Roundup, an informative and fun blog that curates important developments in the online brokerage space, and delivers an insightful and data-driven analysis of each development.

    The Weekly Roundup also helps professionals stay on top of overarching customer sentiment by highlighting topics that self-directed investors are discussing across a variety of online forums.

Why is Sparx Trading a Great Example of Content Marketing?

With its unique Weekly Roundup blog series, brokerage comparison tool, index of current deals and promotions, and comprehensive review pages for online brokerages, Sparx Trading produces some pretty valuable and successful content — and others think so too.

In fact, after Sparx Trading was launched in 2011, it attracted the attention of DIY investors and major Canadian financial brands (including several big banks), as well as other businesses in the finance space. Not only did these audiences find value in our content, we also connected with companies who wanted content marketing help, similar to what they’d seen on Sparx Trading. And so, Sparx Publishing Group was born!

Starting with Sparx Trading, a brand that is entirely content-driven, Sparx Publishing Group has worked with many brands on increasingly complex digital marketing challenges. Meanwhile, we continue to build content for Sparx Trading and find new ways to deliver even more value to audiences in the online brokerage space. 

By doing this, we exemplify what we’re able to achieve with content marketing: publishing consistent, timely, value-added content to an engaged audience. We know our content marketing methods work because we’re both the chef and the guest!  

Sparx Trading also aligns with Sparx Publishing Group’s mission to make the world better. Through the content produced by Sparx Trading, self-directed investors are given the tools to improve their financial well-being, a key indicator of overall lifestyle and happiness.

Create Impactful Content Marketing Campaigns with Sparx 

At Sparx, our mission is to create content to make the world better.

If you want to create successful, value-added content but aren’t sure where to start, the experts at Sparx Publishing Group are always available to chat. We help purpose driven organizations secure their website, create great content, build experiences to delight their customers, and help grow their business. You can reach us here.

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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

Why and How to Add More Diversity Into Your Marketing Efforts

Following the heightened activity during the COVID-19 lockdowns of ongoing ground-breaking movements like Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate calling attention to systemic issues in society, more people are taking a stand against the hidden and not-so-hidden injustices in the world – and companies are no exception.

There has been a groundswell of corporate engagement on issues that affect marginalized folks, and with it, a push for more diversity and inclusion in marketing campaigns, such as ones done by Coca-Cola, Google, and more.

Diversity goes beyond race and gender; it includes age, socio-economic class, sexual orientation, ability, and a variety of other factors. There are many reasons to consider these groups in your marketing efforts, and beyond. However, it’s important to avoid “woke-washing,” performative efforts to jump on the bandwagon of a movement – often to cash in – while not actually working to address a systemic issue.

Fear not: we’ve come up with a guide to help you add more diversity to your marketing efforts in an authentic, actionable way to truly make the world better.

Why You Should Consider Adding More Diversity to Your Marketing

  • Enhance brand perception and loyalty. An Adobe survey found that 62% of adults say diversity in a company’s ads impacted the way they perceive a brand, and 38% say they’d be more likely to trust a brand with diversity in their advertising. It’s not a coincidence that a brand that focuses on diversity and inclusion makes people feel, well, included.

    On the flip side, lacking diversity can lead to unwanted consequences. Top Design Firms reported this finding: “If two brands offer the exact same product, one in three consumers (34%) would consider each brand’s commitment to diversity and inclusion when making their final purchasing decision.” By showcasing diversity in your marketing, you increase trust and loyalty with your customers.
  • Make customers feel represented. Think of your marketing like a high school cafeteria: if your marketing is mostly white, male, able-bodied, young, and affluent, there’s a big chunk of the population who would feel like they wouldn’t fit in at that table. Instead, these people would go to another spot in the cafeteria where not only would they fit in, but thrive with other similar people. Try to include all types of people in your marketing so everyone feels invited to take a seat.
  • Grow your audience. When your marketing represents more of the population, more people come to your table. Therefore, not only do people feel good about being included, but you grow your audience of people to market to, which continues to build as they share your company with their audiences. It’s really a win/win.
  • Increase your profits. About two-thirds of consumers consider making a purchase immediately after seeing an ad they consider to be diverse, and two-thirds of consumers also consider making a second purchase from a brand they believe is committed to diversity and inclusion, according to a Top Design Firms report. On top of that, by growing your audience, you have a bigger pool of potential customers to market to, and therefore, potentially sell your products or services to. 

How to Add More Diversity to Your Marketing 

  • Think beyond imagery. While it’s important to showcase diversity in your images, it’s important to take it a step further and put in the work behind the scenes. 
    • You’ll want to understand your target audience, including their demographics, values, opinions, and more. This will help you be authentic and thoughtful in your messaging to them. 
    • It’s also recommended to have diverse voices and points of view within your internal team so you’re truly practicing what you preach. This can also help avoid things like inadvertent cultural appropriation, or accidentally coming across as insulting or condescending to any audience segment. 
    • You may also want to audit your internal and external systems to gauge user experience. This is especially important in the case of ability, as you may be unintentionally excluding members of the population with certain disabilities if they’re unable to use your systems due to accessibility challenges. 
    • As well, it’s recommended to continually educate your team on politically-correct terms and allyship practices, historical contexts of certain groups, and current events that affect these groups today. For example, you can acknowledge the Indigenous land your company resides on somewhere on your website or social media profiles, and add the pronouns of your public-facing staff to show support to gender non-comforming and trans folks by helping normalize gender discussions.
  • Be strategic about your marketing. Choose your words and imagery carefully in your content, but know that a single ad or post isn’t going to please all people at all times. Try your best to be inclusive, politically-correct, and authentic, but if something is brought to your attention that wasn’t quite right, use it as a learning opportunity to do better next time. Acknowledge the shortcoming, and apply that knowledge to your next campaign. You can also look to your audience and directly ask what matters to them to ensure they feel seen and heard in your marketing. 

Get Expert Marketing Support with Sparx  

At Sparx, our mission is to create content to make the world better.
If you want to create inclusive marketing campaigns but aren’t sure where to start, the experts at Sparx Publishing Group are always available to chat. We help purpose driven organizations secure their website, create great content, build experiences to delight their customers, and help grow their business. You can reach us here.

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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

How to Create an Effective Marketing Strategy for Your Impact Organization

As we continue to navigate global challenges, it’s apparent that sustainable business practices are more important than ever. In response, there is a rise in impact organizations, companies that consciously, intentionally, and sustainably attempt to alleviate a local or global problem. 

While profit may still be a goal, “the main metric is whether the company achieves its aim of impacting social, cultural or environmental issues,” according to Entrepreneur. If this sounds like your organization, you may be tempted to shout your company’s goodness from the rooftop – and rightfully so. 

However, to achieve your goals, it’s important to broadcast your message in a way that ensures you reach the right people with the right message. Here’s our guide on how to create a marketing strategy to effectively and authentically promote your impact organization. 

Figure Out Your Impact Organization’s Goal

Before you begin your marketing strategy, you’ll first need to determine what you want to achieve in terms of your organization’s impact. Do you want to recycle a specific number of bottles? Deliver a certain number of free meals? Donate a set amount of clothing items?

To know how close you are to achieving your impact goal, you can use KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). KPIs are measurements used to gauge aspects of your company’s overall long-term performance, and, in turn, your impact. 

For example, if your desired impact is donating a million free meals to people in need, a KPI could be the number of meals donated per sale made. The larger the sale, the more meals donated.

Once you have your KPIs in mind, you should determine what role your customers play – essentially, what action you want them to take to support the KPIs. Do you want them to make a purchase? Share a link to your company on their social channels? Watch a video to gain awareness of your cause?

In general, the better your company performs on the relevant KPIs, which are specific and measurable, the better you’re doing impact-wise

Determine Your Target Audience 

If you’ve ever implemented a communication or marketing strategy, you know the importance of determining your target audience before you begin. Your target audience are the people you want to reach; the people you want to take the desired actions you’ve outlined. 

For impact organizations, this step can be especially important to ensure your audience’s values are aligned with your company’s. According to a PwC Canada survey, 34% of Canadians are willing to pay a premium for brands known for their sustainability practices, and 33% for ethical and environmental considerations. Value-aligned customers are also typically more loyal, and more likely to take the actions you want them to.

So, how do you find your audience? Personas, semi-fictional representations of your ideal customers, can help guide you in the right direction. Use data or research from your past, current, or ideal customers to create profiles. 

Though many personas start with basic demographic data, it’s also helpful to include details like where this customer spends time both online and offline, personality type, likes and dislikes, lifestyle, and issues they care about.

You can then use these personas to tailor how, where, and when you speak to your audience, including determining your content types, communication channels, messaging, and tone.

Fine-Tune Your Messaging 

While you’ll need to reach the right customers, you’ll also need to reach them with the right message in order to get them to do the right thing. You’ll want to determine what you need to communicate to convince people to do this.

Consumers are increasingly becoming savvier and more aware of their options before they buy, especially consumers who are seeking information on environmental impact, ethical production, and fair treatment of stakeholders. 

As mentioned, your target audience may be willing to pay more for your products or services, but they’ll need to know why they should be choosing your company over another – particularly if there’s a cheaper or more immediate choice in the mix. 

Your messaging should address the “cost” or impact of this choice. Essentially, answer the question of why choosing your company’s product or service is better overall by highlighting the values and benefits. 

It’s also a good idea to be transparent about your impact progress for your current and prospective customers to see. 

For example, Canadian clothing company Tentree plants 10 trees for every item purchased (their KPI). To date, they have planted nearly 58 million trees (their progress), and have a goal to plant one billion trees by 2030 (their impact goal). This information is clearly and easily found on the homepage of their website.

Measure Your Marketing Strategy’s Success 

Once your message is out in the world, you’ll probably want to know how it’s doing – more specifically, if you’re actually reaching the right people and moving towards your impact goals. The KPIs you identified earlier can be a useful tool to see if your company is making headway on these goals. 

You can also look at how specific campaigns or content pieces are performing, and use this information to fine-tune your target audience, explore which types of content work best, A/B test different versions of your marketing collateral, and more.

As an impact organization, you’ve chosen the path that may be less travelled, but it’s also the path towards making the world better. So, don’t be shy to share your good deeds! Just remember to do it strategically and authentically to ensure you’re packing the strongest punch for your cause. 

Create Memorable Marketing Campaigns with Sparx

At Sparx, our mission is to create content to make the world better.

If you need help securing your website, creating great content, building experiences to delight your customers, marketing your business, 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 Work Life & Culture

8 Benefits of Working from Home That Can Help Make the World Better

In early 2021, 32% of working-age Canadian employees worked mostly from home, compared to only 4% in 2016. As we enter a post-lockdown reality, many employees are considering working remotely on a permanent basis.

But is remote work worth it for the long haul? Surely employees will miss their water cooler buddies, cubicles, and ergonomic office chairs, right? Well, turns out, this may not always be the case. In fact, working from home can positively impact the environment, both inside and outside your home. 

At Sparx, we’ve embraced remote work, a decision that aligns with our mission to make the world better. Here’s our list of 8 benefits of working from home.

Benefits of Remote Work for the Environment

1. Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions contribute to climate change through a warming effect in the Earth’s atmosphere. In a 29-year time span from 1990-2019, this warming effect from GHG added by humans increased by 45%. 

While GHG can be emitted from a variety of sources, transportation accounts for a significant portion. In Canada alone, GHG emissions from passenger vehicles increased 21% from 2000 to 2018. By working from home, you’ll cut out your drive or transit ride to work, which helps to reduce GHG emissions.  

2. Improved Air Quality

While there are many factors that affect air quality, the two most common sources are ground-level ozone and particulate matter (i.e. smoke, soot, dust, etc.). Gasoline vehicles are guilty of contributing to both of these sources, as they burn fuel, which creates nitrous oxides and volatile organic compounds that combine to create ground-level ozone. Industrial sources are bigger culprits of pollution, but any way to decrease your individual impact helps. 

3. Decreased Carbon Footprint 

Did you know that buildings generate nearly 40% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions? Bigger office buildings require more energy to heat and cool, which means they have a higher carbon footprint. 

Whether or not a building implements greener practices, such as renewable energy, is often left up to the building management and not you as an employee. However, when you work from home, you’re able to better control your carbon footprint by turning off lights, minimizing your water usage, and controlling your heating and cooling. 

4. Reduced Waste

The average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper and 156 plastic water bottles annually.  On top of that, there are often huge amounts of food waste from unfinished lunches and expired items in the office fridge. Of course, some waste is unavoidable in certain workplaces, and some workplaces do a better job than others at waste reduction overall. 

However, by working from home, you not only save paper by shifting to online documents, but you can better control your overall waste by recycling, composting, and using your own kitchenware instead of coffee cups and takeout containers.

5. Decreased Water Waste and Microplastics

Did you know that ditching the office dress code can have a positive impact on the environment? The fashion industry is responsible for 20% of global water waste, and is a major source of microplastics in the world’s oceans.
Typically, remote workers have more leeway when it comes to apparel. As long as you look professional from the waist up for video calls, you’re fine! By not needing to purchase an additional work wardrobe to conform to a specific dress code, you can help reduce the consumption and waste associated with “fast fashion.”

Benefits of Remote Work for Your Personal Environment

6. Improved Work-Life Balance

You can’t make the world better if you’re not taking care of yourself. Remote work allows for a better work-life balance because you can spend more time with loved ones and enjoy more time for rest and relaxation that may otherwise have been spent commuting. 

Your employer may also offer the flexibility to schedule appointments, provide caregiving, and complete courses during the typical 9-5 that you would not otherwise be able to do. Just look at Finland; it’s no coincidence the happiest country in the world also leads the way in flexible work.

7. Increased Range of Job Opportunities

Working from home lets you spread your skills and expertise around the globe by providing a broader range of jobs that aren’t limited to your geographic location. 

Remote work also promotes inclusivity, as jobs aren’t filtering out prospective employees based on socioeconomic status, especially if an office is located in an expensive area that’s hard to find accommodation in. As well, it allows for greater accessibility and job opportunities for individuals with disabilities and the aging population.  

8. Decreased Commute-Related Stress

According to Stats Canada, over 12 million Canadians commuted by car in 2016, with an average commute time of 24 minutes. Those commuting by car, especially with long commutes, are at a greater risk for a variety of health problems. Studies have found that people who commute by car, especially those with long commutes, are at greater risk of health problems, including increased blood sugar, higher cholesterol, blood pressure spikes, back aches, and stress and anxiety that can lead to long-term health problems. 

By working from home, not only do you eliminate the pesky commute, you can prioritize your mental and physical health by getting more sleep, spending time with family, working out, and cooking healthier foods at home.  

Whether you’ve been working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, reevaluating your career path, or re-entering the workforce, you may want to consider embracing remote work. Not only can it improve your environmental impact, it can make you happier and healthier. Plus, you may even save money while you’re at it!

Work with Sparx

Sparx Publishing Group is a digital marketing agency that creates content to make the world better. We’ve embraced remote work, and we’re always looking for enthusiastic, ambitious, and value-driven people to work (virtually) with us. Our roles cover publishing, marketing, design, copywriting, project management, and coding. If this sounds like you, keep an eye on our Careers page for the latest job openings. 

If you’re an organization seeking marketing support, you can reach out to us via our Contact page. 

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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

How to Avoid “Rainbow-Washing” during Pride Month

June is Pride month, which celebrates members of the LGBTQIA+ community, supports their rights, and honours their resilient past. Pride month is more than just a rainbow-coloured party; it began with protests like the Stonewall Riots in the US, and the Operation Soap riot in Canada. 

Whether or not your organization employs members of the LGBTQIA+ community or has clients who identify as LGBTQIA+, you should consider participating in Pride month to show your support and solidarity. 

However, there is a right and a wrong way to do Pride. The phenomenon of brands embracing the rainbow during Pride but avoiding actionable or tangible support to the LGBTQIA+ community is known as “rainbow-washing.” 

Rainbow-washing can be considered as virtue-signalling, which often leaves a poor impression of a brand. As an organization who wants to live your values, it’s important to walk the talk. Here’s our guide on how to avoid rainbow-washing and be a true ally to the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Do Your Research 

The landscape of the LGBTQIA+ community is vast and complex. 

There are unique identities, intersections, and struggles within the LGBTQIA+ umbrella, which makes it important to do your research before your organization jumps into Pride promotion. 

Dive into the history and important figures of the gay liberation movement, issues that affect the LGBTQIA+ community, politically-correct terms to use, groups that fall under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella, and what the various Pride flags mean. 

Include LGBTQIA+ Folks in the Conversation

It’s important to involve people in the LGBTQIA+ community in your Pride month efforts to ensure you’re being truly authentic and supportive. Do you currently employ “out” members of the LGBTQIA+ community? See if they’d be interested to help with the ideation and decision-making process. If not, respect their wishes. When asking advice from your LGBTQIA+ staff that goes above and beyond their normal duties, they should be compensated for their time and work.

You can also hire a LGBTQIA+ consulting organization to help get your Pride and LGBTQIA+ allyship efforts right, including within your workplace. Some great resources include Qmunity, Pride at Work Canada, TransFocus, and The 519. 

Amplify LGBTQIA+ Voices 

As with other social causes, it’s a good idea to amplify voices within the community instead of trying to dominate the space. Not only does doing the latter potentially hurt the livelihood of LGBTQIA+ members by increasing the chance they’ll get drowned out in the noise, your audience may view it as disingenuous or performative. 

Plus, by elevating LGBTQIA+ people and their stories, you can align your company’s efforts, show you’re knowledgeable and active in the LGBTQIA+ community, and shine a light on issues that are important to your organization.  

Donate to LGBTQIA+ Causes 

If you have the resources, it’s a good idea to put your money where your mouth is. Expensive  healthcare (such as gender affirming surgery for trans folks), lack of mental health services, and homelessness are all issues that affect the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Luckily, there are organizations that deal directly with these issues (and more) that your company can donate to, And of course, you can show your audience that you’re supporting these organizations. While it’s important to find non-profits that resonate and align with your brand, some to check out are The 519, Rainbow Railroad, and Pflag.  

Post More Than a Rainbow Flag

By this point, you’ve probably taken the hint to not just “rainbow-ify” your organization’s profile photo logo or chuck a Pride flag on your Instagram feed and call it a day. Ensure you bring value and awareness to your social media posts. 

Hopefully, you have a wider Pride campaign that you can push through your social media channels (i.e. new partnership, product, or donation plans). Otherwise, why not post about the history of Pride month, important LGBTQIA+ figures, or your favourite LGBTQIA+ activists?

Make it a Year-Round Commitment

Pride may be just one month for your organization, but it’s a lifetime for individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community. Consider making your efforts an always-on commitment. One way to ensure you incorporate inclusive content regularly is to work backwards from Pride the following year. If you were looking back over an entire year, what would you want to see in terms of LGBTQIA+ positive initiatives or content from your organization? Once you’ve determined that, you can schedule these efforts in your content planning strategy.

You can also ensure your organization is an inclusive workplace (there are even certificates for this), become an “equal opportunity employer” to attract new LGBTQIA+ hires, ask your current LGBTQIA+ employees how to better support them, evaluate your marketing efforts, and continue to donate and partner with LGBTQIA+ organizations. 

Important note: LGBTQIA+ conversations often centre white cis gay men, so it’s important to acknowledge diversity and intersections of privilege (i.e. gender, race, religion, ability, etc.) in your efforts. For example, showcase LGBTQIA+ persons of colour in a marketing ad.

Three Examples of Organizations Doing Pride Right

1. Kiehl’s

Kiehl’s is an American skincare retailer headquartered in New York. Not only have they sponsored NYC Pride since 2010, in 2020 they announced a partnership with LGBTQIA+ youth suicide prevention non-profit The Trevor Project with plans to “make a positive impact through funding, awareness and resources that can help change [LGBTQIA+ youth’s] lives for the better.”

2. IKEA Canada

Have you ever gone to IKEA and needed one of those giant blue shopping bags for all your candles, pillows, or Swedish meatballs? Well, the beloved furniture company made these shopping bags rainbow for 2019’s Pride month and donated all profits to Pflag, “Canada’s only national organization that offers peer-to-peer support striving to help all Canadians with issues of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.”

3. Lyft Toronto

While Pride has been affected by COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021, rideshare platform Lyft was an active participant in Pride Toronto in 2019, including being their official rideshare platform. They had a parade float, offered discount codes, and donated $1 to HIV/AIDS hospital Casey House for every ride taken during Pride Toronto using their code. What’s more, Lyft didn’t just show their “pride” during June, they also became the first rideshare app to let passengers choose from a wide range of pronouns, as launched with their #TwoIsTooFew campaign. 

What Sparx is Doing 

In addition to embracing the rainbow flag on our website and our social media profile pictures, this Pride month, we will be:

  • Rolling out pronoun transparency with the internal team, so Sparx employees can disclose their pronouns on all communication channels (this includes a discussion about the importance of disclosing pronouns),
  • Highlighting on our social media channels mission-aligned organizations in the LGBTQIA+ community that are working to make the world better,
  • Amplifying Pride by posting on our social media channels, including a post about the history and facts about the Pride flag,
  • And of course, posting this blog!

Get in Touch

At Sparx, our mission is to create content to make the world better.
If you need help securing your website, creating great content, building experiences to delight your customers, marketing your business, 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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Work Life & Culture

The Story Behind Our Font: Proxima Nova

The Relationship Between Type and Branding

As typographer and designer Doyald Young points out, a business’s journey into typeface begins with this basic push-pull scenario: “Every company truly wants to appear unique…yet they also want to fit within a certain group of taste.” 

In short, a typeface can help determine how you stand out – but also where you fit in. 

This is why we thought about our audience when selecting a typeface as part of our brand strategy. Will the font appeal to the type of people we’re trying to reach? And if so, is it also unique enough to differentiate us from our competitors?

But even before brand strategy comes into play, a typeface has a very basic function: to be read. For that reason, legibility is key. 

Legibility refers to the reader’s ability to distinguish one character from another, and is determined by a few different aspects. Legible fonts are “transparent” to the reader, which means they don’t call too much attention to themselves or interfere with the message. They also have “big features,” which include things like a large x-height and easily recognizable character shapes.

Accessibility is an important consideration, too. For websites or online content, a highly legible font that will render correctly on most computers is preferable. Flexibility in font types and weights – like bold, italic and thin – gives designers a varied palette. This flexibility can be used to easily create a visual messaging hierarchy, ensuring readers see and absorb the most important message first.

Proxima Nova and Retrofuturism

To better understand why Sparx chose Proxima Nova, we sat down with Liz Choi, our Communications Designer. She explained that both she and the President of Sparx Publishing Group, Hamish Khamisa, wanted a look that was futuristic yet retro. She describes it as “modern, but…punchy, bold, and vintage at the same time.” 

As it happens, there’s already a name for this kind of aesthetic: retrofuturism. Liz describes it as how “the future would look like in a very imaginative, fantasy-like way.” 

The Jetsons, Star Wars, and Guardians of the Galaxy are good examples, not only because they share the retrofuturistic look, but also, as Liz explains, because they “are all fiction, and anything is possible when you’re creating fiction.” 

Why Retrofuturism Works for the Sparx Brand

The anything-is-possible aesthetic of retrofuturism is perfectly suited to Sparx Publishing Group’s anything-is-possible brand and values. 

Proxima Nova’s modern look helps convey the company’s progressive and future-focused culture, sense of humour, playful creativity, and lighthearted approach. And the unique styling of this typeface helps us differentiate our brand as something interesting and special.

The futuristic element of the font’s aesthetic is a nod to the spark of inspiration – turning imagination and dreams into reality, and creating a future that’s better in every way. This ties directly into the Sparx mission to make the world better. We strive to be the agents of positive change, nurturing small ideas that grow into global ideas. After all, anything is possible in the future!

Proxima Nova’s vintage feel also helps us create a connection with our audience of future-focused thinkers. 

Most of us recognize shows like Star Trek and The Jetsons, which portrayed an idealistic view of the future. These shows were a product of their time, and the creative choices around what a futuristic world would look like were heavily influenced by what people were familiar with in their time. 

Today, the news has increasingly more examples of that idealistic future being brought into commercial reality, with companies like SpaceX reigniting the idea of extraterrestrial adventure in the collective imagination. In short, choosing Proxima Nova reflects our commitment to dreaming about what’s possible in the future even though we’re using the tools of today. 

Finally, Proxima Nova is a more distinguished choice than, say, an open source font. Intentionally selecting something special doesn’t just fit our branding aesthetic, it’s also a public statement of the professionalism we put into our client work.

Proxima Nova: Cool Trivia and History

Proxima Nova was released in 2005. But type designer Mark Simonson actually started working on the typeface almost 25 years earlier in 1980! In 1994, an early version called Proxima Sans was released. (In case you were wondering, “proxima nova” means the “new next” in Portuguese.)

But even before that, in 1993, an early version of Proxima Nova had an out-of-this-galaxy debut. At that time, Simonson was calling the unfinished font Visigothic, and decided to try it out on a packaging project he was working on: Star Wars: The Original Radio Drama. Fun fact: The Empire Strikes Back was released in 1980, the same year that Proxima Nova was first conceived of.

Simonson says that “it felt a little weird using my unfinished type design for the project, but it seemed to work. I showed it to the other people I was working with and they thought so, too. So I used it.” That adventurous leap of faith ended up being the first public use of what would become Proxima Nova. Talk about a star-studded premiere!

In 2005, another famous piece of retrofuturism premiered: the film version of War of the Worlds, starring Tom Cruise. This classic science fiction work by H.G. Wells was first published in 1897, but is best known for its release as a radio drama in 1938, which allegedly caused listeners to panic when they tuned in and mistakenly thought the alien invasion was real. 

Of course, we didn’t know all this when we initially chose Proxima Nova, but clearly the futuristic feel of the font is something others see too. The more we learned about its application, the more we were convinced that this font was just our type!

Look to Your Branding Future

If you’re looking to the future of your business and need help with brand strategy, creating great content, marketing your business, or if 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 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.