This nationally recognized certification is a sign of our continued commitment to “walk our talk” when it comes to making the world better by supporting and adhering to diverse and inclusive business practices.
We are proud to celebrate this milestone and look forward to building new relationships with a community of like-minded organizations committed to leading positive change.
What is CAMSC Certification?
CAMSC is a Canadian not-for-profit organization dedicated to growing Indigenous- and minority-owned businesses by “connecting them to procurement opportunities with companies and governments committed to a diverse and inclusive supply chain.” Through championing and advocating for BIPOC-owned businesses, CAMSC helps to create economic value, expand opportunities, and boost innovation.
According to CAMSC, certification confirms that businesses “are 51% or more owned, managed and controlled by Aboriginal peoples and/or visible minorities,” operate in Canada, and are for-profit enterprises.
Why We Pursued CAMSC Certification
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to our vision of a better world.
We saw CAMSC certification as a way in which to connect with and support a diverse group of mission-aligned organizations and individuals who are in pursuit of greater economic opportunity, especially for excluded and underrepresented groups.
Having a well-established, nationally recognized certification as part of our identity will also enable our existing and potential partners to feel confident that, by working together with Sparx, they too can help build a more diverse and inclusive Canadian economy.
Hamish Khamisa, Founder and President of Sparx Publishing Group, stated, “More than any one project Sparx has worked on, I am exceptionally proud of building an organization that prioritizes and practices diversity, equity, and inclusion. The quality of work we produce is directly tied to this diversity and something our clients benefit from every single day. The CAMSC certification, ideally, can help demonstrate that companies who choose to work with diverse suppliers can gain outstanding results.”
How CAMSC Certification Furthers Our Mission
Our mission at Sparx is to help purpose-driven and minority-owned and -operated organizations market their world-changing message, and an inclusive economy is a crucial step to achieving this vision of a better world. Participating in systemic change within Canada through CAMSC certification is just one of several steps we’re taking to advance our mission of inclusivity.
Through supporting Indigenous- and minority-owned businesses, as well as having a demonstrably diverse workplace, we’re following through on our commitment to the UN Global Compact’s Sustainable Development Goals Program. Specifically, this certification helps affirm our progress on SDG 8 and SDG 10, which aim to “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all,” and to “reduce inequality within and among countries,” respectively.
Our CAMSC certification is also a large stride toward our goal of becoming B Corp-certified, as managing and creating inclusive workplaces and attaining procurement through a diverse and inclusive supply chain are two key factors in achieving B Corp certification.
Receiving CAMSC certification will also enrich our relationships with new and existing clients because it proves that we “walk our talk,” that we are mission-aligned with impact-driven organizations, and that we are truly committed to promoting and expanding diversity, specifically by supporting groups that have been systemically excluded from equitable economic participation.
Building a Better World, Together
Sparx is proud to be part of this like-minded community by having a nationally recognized certification, and we’re thrilled to support minority- and Indigenous-owned businesses as part of a more vibrant and diverse Canadian economy. We are eager to help build a world in which systemically excluded groups have greater opportunities to thrive.
Are you on a mission to create tangible positive change? Reach out to us. We would love to work with your values-aligned organization and to help promote or achieve your supply chain diversity goals.
‘Tis the season of giving, both to our loved ones and back to our communities. They say “it’s the thought that counts” when gifting, but for purpose-driven folks, seeing the 545,000 tonnes of annual waste generated in Canada during the holidays makes it hard to not feel like the Grinch.
Whether you’re looking for a zero-waste Secret Santa present or sustainable gifts for your family, we’ve researched a wide range of mostly Canadian eco-friendly products and other green gift ideas that will tie a ribbon on a year of circular efforts. Together, let’s go walking in a sustainable wonderland!
Candles
Help make even the darkest evenings bright for your loved ones with these eco-friendly candles.
Mala the Brand Candles: Made of custom-blended coconut-soy wax, these paraben-free candles are biodegradable, toxin-free, come in recyclable packaging, and are hand-poured in Vancouver. Plus, for every candle purchased, a tree is planted.
Siblings Candle Kits: Built on a “reuse, refill, relax” model, these candle kits enable you to repurpose and reuse containers by pouring candles yourself, again and again. Plus, these candle kits have 100% compostable packaging, are non-toxic and paraben-free, use coconut blend wax, and are carbon neutral.
Sequoia® Candles: Bring the outdoors in with these candles made from phthalate-free fragrance oils and essential oils in scents like sweetgrass and blackberry sage. Plus, they come in a reusable tin. Sequoia is a Proudly Indigenous brand that is 100% owned and operated by Indigenous women.
Stationery
Rewrite traditional stationery gifts with these regenerative alternatives.
Sprout Plantable Pens: Along with being sustainably made, sustainably sourced, non-toxic, and biodegradable, each of these pens contains seeds and can be directly planted in soil once the ink runs out. The seeds are drawn from an assortment of vegetable, flower, and herb seeds, making for a nice, zero-waste surprise.
Flowerink Greeting Cards and Paper: Illustrated and printed in Montréal, these unique greeting cards and paper products are made mostly from seed paper that is plantable/compostable, plus their packaging is zero-waste.
Wisdom Supply Co. Weekly Planner: This zero-waste weekly planner is made from 100% recycled paper and plant-based inks and is shipped from a zero-waste, B Corp-certified fulfillment centre.
Personal Care
Gift these circular personal care products to make your loved ones feel pampered all season long.
Old Soul Soap Company Lip Balm: Canadian-made, these filler-free, all-natural lip balms are a zero-waste gift option that comes in plastic-free packaging.
Etee Chewpaste Toothpaste: This chewable toothpaste ditches the plastic tube in favour of a reusable glass jar, providing a sustainable way to make smiles sparkle.
The Yukon Soaps Company Soaps: Indigenous owned and operated, these handcrafted soaps are sustainably sourced and all-natural. With biodegradable plastic, reusable muslin, and other eco-friendly packaging, these soaps make for beautiful low-waste gifts.
Nature’s Bodega Beard Care Box: Handmade in Vancouver, these beard care kits have all-natural ingredients, fully recyclable packaging, and no synthetic fragrances, making them a great eco-friendly gift option for the Movember participants in your life who opted not to shave come December.
Sisters Sage Bath Bombs: Made from all-natural ingredients, these delicious-smelling bath bombs from Sisters Sage, an Indigenous women-led company based in Vancouver, are vegan, palm oil/cruelty-free and come in reusable or recyclable packaging.
Food & Drink
These eco-friendly gifts are good for your body and good for the environment too.
Retea Sustainable Bubble Tea Kits with Reusable Cup: This Canadian company provides DIY bubble tea kits featuring a wide range of flavours, reusable bubble tea cups, straws and teaware, and recyclable and low-waste packaging.
Susgrainable Banana Bread Mix: As seen in Make The World Better Magazine Issue 3, this banana bread mix is made from rescued spent grain produced by craft breweries, plus it’s low on sugar, full of protein and fibre, and loaded with flavour.
Avanaa Vegan Chocolate: Canadian-made, this artisan chocolate is made from 100% natural and plant-based ingredients; supports farmers in Ecuador, Dominican Republic, and Colombia; and is packaged in recyclable paper.
Salt Spring Coffee Holiday Bundle with Wooden Box: A featured company inMake The World Better Issue 1, Salt Spring Coffee is offering a holiday bundle that comes with sustainably shade-grown organic coffee, reusable mugs, and eco-friendly packaging, perfect for anyone who can’t live without their good cup of Joe.
Pukka Teas: B Corp-certified and part of 1% For the Planet, Pukka teas are organically grown and fairly-sourced, come in sustainable packaging, and can be enjoyed in a plethora of flavours.
Stojo Cups: Portable, collapsible, and made with silicone that’s BPA-free and free of other toxic glues and chemicals, these reusable coffee cups and water bottles are safe and sustainable.
Portable Collapsible Straw Kit: This metal straw kit is fully portable, reusable, and sustainable, keeping drinks plastic-free at home and on the go.
Apparel & Accessories
Wrap someone you love in warmth with these sustainable clothing articles and accessories.
Hemp & Company Socks: Made from hemp, these socks are warm, sustainable, and produced by a BC-based brand.
Anne Mulaire Fleece Clothing: Help the women in your life stay cozy with these fleece products from Anne Mulaire, a women-led, Indigenous business based in Winnipeg that puts sustainability and natural fibres at the forefront.
Kombi Balaclava: Have an avid ski or snowboarder on your list? This Canadian brand offers an adjustable balaclava made from 100% recycled polyester.
rü Bags: Made from 100% recycled GRS certified fabric that’s OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified, these lunch and tote bags are reusable, durable, and sustainable.
Rok Cork Leather Bags: Crafted from natural, sustainable, biodegradable cork, these bags are fashionable, functional, and good for the planet.
While is great to buy eco-friendly gifts, it’s also important to think of the other parts of the gift-giving process. We recommend considering your environmental footprint while shopping — for example, walking or taking public transport to the store instead of driving — and wrapping your gifts in recycled, reusable, compostable, and/or upcycled materials.
Giftwrap Your Marketing with Sparx
Engaging in purpose-driven efforts to make the world better? The experts at Sparx can help package up your message and deliver it to your audience. Contact us for a free marketing consultation.
It’s not a holiday get together at this time of year without a time-honoured tradition: the Secret Santa Gift Exchange. While we enjoy the act of giving, we had to come to terms with an inconvenient truth about these kinds of exchanges: many of us seldom keep our Secret Santa gifts. We believe that something as wonderful as the act of giving a gift shouldn’t come at the expense of the planet, so we started thinking about how we could iterate and improve upon this classic activity so that it aligns with our mission to make the world better, and came up with a solution.
For this year’s Secret Santa, Sparx is going sustainable all the way! All the gifts we’re giving are good not just for bringing a smile to our co-workers faces, but better for the environment too.
Here’s how we reimagined Secret Santa to be more sustainable. We hope our experience will inspire you to jingle bell rock the boat for your own exchange!
We kicked off our process by setting some ground rules. First off, participants must only choose gifts that will either produce minimal to zero waste or will enable recipients to live more sustainably. Secondly, the gifts must fall within a budget of $20.
To ensure everyone could be involved, we selected a date and provided ways for gifters to mail their gifts, if unable to attend in-person. Then we set up our exchange on Elfster, a platform that allowed us to randomly and anonymously select our gift recipients in a totally paperless way. The platform also has a feature for making wishlists – a great way to ensure we pick gifts that are not only good for the environment, but will bring real personal value to our recipients.
Finding Mission-Aligned Gifts
While it might sound difficult to track down sustainable gifts for $20 or less, our research revealed a whole workshop’s worth of options.
Compiling a few categories of eco-friendly items, such as items that replace single-use products, gifts made from recycled materials, items using recycled or recyclable packaging, and non-perishable goods, we launched our search.
We checked what was available at Vancouver-based eco-friendly shops, as well as products from Canadian vendors operating in both online and offline formats, and came up with a plethora of great ideas.
Leveraging this research, wishlists took shape and gift planning gained focus.
Green Gifts for $20 or Less
Here are some of the sustainable gifts we found for under $20.
Imperial Earl Grey Tea: All-natural and packaged in fully compostable bags and a recyclable box. Price: $14.85
Yukon Soap – Thieves of the Gold Rush Soap: Soaps from this Indigenous-owned and operated company are wrapped in eco-friendly packaging and made from all-natural and hand-grown ingredients. Price: $12
Lush – Secret Santa Gift Set: Giftwrapped in 100% recycled packaging, this Secret Santa-themed bath set is eco-friendly. Price: $15
Stojo – Jr. Bottle: Collapsible and made from safe silicone, this reusable bottle can be carried anywhere for sustainable hydration on the go. Price: $17
Bamboo Bottle Brush: This zero-waste brush is a great companion for reusable cups and bottles. Price: $9
Ecomended – Telescoping Stainless Steel Straws: Travel-sized and made from stainless steel, these plastic-free environmentally-friendly straws come with a carabiner and a telescoping cleaner. Price: $11
Non-toxic glass cleaner: Made in Canada, packaged in a recyclable glass bottle, and all-natural. Price: $12.50
Package it all up in a sustainable way – using a recyclable box or tin, recycled wrapping paper, or a wooden trinket box – and you have a perfect, low-waste, eco-friendly gift.
Sparx Can Help You Get on Santa’s “Eco-friendly” List
Donning a green santa hat this year? If your organization is working to make a positive difference throughout and beyond this holiday season, the experts at Sparx can help amplify your impact and share your purpose-driven initiatives. Contact us for a free consultation.
In Vancouver, social isolation is a silent epidemic. While already known as a city where it’s difficult to make friends, the pandemic, a lack of equity and inclusion, and financial issues have only made things worse.
When Sparx discovered that Brand Battle for Good (BBFG) 2022 was uniting local brands across Vancouver to fight social isolation, we had to step into the ring. After all, we’re always searching for new ways to make the world better.
It was a thrilling battle, indeed! Check out what we learned and our key takeaways from this exciting, impact-focused melee.
Uniting to Tackle Social Isolation
Over the course of two days, Sparx joined forces with a diverse team (known as “The Disruptors”) at BBFG to ideate tangible ways to fight social isolation. Together, we attended and participated in seminars and team breakouts to expand our understanding of social isolation and combine our unique perspectives to workshop possible solutions.
During the workshop portion, we learned that issues related to social isolation are even more varied and urgent than we ever realized. Different personas have different requirements to solve social isolation, which means finding a solution that can help everyone is extremely difficult.
Stigma, income inequality, and other barriers prevent people from gaining a sense of connectedness and belonging. This is a serious concern, as the extent to which a person can meet their basic needs, cultivate friendships, and secure a sense of place within a community is also associated with their vulnerability to mental illness.
We know how painful feeling isolated can be. Like many businesses, when the pandemic hit, we closed our downtown offices. While switching to operating remotely has allowed us to continue our work and hire talented people who may not have applied otherwise, we also acknowledge that remote work has contributed to the social isolation of our team. We’re constantly seeking ways to make our team feel more connected, but it’s an on-going effort.
While our story may have a happy ending in sight, many of our friends and family members are still far away from theirs. And knowing that so many people in Vancouver are being damaged by the impacts of social isolation has made us even more determined to fight.
Combatting Isolation through Storytelling
Sparx has always believed that storytelling is powerful, and BBFG drove this point home. There were a number of inspirational and impactful stories shared by special guests at the in-person portion of the event.
For example, Carlos Norcia shared a personal story about social isolation and depression in Vancouver.
Chaandani Khan talked about how she experienced social isolation after concussion brain surgery and how her health condition impacted her ability to connect with others.
Indigenous hoop dancer, Eli Gosselin-Rattlesnake shared his culture’s history and performed a ceremonial healing dance.
And Genesa Greening from Vancity taught us that community is a verb, an action, that “we become connected when we get to share our stories,” and how we all need to “find a place to tell our story.”
Pitches were also presented through storytelling, which proved effective in communicating fresh perspectives on the issue and highlighting the ways each solution could help.
Reflections from the Ring
We have a lot to think about after participating in the Brand Battle for Good hackathon.
Through our experience, we came to realize that while important to dream big, issues like social isolation are complex. Even if you cannot help everyone, helping just one person is worthwhile.
We also learned the importance of keeping things simple. Low-tech, low-cost, accessible solutions are the key to reaching people and overcoming social isolation and other pressing concerns. After all, good solutions may already exist, but the people who need them aren’t necessarily able to access them.
While we noted that this year all the finalists were from teams composed only of individuals from their respective companies, we were exceptionally fortunate to have been on a team that included people we wouldn’t have otherwise met. Reflecting on this, we realize that getting to meet new people means venturing beyond our “comfort zone” – something that is at the heart of tackling social isolation.
And, even though our pitch didn’t “win,”the day was a win for those who are suffering from social isolation. It was a victorious day for all of the participants who contributed their collective creative efforts in order to address a problem that hits close to home for all.
Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention how exceptionally well organized and supported the event was. It was a true testament to the strong leadership of the founders and showcased how the Brand Battle For Good can harness talented individuals and brands to collaborate – and even compete – to make positive change. Congratulations to the winning concept, Hello Yello, and a sincere thank you to all of the volunteers who worked tirelessly and with such passion to bring a wonderful event to life. We look forward to seeing what happens at the next round, next year!
Team up with Sparx
Do you want to join the fight for better? Check out Make the World Better Magazine to find out more about organizations making real change, and reach out to us. We’d love to work together to make a positive impact both locally and globally.
In the words of spoken word artist Shane Koyczan, “Change is like the rain, it starts with a single drop.”
Well, the recent Zero Waste Conference (ZWC), where Koyczan delivered an incredible spoken word performance of Shoulders, felt like a deluge!
From changing how we view waste to presenting tangible ways companies and consumers can alter business practices, the conference got us inspired about building a waste-free future.
Here’s a recap of the event and key takeaways that won’t stop circling in our thoughts.
Embarking on the Zero Waste Journey Together
At this two-day event, Sparx had the chance to attend panel discussions, learn from guest speakers, network and participate in side events such as the National Zero Waste Council Members Breakfast Forum and a session on Advancing a Circular Economy Strategy for Canada.
There was so much to take in, however it was amazing to see so many people from different backgrounds come together to engage on the topic of zero waste. Not only did the ZWC shed light on the many urgent calls to ensure both nature and communities thrive, it also reminded us that there are many like-minded innovative thinkers who are committed to circularity.
For us, another big highlight was seeing individuals and organizations featured in Make The World Better magazine share the same stage. Cody Irwin of Sharewares (Issue 1), Sumreen Rattan of Moment Energy (Issue 2), and Jessica Regan of FoodMesh (Issue 3) provided the audience with compelling examples of the impact these entrepreneurs and their respective teams are achieving!
Facing the Facts
There were a lot of important insights and discussions during the event, which brought the challenges facing our planet into sharper focus.
Some alarming numbers define the work ahead:
1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year
Cities occupy 3% of global land surface, consume 75% of global resources, and produce 60-80% of global greenhouse gas emissions
65% of consumers want to buy from purposeful brands but only 26% do
As dire as these numbers are, there is hope. We were inspired by many speakers but, in particular from Jenn Harper and Michael Pawlyn, whose presentations reminded us that the solutions to our current problems abound in nature and that work is well underway to shift towards a more circular economy.
Rethinking Our View of Waste
One of the most inspiring moments of the conference was when Katie Treggiden presented her closing remarks on rethinking and recategorizing waste. By redrawing our mental model of the idea of ‘waste’ from something that should be discarded into something that has value, we can rethink all points along a production sequence to move towards circularity.
By starting with the end in mind and recognizing that what we view as disruption is actually going back to the way we used to do things (i.e before mass production methods became the norm), we can start making tangible progress to address the problems stated above. Somewhat poetically, we have to go back to where we came from in order to truly move forward.
Another important piece of advice given by Treggiden was that we are all capable of sustainably effecting change, and the best way to do that is to find the intersection of what we’re good at, what the world needs, and what we love doing – a piece of wisdom that is very close to the Japanese concept of ikigai.
Marketing the Circular Economy
We heard it in the words of Koyczan that “stories burn lessons into our memories, they become how we remember.”
These words resonate with our view that storytelling and marketing will be essential to moving hearts and minds to get on board with embracing the circular economy.
We believe, as the ZWC does, that by amplifying good through providing a platform for changemakers, efforts like Make The World Better magazine can inform others about the work being done to reduce and rethink waste, and in the process inspire a flood of change, one drop at a time.
Next Steps
Do you want to help build a zero-waste future? Start by reading and sharing the circular economy edition of Make The World Better magazine. Find out more about organizations making real change, and how to support them.
If you need marketing to reach a broader audience regarding your circular economy-based solution, reach out to us. We’d love to learn more and chat.
At Sparx, we believe in practicing what we preach. As a purpose-driven marketing agency, we work with clients who make the world better through their innovative approaches. Like many organizations, however, we wanted to take our efforts one step further with objective, quantifiable goals. That’s why in October 2021, we signed onto the UN Global Compact’s Sustainable Development Goals program.
According to the UN Global Compact, “The Sustainable Development Goals provide a powerful aspiration for improving our world — laying out where we collectively need to go and how to get there.” Businesses are encouraged to do business responsibly and then “pursue opportunities to solve societal challenges through business innovation and collaboration.” As guidance, there are 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs), and to help organizations work toward them, they can join and be provided with an extensive toolbox of resources.
The UN Global Compact program offers a framework for companies to define what “make the world better” means for them. For Sparx, participating in this program is a commitment to living our values by setting, accomplishing, and creating new objectives.
Progress with Our Objectives
Since joining the UN Global Compact program, we’re proud to have reached our objectives so far, and we’re challenging ourselves with more ways we can help make the world better. Here are just a few of the initiatives we’ve accomplished to date.
1.) Make The World Better Magazine and MTWB Day
After launching the first edition of our Make The World Better Magazine in September 2021, we built on that momentum with a second edition launched in April 2022. This edition focuses on the “growing” industry of regenerative agriculture and features interviews with nine companies and organizations in the industry.
The result? Not only did this edition start and amplify conversations about this important and innovative industry, but our LinkedIn social promo received over 1,000 views. With this exciting milestone under our belt, we’re thrilled to launch our third edition this fall. Be sure to stay tuned!
In the theme of our Make The World Better Magazine, we also hold an annual Make The World Better Day, starting in 2020. During this virtual team event, we discuss our annual progress and goals for next year, and do team activities including a hackathon to strategize content marketing for a purpose-driven company. Our team is looking forward to this year’s MTWB Day!
2.) Participation in Key Events
As part of our commitment to education and partnerships with leaders in the social equity and environmental spaces, we sponsored and attended key events in the first half of 2022.
In October 2021, we had a busy month for events. First, we attended Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth’s Global Inclusive Growth Summit to hear from purpose-driven leaders about inclusive growth. Then, we attended Elevate’s event, Think 2030, designed to catalyze the UN’s sustainable development goals. Lastly, we attended SOCAP21, hosted by SOCAP Global, and gained valuable insights from expert speakers on impact investing, climate action, sustainable development, and more!
In May of this year, we attended Shift 2022, which according to their website, is “a collaborative digital impact event produced by some of the most passionate leaders in the positive impact space rallying to make business a force for change.”
In June, we attended and sponsored the morning event of the Business for Social Good Conference, hosted by UBC’s Sauder School of Business. During the six presentations, we gained many fascinating insights about sustainability, biases, indigenous economic development (Indigenomics), and more.
We look forward to applying these insights and continuing to establish connections with individuals and organizations who are making the world better.
3.) Recognition Holidays
At Sparx, we’re privileged to have staff, clients, and peers from all walks of life. Being a purpose-driven marketing agency, we believe in the importance of showing our support and celebrating those who are making huge strides in important movements.
While we understand bandwagoning on trending discussions can be opportunistic and harmful, we took steps to thoughtfully participate in various recognition holidays this year.
Asian Heritage Month (AHM): In our first AHM post, we shared a list of Canadians of Asian heritage that have made many valuable contributions to Canada and beyond. In our second AHM post, we shared a Government of Canada resource that aims to preserve, celebrate, and educate Canadians about Asian cultures in Canada.
Indigenous recognition days: Sparx gratefully operates on the shared, traditional and ancestral lands of the Kwikwetlem, Katzie, and other Coast Salish Peoples and the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. It’s important, therefore, that we share content related to recognizing the atrocities of Canada’s residential schools and how we as Canadians can be better allies (such as with this post), acknowledging National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (such as with this post), and thoughtfully celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day with this post and Canada Day with this post.
4.) Donating to Important Causes
Like they say, money makes the world go round. When it comes to important causes, monetary donations can also make a big difference. Here are some of the causes we donated to:
Wigs for Kids: Sparx President Hamish Khamisa donated 46 cm (18 in) of his long, pandemic locks and raised over $1,300 for Wigs for Kids B.C.
Movember: In November 2021, Sparx’s mustachioed team members participated in our annual Movember campaign and raised $500 for men’s health.
Holiday Gifting Campaign: As part of our annual holiday gifting campaign, we donated on behalf of our clients to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and Feed Ontario.
What’s Next for Us
While we’re proud to have accomplished our objectives so far, we understand making the world better is a constant work in progress. We will continue to listen, learn, and grow as we move forward on our Sustainable Development Goals journey, and we will continue to be transparent and communicative about what’s next for us.
If you’re interested in learning more about the UN Global Compact’s Sustainable Development Goals program, head here. And if you’re ready to join (yay!), fill in the application form now.
Saving the World Is a Marketing Problem
Sparx Publishing Group is a full-service marketing agency creating content to make the world better. Together, we can improve your sustainable marketing game and ensure your impact efforts shine. Reach out to the Sparx team here.
At Sparx Publishing Group, we create content to make the world better. Beyond the work we do with our clients, we also want to explore tangible and direct ways of improving the world around us.
We’ve learned some valuable lessons along the way, including pitfalls to avoid, and reaffirmed a cornerstone of our worldview: that if you look for opportunities to do better, you will find them.
We’d like to share with you how the journey started.
Make The World Better Day
Sparx launched the first edition of Make The World Better Day (MTWBD) on September 30, 2020. The spark that inspired this day came from a place of both hope and loss.
The founder of Sparx Publishing Group, Hamish Khamisa, wanted to honour his daughter, Anahera, who was stillborn at 35 weeks. As difficult and painful as that moment was, the love and hope that Anahera embodied were the sparks that set in motion a challenge to transform tragedy into inspiration.
Inspiration is at the very core of the Sparx name. Drawing on that, Make The World Better Day is a testament to the belief that a spark, no matter how small, can ignite positive change.
At first, we weren’t sure exactly how to go about making the world better, but we believed that starting anywhere was better than waiting to find the “perfect” somewhere to begin. The simple desire to get started revealed another little treasure of insight: As marketers, we could not only do good, but our skillset is uniquely qualified to amplify good.
Starting with a blank canvas, we decided to set aside one full workday for everyone at the company to stop working on their usual tasks. Instead, we participated in activities that would amplify good.
In order to leverage our diverse skill sets, we had every member of our team submit ideas of what “better” meant to them and nominate causes or organizations that they felt were in line with their personal view of “better.”
As a team, we also decided that we wanted to make a local impact, as well as impact others in different parts of the world. To accomplish this, we chose a local organization, Sea Smart, to provide our marketing expertise to. We also looked to the popular microfinance platform Kiva to be the vehicle through which we discovered global opportunities for good.
A Cleaner Planet Is a Better Planet
A cleaner and greener planet was a key theme that emerged from several team members’ perspectives on “better,” so it made perfect sense that caring for the ocean was where we could start.
Sea Smart is a charitable organization, headquartered in Vancouver, that educates and engages children in connecting with the oceanic world. Through hands-on learning and discovery, the organization inspires and empowers children to care for the planet. The Sea Smart mission resonated with our view of making the world better, so we connected with Sea Smart to workshop and launch an awareness campaign.
The campaign consisted of display ads that we designed and distributed through the Sparx Publishing Advertising Network (SPAN), our in-house advertising network.
We were able to deliver over 100,000 impressions to British Columbian visitors to a major Canadian financial website. This campaign exemplified how our small team of 17 was able to impact thousands of individuals, even in a small way, by enabling them to learn about Sea Smart and their mission to improve the health of the world’s oceans.
Kiva Projects: Small Loans, Big Lessons
We also wanted to invest in individuals and organizations that are doing essential work in their own local communities, so we chose Kiva as an avenue for that investment during Make The World Better Day.
Many of the groups represented on Kiva are working to improve local autonomy through food security, infrastructure improvements, and education.
One of the reasons we decided Kiva would be a great fit for MTWBD was because it is an easy-to-use platform for connecting capital to local initiatives that we otherwise would not be able to access. The money provided to these initiatives is also not a donation; it’s a loan.
We initially earmarked a total of $2,000 across four separate groups that we had researched and voted on as a company. However, as part of our due diligence, we learned about the sometimes shockingly high borrowing costs of certain loans to individuals seeking support from Kiva. In the time it took to research more about the platform, as well as the agencies who would be disbursing the loan funds to the various projects, the window for donating to the selected projects closed.
Investing funds through Kiva presented a valuable learning experience for Sparx. One of the important lessons was that doing due diligence ahead of time would have better prepared us for the realities of participating in microfinance lending through this platform.
It was eye-opening to learn that interest rates that would seem stratospheric in Canada are considered acceptable for microloans administered in other parts of the world where Kiva operates. The last thing we wanted to do was to perpetuate a cycle of debt burden that would ultimately not let them create a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities.
The solution to our concerns about the borrowing costs and how the platform actually works was to start small. Instead of committing the full $2,000 right away, we ventured forward with a $500 investment in a woman-led business in Congo.
Depending on the outcome of our experience with Kiva, we will evaluate how we go forward on the platform. As a company, we have decided that if Kiva doesn’t work out, we can also redirect our efforts to make the world better in our local community.
MTWBD Inspired Us to Do Better
Our first Make The World Better Day was a success in that it demonstrated it’s possible for us to approach improving the world by leveraging our strengths as a creative agency.
Arguably, the bigger achievement was the shift in mindset that started to occur within our organization. Doing one intentionally good activity inspired us to look for even more activities later on in the year.
Movember: More Than Lip Service
A chance to grow facial hair and raise awareness for a good cause during November lockdowns was a creative example of how our Make The World Better program sparked good. Sparx’s Marketing Specialist, Ash Castellino, suggested the idea of a Sparx Movember team.
Movember is a global public health initiative that takes place every November. It aims to raise awareness of, and spark conversations about, men’s health issues – particularly suicide and cancer – in the hopes of reducing preventable deaths.
The Sparx team raised almost $500 during the month. And, the moustaches grown by President Hamish Khamisa, VP of Operations Ken Yeung, Web Developer Pedram Milani, and Ash himself were magnificent.
From left to right: Ash, Hamish, Pedram, Ken (no photo)
Our participation in this initiative once again demonstrated that small actions can have a cascading effect. One group’s investment in making the world better can inspire the efforts of those around them to support doing the same.
Holiday Season Gifting Turned Into Giving
During the holiday season, Sparx has traditionally sent gifts to clients as a way to say thank you and celebrate the holiday season. Inspired by our Make The World Better mindset, however, we decided that in lieu of gifts of items or treats, we would donate funds to causes and organizations that matter to our clients.
Through a series of client- and donor-matching programs, we were able to jointly donate a total of 5,000 meals to various local food banks across Canada and the US. In addition, we were able to amplify donations to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and a local humane society in Florida.
It was amazing to see the impact we were able to make with this program, as clients were both touched and inspired to participate in this initiative.
Making the World Better Every Day
When we began the process of translating Sparx’s mission of “Content to make the world better” into tangible actions, it felt a bit like pushing a stone up a hill. The challenge of having so many possible directions that we could have taken was, at times, overwhelming.
Approaching the challenge as a team and focusing our efforts enabled us to gather momentum and attract others into that purpose – not just in our official Make The World Better projects, but also in other spontaneous initiatives that have had a real impact.
We genuinely embrace the challenge that the concept of “better”’ sets out. The next MTWBD will also be better, and in keeping with the spirit of the day, we hope to do better in 2021 than we did in 2020 at living our values.
Each day, we intentionally look for opportunities to weave in the spirit that MTWBD was founded on and direct our creative energy toward moments where we can amplify positive impact. In that way, we believe that we will be content to make the world better.
Here at Sparx Publishing Group, we enjoy hearing and sharing great stories.
But what makes a story stand out? A good story captures the audience’s attention with content that is interesting. An even better story, we think, leaves a lasting impact and inspires you to change the world.
Sparx is always on the lookout for interesting content to share with our readers, so we have compiled a list of three must-see TED Talks that we believe encapsulate the essence of our motto of “content to make the world better.”
Telling a Great Story
How do you tell a good, or even great, story? Sparx shares a TED Talk that focuses on how you can effectively share your message with others and get people to listen.
Seth Godin: How to get your ideas to spread
“The thing that’s going to decide what gets talked about, what gets done, what gets changed, what gets purchased, what gets built, is: ‘Is it remarkable?’”
In this presentation from a TED conference in 2003, marketing entrepreneur and blogger Seth Godin discusses his popular “purple cow” marketing concept. Organizations must stand out in a world that is already bombarded with too much “ordinary” content. To get noticed, you must be “remarkable,” like a purple cow.
Godin states, “‘Remarkable’ is a really cool word because we think it just means ‘neat,’ but it also means ‘worth making a remark about.’” He adds that in order to capture the attention of others and get ideas to spread, thought leaders must appeal to a defined audience that cares. How do you get them to care? It starts with finding like-minded people who share your business’s common interests.
These pointers are important for companies, such as Sparx, that strive to share and create interesting content that makes the world better and to spark positive change in the world around them.
Expanding Your Mission
Sparx believes it is important to highlight the positive outcomes of sharing a compelling story – or, in this case, hundreds of thousands of stories. In the next TED Talk, you’ll learn how an experiment by one radio producer blossomed into the “largest single collection of human voices ever gathered.”
Dave Isay: Everyone around you has a story the world needs to hear
“[The] simple act of being interviewed could mean so much to people, particularly those who had been told that their stories didn’t matter.”
In 2003, Dave Isay had the “crazy idea” of setting up a booth in New York’s Grand Central Terminal where individuals could bring someone to share a personal story in 40 minutes. This experiment quickly gained momentum and StoryCorps – an ongoing oral history project – was born.
In his 2015 TED Talk, Isay shares how having a meaningful discussion with someone can become an important moment in the lives of everyone involved. Through StoryCorps, Isay has shared an array of stories from a diverse group of individuals who range in age, race, and socioeconomic background. On why he feels so many individuals are impacted by these conversations, Isay says, “You’re hearing something authentic and pure at this moment.” He adds, “So many of these are just everyday people talking about lives lived with kindness, courage, decency, and dignity.”
Following his TED Talk, Isay was named the winner of the 2015 TED Prize and awarded $1 million to expand his storytelling platform. Today, more than half a million Americans have recorded their conversations for StoryCorp’s archive at the Library of Congress, and the project has garnered widespread attention.
Spreading Good in the Community
Finally, Sparx wants to share a presentation that showcases a thought leader whose innovative ideas led to bold actions that are making the world better today.
Ron Finley: A guerilla gardener in South Central LA
“Food affects the mind and the body.”
In this TED Talk from 2013, Ron Finley – also known as the “Gangsta Gardener” – shines a light on the rising obesity rate in South Central LA, an impoverished area that has an overabundance of fast-food restaurants and minimal access to fresh produce and healthy foods.
As a result, Finley, along with a group of volunteer gardeners from LA Green Grounds, started planting communal vegetable gardens in unconventional areas, such as abandoned lots and along curbs. His initiative was met with challenges when the city issued a citation and demanded that he remove the gardens. However, the Los Angeles Times shared his story, and people who shared his vision circulated a petition that helped him get permission for the curbside community gardens.
Finley’s actions highlight how a spark of an idea and a commitment to change, no matter how small, can make a lasting impact on the world. In addition to feeding residents, he is using his gardens as an opportunity to train youths to become more involved in the community and to lead sustainable lives. Finley states, “I have witnessed my garden become a tool for education, a tool for the transformation of my neighbourhood.”
Let Sparx Help You Make the World Better
If you have an idea that you would love to see come to life, or if you have any marketing-related inquiries, don’t hesitate to reach out to Sparx! We’d love to work with you and help your vision come to fruition. Feel free to contact us here.
