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Key Takeaways from Circularity 24

What happens when a pair of purpose-driven marketing agency team members from Canada land in one of the United States’ most interesting cities to attend one of the world’s biggest circular economy conferences?

A lot of learning, networking, and reaffirmation that a community of changemakers is dedicated to building a better and more regenerative world.

Earlier this year, Sparx team members Hamish Khamisa, President, and Alexandra Nikitina, Head of Growth, travelled to Chicago to attend Circularity 24, a three-day conference presented by Trellis (formerly GreenBiz Group), that brought together a growing community of individuals, businesses, and organizations passionate about creating a more sustainable future.

With our focus on accelerating awareness and adoption of regenerative and sustainable solutions, we attended plenty of events in the circular economy space. Circularity 24, however, was an entirely new experience for us.

From the sheer scale of the event to the diverse cross-section of individuals and organizations in attendance to the palpable FOMO (fear of missing out) from not being able to attend many of the 130+ talks, activities, and experiences, things felt large and moved fast.

The conference provided a unique opportunity to gauge the circular economy’s current state from a variety of business perspectives, engage with a wide range of changemakers, and gain insights into the role of marketing in accelerating the circular economy.

We can’t possibly do an event of this scale justice in one brief recap, but we’re eager to share several key reflections from our experience at Circularity 24 that we hope provide valuable circular economy insights. Suffice it to say, we understand why people like Garry Cooper, CEO of Rheaply, continue to come back each year. 

Read on for our highlights from Circularity 24, including key takeaways from insightful panels and intriguing exhibits, changemakers we connected with, lessons learned from attending large-scale sustainability events, and more.

Scaling the Circular Economy

Regardless of the company’s size, from large multinational corporations to startups, there was considerable consensus that “scaling up” the circular economy is crucial for a more sustainable world.

Of course, the devil is in the details. Answers to questions like “What is the circular economy?” often had similar components but were different enough to warrant some concerns by various private and public sector representatives. The lack of precise, agreed-upon standards for what constitutes a “circular solution” creates considerable friction when scaling. As a result, many stakeholders who want to take action are moving forward cautiously, using bespoke standards and approaches rather than globally applicable ones.

Encouragingly, when speaking with representatives from large multinational corporations like McDonald’s, Iron Mountain, and L’Oreal about their path to more circular practices, we learned larger businesses recognize the need to adapt to conducting business more sustainably and at scale. Of course, there are complexities and costs associated with reconfiguring their business structures and workflows and the desire to take action as a business is highly dependent on the clarity of standards. However, regulatory pressures, changing procurement requirements, and shifting consumer sentiment are influencing businesses toward a more sustainable direction.

At the other end of the spectrum, we spoke with many early-stage entrepreneurs and business leaders eager to scale their circular economy solutions. Companies such as Refillable, Green Standards, and Sway offered interesting examples of businesses that, if scaled, could redefine everyday consumption. 

Interestingly, smaller companies consistently reported that “leading with sustainability” wasn’t resonating with potential customers. Typical considerations like cost savings or competitive differentiation were more appealing to their target clients than sustainability or circular impact.

Of course, scaling circular solutions and businesses inherently requires capital and resources. One of the most interesting sessions was the panel “Unlocking the Capital Stack for Circular Transformation,” featuring Hanna Friedman, Founding Principal at Planeteer Capital; Jennifer Louie, Managing Director of Closed Loop Partners; and Bill Caesar, President of Generate Upcycle, which delved into the mindset of large-scale investors focused on regenerative or circular businesses. 

One key theme Bill Caesar highlighted was the crucial need for companies that turn waste into resources to ensure a reliable feedstock supply, significantly impacting the economic viability of circular business models.

Conversations, Connection, and Community

While we gained many insights from the sessions we attended, Circularity 24 was also a remarkable platform for making meaningful connections.

With over 1,400 visionaries, thought leaders, and practitioners from different countries, backgrounds, and industries converging around a shared interest in the circular economy, we were thrilled to participate in both structured and spontaneous opportunities to connect with fellow attendees.

From conversations in lunch lines and on elevator and escalator rides across multiple floors of the venue, to digital interactions through the conference app, and even during an early morning run to the iconic Bean, everyone brought  a sincere and inspiring eagerness to connect and potentially collaborate.

The structured networking sessions were excellent for meeting diverse groups of people, such as first-time attendees, women, BIPOC attendees, and more, as well as creating a sense of belonging.

Sparx  also had the chance to organize a brief meetup of nearly 20 fellow Canadian attendees, including representatives from GEOTAB, Green Standards, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Keurig Dr Pepper Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Quantum Lifecycle Partners. It was great to share insights on the circular economy landscape in Canada and explore ways to support each other in our purpose-driven endeavours.

Marketing is Critical for the Circular Economy

Among the many conversations at Circularity 24, we were particularly interested in exploring the challenges and best practices related to circular economy marketing, and jumped at the chance to attend relevant sessions.

The “More than a Megaphone: Communicating and Collaborating for Circular Success” panel explored how sustainability communicators can facilitate the faster, smoother adoption of circularity as a business strategy. 

Jeffrey Hogue, Chief Sustainability Officer at Levi Strauss, noted that directly talking about sustainability did not have the impact on clothing sales that the team expected. Instead, a campaign that focused on durability as the value proposition of Levi’s jeans performed much better. This suggests that promoting environmental sustainability indirectly can lead to more sustainable outcomes. Several entrepreneurs echoed this sentiment, stating that “sustainability” is not a primary purchasing driver; traditional factors like price, reliability, and convenience still shape business decisions.

Suzanne Shelton of ERM Shelton, who facilitated part of the session, shared research data showing that most consumers equate the circular economy with recycling, a result of decades of recycling education and awareness building. While we should recognize where people currently are and meet them there, scaling up awareness and understanding means more work is needed in conveying other aspects of the circular economy. 

Finally, Nazlican Goksu, Design Director at IDEO, highlighted the significant impact designers can have in determining sustainable products and solutions at the point of inception. To drive home this point, Goksu shared a story about an IDEO-designed toothbrush that later washed ashore on a beach and was brought back to their offices as a reminder of the consequences of designers’ actions. This anecdote also underscored the importance of storytelling as a powerful tool for impactful communication.

Another excellent example of effective storytelling was “The Blue Paradox,” an immersive exhibit held at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.

The Blue Paradox movement aims to inspire collective action by vividly communicating how plastic pollution affects marine life and our daily lives. It encourages individuals, businesses, and governments to protect our oceans by improving how we produce, use, reuse, and recycle plastic.

As we took a detour to navigate the exhibit, we encountered several thought-provoking facts:

  • Around the world, 1 million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute, and up to 5 trillion plastic bags are used annually.
  • On average, a single gallon of tap water contains 34 microplastic particles.
  • The Great Pacific Garbage Patch spans 620,000 square miles, more than ten times the area of Illinois.
  • Around 30% of all plastic on the world’s ocean surfaces forms the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which has increased exponentially over recent decades.

Overall, our experiences at Circularity 24 emphasized the critical role marketing plays in shaping the narrative around sustainable business practices. However, it also became clear that marketing alone is not enough. For sustainable products and services to outperform established offerings, they also need to do so on key parameters like price and convenience. 

Amplify Your Circular Economy Story With Sparx

Circularity 24 was an incredible opportunity for our team to lean into our purpose of amplifying voices that catalyze positive change.

Though this was our first foray into a circular economy conference of this size, it certainly won’t be our last. We learned the value of pacing ourselves and reminding each other to prioritize wellbeing; with so much on the agenda, we had to be selective in how we spent our time and ensure we took breaks to recharge.

Overall, Circularity 24 left us feeling encouraged about how we can help accelerate the transition to a more circular economy. Yet, the most inspiring takeaway is knowing we are part of a community of like-minded businesses and organizations that believe in a better world and work daily to make it a reality. These are the stories that we believe need to reach a wider audience in order to accelerate a shift to a more circular economy.Are you looking to share your circular economy story? We would love to team up and amplify your impact. Contact us for a free marketing consultation.

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Impact Inspiration & Initiatives Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips Sustainability Tips

30+ Eco-Friendly and Zero-Waste Gift Ideas for the Holidays 2023

The holiday season is a time of thoughtful giving, but it can be detrimental environmentally. Thankfully, there are a lot of ways we can spread some holiday cheer while also spreading positive impact.

Alternatives, like finding pre-loved items, are a great way to give unique gifts. Homemade gifts, including sharing recipes, make for personal and heartwarming presents. And making memorable experiences together is something truly priceless.

If you choose to shop for the people on your list, there are plenty of eco-friendly options out there and sustainable ways to gift wrap. Öko Creations offers some beautiful zero-waste gift wrap selections, including reusable bows, gift bags, pouches, and furoshiki wraps made from rescued fabrics. Other waste-free ways to package presents include upcycling gift bags you were given, reusing boxes, wrapping in recycled and recyclable paper, or getting creative with things you already have, like scarves or beeswax wraps.

And if you’re looking for something new and meaningful to buy, check out these sustainable and purpose-driven gift options we’ve rounded up that not only help support the planet but people as well.

Home & Lifestyle

Nature Bee Fire Starters – Keep your loved ones warm all winter long with these eco-friendly fire starters made from beeswax wrap offcuts by Nature Bee, an inclusive, woman-owned and -operated, sustainable Canadian company that uses locally-sourced ingredients to make products in-house.

Mimi & August Reusable Candle – Available in three different sizes, this reusable candle is hand-poured in Canada, 100% vegan and cruelty-free, made from biodegradable soy wax, and uses non-toxic fragrances. The website includes tips on how to use every drop of wax and ways to reuse the jar, including as a coffee cup, a spice container, or jewellery holder.

Friendsheep Wool Handmade Gifts – Handmade for fair wages by Nepalese women artists, these beautiful Eco Coasters are made with 100% cruelty-free New Zealand wool and coloured with azo-free eco-friendly dyes; and these Penguin Dryer Balls are all-natural, organic, fully reusable for over 1,000 loads, and add a touch of wintertime festivity to every load of laundry. Plus, Friendship Wool has a partnership with Eden Reforestation Project meaning a tree is planted for every product purchased; is a member of 1% of the Planet; donates about 20% of all their proceeds to several nonprofit organizations; and is compostable and plastic-free down to the packaging.

Baloo Weighted Blanket – Give a gift of warmth and comfort with this chemical-free, plastic-free, vegan, weighted blanket from Canadian brand Baloo. The fact that the company donates a portion of profits to the Pajama Program and is carbon neutral through a partnership with SeaTrees by Sustainable Surf makes this one feel extra cozy.

Pebbly Compost Bin – This functional, lightweight, and durable compost bin adds sustainability to any home or countertop. It’s made from metal and bamboo, has a handle for easy lifting, comes with a charcoal filter, and a seven-litre capacity.

LastTissue Reusable Tissue Pack – These reusable, 100% Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified organic cotton tissues come in an easy-to-clean silicone case with sewn-in barriers for sanitary storage. Each tissue can be cleaned in a washing machine and used over 520 times. Plus, LastTissue is a certified B Corp, mom-owned, charitable, and practices safe and fair labour, with products that are compostable, cruelty-free, organic, and with low-impact dyes and inks.

Tech & Accessories 

Ronxs Rechargeable Electric Lighters – Save matches and skip the disposable lighters and butane. These electric chargers come in different styles and colours, are USB rechargeable, wind- and weather-proof, and can light hundreds of times per charge, making them a great and practical eco-friendly gift option.

Pela Biodegradable Phone Cases – These plant-based, biodegradable phone cases come in a wide variety of designs and styles to suit the needs of everyone on your list. Plus, Pela is carbon neutral, supports various purpose-driven organizations and nonprofits, partners to help other companies reduce their footprint, is on a mission to keep 10 billion pounds of waste from being made, and donates to Ocean Cleanup and Preservation initiatives each time they make a sale. 

Nimble Ethically-Made Tech – Made using recycled and eco-friendly materials, Nimble’s portable chargers, wireless chargers, and charging cables are housed in plastic-free packaging made from biodegradable recycled paper with no harmful inks or dyes and built to last. These durable charging products are a great gift for all the tech-users in your life. Plus, Nimble includes a recycled plastic bag and a prepaid shipping label with each product so they can recycle old tech and e-waste for free.

Games & Activities 

Bare Market Flower Paper Kit – This eco-friendly kit is ideal for the crafter in your life who wants to engage with nature and enjoy an activity using sustainable and natural materials. Plus, Bare Market offers local delivery and ships using 100% plastic-free upcycled packaging. It’s all part of their mission “to make sustainable and ethical living easy and accessible for everyone, everywhere.”

The Good Tee DIY Shirt Kits – Your loved ones can customize to their heart’s content with these sustainable t-shirt kits that come with water-based, non-toxic, acid-free fabric paints, markers, or natural dye ingredients. They can feel good wearing their creations, as The Good Tee is a certified B Corp on “a mission to humanize the fashion industry,” with durable and sustainable products, a 100% transparent and traceable supply chain, and contribution toward UN Sustainable Development Goals, positively impacting both people and planet.

Zefiro Recycled Coloured Pencils – Support your loved one’s creativity with these recycled coloured pencil sets made from 100% recycled newspapers and packaged in a recyclable travel container. Each set is plastic-free, biodegradable, and compostable. The brand Zefiro is a member of 1% for the Planet and donates 1% of their annual sales toward environmental causes, while the seller, Zero Waste Hero, is a women-operated and -owned Canadian online store dedicated to providing sustainable alternatives.

Made By Bees All Natural Beeswax Crayons – Bring joy to the children on your list with these handmade 100% Canadian beeswax crayons that are safe for all ages, durable, use food-grade pigments, and are made to fit small hands. Each purchase includes a free downloadable colouring book to teach children about bees and encourage creativity. Proceeds from crayon sales will be donated to the Tech Transfer Team based out of the University of Guelph which conducts vital research for Ontario’s beekeeping industry.

Forestation Board Game – This environmental strategy board game is a great gift for families, friends, and gamers alike, and challenges players to build and maintain a sustainable ecosystem of plants and animals. Made by a family-run company in Victoria, BC, the FSC-certified game uses local artwork, animals, and trees to make an immersive experience and is sustainably manufactured in the Netherlands using sustainably sourced materials. Plus, 5% of all sales go to the Wilderness Committee and 5% to the Rainforest Conservation Foundation.

Plantoys Beaver Tumble – This timber-toppling game is sustainably made in Thailand using chemical-free rubberwood, formaldehyde-free glue, organic pigments, and water-based dyes. It’s available for purchase through The Mini Branch, a small Canadian company run by a husband-and-wife team that aims to provide families with durable and sustainable products, offers guaranteed clothing buy-back and no-time limit returns to help encourage sustainability, and supports local vendors and community outreach.

Food & Drink

Fernwood Coffee Beans – Fill their cup with purpose with this coffee blend from Victoria-based company Fernwood, a Certified Canada Organic, Fair Trade, Swiss Water Process, and Offsetters climate-friendly company. Through a partnership with Raincoast Conservation Foundation and Pender Island Conservancy, proceeds from this blend go to the Raincoast Conservation Foundation to fundraise for their project to preserve and protect a special ecosystem in British Columbia’s Gulf Islands.

Raven Rising Holiday Chocolates – Choose from a collection of holiday-themed, sustainable, ethically sourced, traceable, Fair Trade, organic chocolates for the foodie on your list. Ingredients are sourced from Indigenous people and businesses in Canada and globally. Indigenous women-owned and -operated, Raven Rising donates a portion of proceeds to various societies that support Indigenous organizations and carries a number of certifications.

Camino Hot Chocolate – Find a drink for everyone on the list with these certified organic, Fair Trade certified hot chocolate mixes that come in a variety of flavours, including milk, dark, maple, and chili and spice. Canadian company Camino is focused on making both a social and environmental impact through dignified and meaningful employment, sustainable packaging, donating unsold products to food banks, investing in carbon offset bonds, and more.

Pluck Holiday Tea – These limited edition holiday tea blends come in reusable stacking glass jars and three flavours: Apple Spice, Gingerbread Spice, and Chocolate Orange. Made by Toronto-based brand, Pluck, each ingredient is ethically sourced in Canada from a growing network of Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade, and organic certified tea farms. Plus, many of their ingredients are Upcycled Food Association certified and their tea bags are plastic-free, made from plants, renewable, compostable, and biodegradable.

Drizzle Cinnamon Spiced Honey – Gift your loved ones a sweet treat with this holiday-themed Cinnamon Spiced organic, bee-friendly, all-natural, non-GMO, 100% raw honey from certified women-owned and -operated B Corp, Drizzle, who donates 1% of profits to pollinator research.

Self Care

Rockwell Beard Products – Give the gift of plastic-free, anti-static beard care with these durable beard shapers and bristle brushes made from bamboo. Rockwell Razors is on a mission to eliminate single-use plastic from its supply chain, has diverted over 100 tonnes of plastic waste, is committed to continuous improvement when it comes to the sustainability of its packaging, and seeks to create more products that replace traditionally plastic-laden items. 

No Tox Life Moisturizing Vegan Shaving Bar – These gentle, moisturizing, and palm-oil-free shaving bars for body and face ditch plastic bottles to make showers more sustainable and are wrapped in paper for shipping. No Tox Life is a family business run by a mother-and-daughter team that uses plant-derived ingredients and plastic-free, upcycled, and biodegradable shipping materials. 

Educated Beards Beard Wash – Handcrafted in small batches, this beard wash is great for removing ingrown hairs and dirt and is good for all skin and beard types. Non-comedogenic, cruelty-free, made from natural and certified organic ingredients, and housed in 100% biodegradable packaging, this wash is a great gift option from a brand that collaborates with Fair Trade companies and uses local ingredients and vendors wherever possible. 

Sḵwálwen Botanicals Gift Sets – Nourish good with sustainably and renewably hand-harvested, hydrating, and healing gift sets. In harmony with the teachings of their Skwxwú7mesh ancestors, Sḵwálwen uses an Indigenous supply chain, native botanicals, and regenerative practices, works to preserve Indigenous plants, and creates products that are free of harsh chemicals, phthalates, synthetics, and parabens. 

Soft & Butter Caona – Exfoliating Facial Scrub – This sustainable golden honey exfoliating facial scrub is made using an Indigenous plant-to-product model and natural ingredients that help with underlying skin issues. Soft and Butter, founded by Jasmine Swimmer, a member of the Taino Arawak First Nation people, infuses traditional Indigenous plant culture into each product, partners with Indigenous farmers and lawn owners, and champions sustainability and economic growth between Canada and Africa.

Little Seed Farm Holiday Sugar Body Scrub – Your loved ones can luxuriate in the scent of their favourite holiday treats with this all-natural, organic, cruelty-free, peppermint vanilla sugar scrub that comes in a glass jar with a recyclable metal lid. Little Seed Farm, a family-farm–owned and -made brand, is 100% solar powered, uses zero-waste biodegradable and recyclable shipping, and humanely manages a 100% grass-fed goat herd, making this gift guilt-free.

Apparel 

Unbelts Stretch Belts – Equitably made, made to last, and made from recycled materials, these stretchy belts are comfortable, machine-washable, super adjustable, and made in Canada by B Corp-certified company, Unbelts. This female-founded company engages in a lot of social and environmental good initiatives, including donating a portion of their inventory to community organizations, offering mentorship to purpose-driven companies, advocating at sustainable apparel events, and using circular methodologies.

Good For Sunday Save the Ocean Bamboo Crewneck – Made from sustainable bamboo in a family-owned factory in Toronto, every sweater purchased helps protect our oceans and marine life via a $5 donation to Sea Shepherd. Plus, Good For Sunday has embedded environmental and ethical responsibility into all its business processes and practices, including compostable packaging, responsible shipping with carbon offsetting, and an environmentally responsible return program called EcoDrop. 

Solmate Socks – Bundle up for winter with socks made from recycled yarns that contain no added chemicals. Best of all, Solmate is a B Corp with additional certifications by the Global Recycling Standard and Oeko-Tex materials that sources from Recover’s Upcycling System, practices carbon offsetting, and is involved in several giving initiatives to help various causes.

The Better Good Upcycled Wool Mittens – Give a practical and unique gift with these lined winter mitts made with 100% upcycled materials. Your loved ones will feel extra warm knowing that The Better Good sells products that are organic and Fair Trade and made with upcycled, recycled, or renewable materials; works with local producers; is involved in giving initiatives and hosts free community events; and offers a special discount program to help people make values-aligned purchases who wouldn’t be able to otherwise due to costs.

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

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Impact Inspiration & Initiatives Work Life & Culture

Marketing with Purpose: What Makes Sparx Special

Sparx Publishing Group is not your typical digital marketing agency — we’re a team of purpose-driven marketers on a mission to make the world better. And the journey toward better begins with walking our talk.

We don’t just amplify the efforts of purpose-driven organizations; we are purpose-driven. We don’t just champion diversity; we are diverse. We don’t just offer marketing services; we believe in being good at what we do for others by doing it for ourselves.

Here are the core traits that make Sparx, Sparx and empower us to live out marketing with purpose, every day.

We’re Purpose-Driven

Our story began over 10 years ago with a spark of an idea to level the playing field for Canadian self-directed investors via a free online resource called Sparx Trading. To reach and engage this audience, we grew a passion for creating content marketing that has a positive impact on people and planet.

Sparx has come a long way from our humble beginnings. We have since expanded into a purpose-driven marketing agency dedicated to working with companies and organizations who are thoughtful and intentional about making the world a better place. For us, quality, attentiveness to detail, and innovation are reflections of our principles and key aspects of delivering on our purpose. And since our values are so integral to who we are, we want to work with other values-aligned organizations to make their impact shine, amplify their good, and help ignite the spark in other individuals and businesses to be purpose-driven.

Every member of the Sparx team is invested in driving positive change. 

We’re a small team with big dreams, and the biggest one we all share: to make the world better. This is exemplified in our initiatives, Make The World Better Day, which grew out of a place of both loss and hope, and our publication, Make The World Better Magazine, where we amplify the voices of changemakers because we’re inspired by their stories and are rooting for their success.

But making the world better is more than just a dream — it’s a mission we’re working to advance in our day-to-day work too. That’s why all our content is crafted with purpose, as evidenced by our blog, our commitment to the UN Global Compact’s Sustainable Development Goals, our enrollment in the United Way Social Purpose Innovators Program, our circular economy spin on Secret Santa, and the marketing work we’ve done for organizations like Sea Smart and Galt Foundation. 

We also participate in various initiatives that enable us to give back and help others, such as Movember, Kiva loans, and our personal seasonal gifting practices, where we donate funds to causes that are important to our clients. As of 2021, this gifting practice has led us to jointly donate a total of 5,000 meals to various local food banks across Canada and the US and to amplify donations to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and a local humane society in Florida.

Beyond traditional marketing goals, our purpose-driven communications also reflect our belief that being equipped with the right knowledge is another critical part of making the world better. By sharing our takeaways from purpose-driven events we’ve participated in, such as Brand Battle For Good and Make The World Better Day, and raising awareness of mission-aligned recognition days, observances, and organizations through social media and in our newsletter, we hope to inspire others, hold ourselves accountable, and spark meaningful conversation.

We’re Diverse

As a CAMSC-certified minority-owned and -led organization, our team is certified diverse. We’re open to new ideas and every staff member is encouraged to bring their unique perspectives to the table. We’re passionate about amplifying diversity and applying our diverse set of backgrounds and experiences to drive innovation and create marketing that speaks to the plurality of the places we live and the audiences we serve. 

Championing diverse voices and learning about identities different from our own is incredibly important to us. As open-minded marketing experts, we want to help others communicate their diversity story and to do our utmost to help further the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) cause.

One way we’re championing diversity is through Make The World Better Magazine. Our fifth edition, which launched in July 2023, is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion issue. We’re so thrilled to share the inspiring stories of organizations and individuals who are helping to make the world more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible.

Since DEI is a central part of who we are and our purpose-driven communications, we will continue to seek more ways to incorporate it into our Sparx-owned marketing and to amplify more and more diverse voices. As we learn and grow, we will continue to share our DEI learnings, pitfalls, and wins with our audience in the hope of making our own diversity story better.

We Offer Services That We Use Ourselves 

At Sparx, we invest time, energy, and resources into our own marketing because we believe in being good at what we do for others by being good at it for ourselves. 

Our expertise is first-hand — we’re professionals who work in the marketing space, so we know the problems, limitations, and opportunities different workflows bring to client work. Not only does this increase our adaptability and ability to plan, scope, and execute effectively, it enables us to create the best work possible for our clients as we’re constantly refining our processes and skills in our owned brand marketing efforts. 

Everything we do is tried-and-true, and we dedicate ourselves to making the best content, solutions, and strategies possible for us and our clients. We will never deliver solutions we would not feel proud to use for Sparx. 

Whether it’s building websites, blog posts, whitepapers, downloadable guides, marketing collateral, advertisements, brand guides — you name it — we’ve done it for ourselves. This includes:

  • Publishing our own magazine, Make The World Better Magazine and doing this as a service for clients as well, including Canadian Securities Exchange Magazine.
  • Maintaining and regularly crafting new content for our blog and extending this service to our clients, which can be seen in the one-time, series, and monthly blog posts we made for Galt Foundation. 
  • Staying active on our own social media channels and building, publishing, and managing social media content for our clients.
  • Creating downloadable purpose-driven marketing guides, with adjacent marketing campaigns (ads, landing pages, email drip campaigns) to raise brand awareness, and offering this service to our clients as well, including TPD and Work With Us Foundation.

We’re also well-versed when it comes to data. The Sparx team uses data and analytics extensively to inform our decision-making to make sure our own campaigns work as effectively and efficiently as possible. We extend this to our clients in order to provide them with the data and solutions necessary to get the results they need, when they need them. 

And since we know how to manage our workflows and pace ourselves properly, we always deliver quality results. Working against timelines and within budgets? We do that daily.

Conclusion

Walking our talk is an intrinsic part of Sparx because our team members bring a genuine interest, enthusiasm, and passion for the work they do. We’re driven by our purpose to make an impact, as we believe that it’s the right thing to do and that we should always bring our best. This unique combination of elements is what makes our brand special.

Are You Marketing With Purpose?

We’d love to work with your values-aligned organization. Contact us for a free consultation and to help market your one-of-a-kind impact story.

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Impact Inspiration & Initiatives Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips Sustainability Tips

20+ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resources for Purpose-Driven Organizations

Making the world more diverse, equitable, and inclusive is a collective effort. That’s why it’s important to educate ourselves, assess our personal and professional DEI efforts, and find actionable ways to participate in and support the cause.

We’ve compiled a list of helpful DEI resources you can use to deepen your understanding and enact positive change.

DEI Resources from Organizations Featured in Make The World Better Magazine 

Check out these inspiring guides, toolkits, ebooks, and DEI resources from individuals and organizations that have been featured in Make The World Better Magazine.

Bakau Consulting – Resources Toolkit: Bakau Consulting has compiled an exhaustive list of DEI articles, books, podcasts, and other resources covering a wide range of topics, from fundamentals of anti-oppression to strategies for 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion and everything in between. Available in English, Spanish, and Russian.

Benevity – Belonging: The Third Piece of the Diversity & Inclusion Puzzle ebook: Benevity fosters a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and is sharing this fundamental part of their workplace culture with everyone. This guide, directed at corporate social responsibility leaders, teaches companies all about belonging, its importance, and how it benefits the workplace.

Benevity – Your Guide to Creating and Promoting a Culture of Gender Equality: Benevity’s free, downloadable guide is designed to help companies build a workplace culture of gender equality through four actionable steps.

Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion – Glossary of Terms: The Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) has put together a comprehensive 76-page glossary of terms important for understanding and discussing DEI. 

Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion – Responding to social issues – The ‘when’ and the ‘how’ of workplace responses: This guide from CCDI educates employers on if and how to respond to social issues and how to develop a response framework that will ensure employees and communities feel heard and supported.

Diversity in Sustainability – Mamadou Abou-Sarr: Bringing Intentionality to ESG: This interview with Mamadou Abou-Sarr, international financier and Co-Founder of V-Square Quantitative Management, explores the importance of sustainable investing, pressing issues in sustainable finance, and his experiences, achievements, and advice.

QMUNITY – Gender Inclusivity Language: QMUNITY has created a resource that offers ideas for gender-inclusive greetings to ensure mindful language. 

Raven Indigenous Capital Partners – Raven Impact Measurement Framework: Raven Capital’s framework, the Raven Impact Measurement (RIM), provides insight into how they measure the impact the businesses in their portfolio are having on Indigenous Peoples, communities, and on the ecosystem, along with sharing their epistemology, philosophy, investment practices, and alignment to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Sxwpilemaát Siyám / Chief Leanne Joe and Lily Raphael – Step into the River: A Framework for Economic Reconciliation: This Framework draws on Indigenous worldviews about wealth, sustainability, and lived experiences of Indigenous thought leaders and offers values, practices, and ideas for action, providing a deep exploration of the ways in which economic reconciliation could transform our economic system and create positive impact.

DEI Resources from Other Changemakers

AccessibleEmployers – Workplace Accommodation Guide: This guide provides actionable ways to accommodate for both visible and invisible disabilities, proving that increasing workplace accessibility doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive.

Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: Read the 231 individual Calls for Justice directed at governments, institutions, social service providers, industries, and all Canadians in this two-volume report on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirited People (MMIWG2S) epidemic in Canada.

The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion – 10 Tips for an Accessible Website: Discover 10 actionable tips you can start using right away to ensure your website is accessible for all.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation – Talking About Pronouns in the Workplace: This resource highlights the importance of using pronouns in the workplace, offers helpful background information, and provides examples of opportunities to ask for/offer pronouns. 

Good Good Good – 13 Sites to Find Diverse Stock Photos & Why It Matters: Check out this article for stock photo databases that offer a wide range of diverse and inclusive images, including sites that ethically source authentic photos and help support diverse content creators.

LinkedIn – Inclusive Language For Marketers: A Pocket Guide: LinkedIn has created a guide to help marketers incorporate a more inclusive lexicon in all of their communications. The guide includes best practices and alternatives to common exclusionary language.

McLean & Company – DEI Strategy Research: This DEI guide helps HR leaders create a people-first DEI strategy, empowering them to assess their current efforts and gaps, determine a clear purpose and how to carry it out, implement organization-wide DEI, and measure progress.

One Mind At Work – 2022 CHRO Insights Series: Neurodiversity: Uncover key learnings and best practices surrounding neurodiversity in the workplace from leading experts in this 2022 report.

Ten Thousand Coffees – Create an Inclusive Work Environment During Black History Month and Beyond ebook: Ten Thousand Coffees has designed a guide that shares advice, strategies, and experiences from 15 Black business leaders to help workplaces celebrate Black History Month, take year-long inclusive action, and nurture Black and BIPOC talent.

UBC Sustainability Scholars Program – Exploring a Just and Inclusive Circular Recovery: Part of the UBC Sustainability Scholars Program, this report explores the benefits of the circular economy and the social enterprises that intersect with it, offering insight into the jobs that a transition to the circular economy can generate and share, reuse, and repair businesses within marginalized communities.

Veza – Anti-Racism Sample Statement: Equity, diversity, and inclusion organization Veza Global has provided an anti-racism sample statement, which companies can adapt to create their own anti-racism commitment statement and steps.

Sparx PG’s Resources 

Since DEI is so important to Sparx and a crucial part of our DNA, we have created some DEI marketing resources of our own that we hope will benefit you and your purpose-driven organization:

  • Why and How to Add More Diversity Into Your Marketing Efforts: There are many benefits to adding diversity to your marketing efforts, but in order to avoid performative or disingenuous “woke-washing,” we’ve created a guide on how to do it in an authentic, actionable way to truly make the world better.
  • How to Avoid “Rainbow-Washing” during Pride Month: June is Pride month, which means it’s a great time for your organization to live its values and support the 2SLGTBQIA+ community. However, it’s important to make sure your efforts aren’t “rainbow-washing.” Be sure to read our guide on how to be a true ally this Pride month, and beyond.

Join Forces with Sparx

Sparx would love to work with your purpose-driven organization to build a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable community. Want to team up? Give us a shout for a free consultation. Together, we can help make your diversity story shine.

Categories
Impact Inspiration & Initiatives

Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) Grow Your Business Online Grant: Overview, Eligibility Requirements, and Application Process

For small businesses, breaking into digital marketing, including creating, distributing, and monitoring email newsletters, paid advertising, and social media posts, can seem like a daunting process. Your available time may be limited, your team may be small, and you may have budgetary constraints that make outsourcing feel out of reach. 

Thankfully, the Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) offers the Grow Your Business Online grant to help you get started on making digital strides. It’s a great way to grow your company and take advantage of working with a marketing agency on digital services and strategies.

Keep scrolling to learn more about the CDAP grant and where and how to apply. While you’re here, you can also read up on some of the services we offer, which can be covered by the grant.

What is the CDAP Grant?

Gaining a digital edge over the competition is a great way to keep ahead of the curve, increase profit, and grow your purpose-driven business. To help small businesses break into the digital side of operations, the CDAP offers a $2,400 grant. 

The Grow Your Business Online grant can help cover the costs of hiring digital marketing strategy consultants to assist with tasks like website search optimization (SEO) and social media advertising; developing a new e-commerce website or adding functionality to an existing site (redesigning an existing site is not eligible for coverage); installing an e-commerce platform, including subscription fees; bolstering your cybersecurity measures; and more!

Just a note that the CDAP grant can’t be used solely for SEO marketing or social media advertising but can help cover these costs if they’re part of a larger implementation plan.

There are some other costs that are ineligible for grant coverage, such as any purchases made before grant approval and internet connectivity. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the full list of ineligible costs, which can be found here.

By providing this financial assistance to businesses breaking into the e-commerce market, the CDAP has helped a number of businesses flourish, including Toronto-based clean tech company, Suppli. You can browse through success stories on the CDAP website.

Is Your Business Eligible?

Before you dive into the application process, you should familiarize yourself with the Grow Your Business Online grant’s eligibility requirements.

To be eligible, your business must:

  • Be a for-profit business, social enterprise, or co-operative
  • Be incorporated or registered
  • Be consumer-facing, selling services and/or goods directly to end consumers
  • Have at least one employee apart from the business owner or have made a minimum of $30,000 in annual revenue during the most recent tax year 
  • Have a commitment to maintaining your digital adoption strategy for a period of six months

Additionally, to meet eligibility requirements, you must agree to have your business’s name published as a CDAP grant recipient, share information about your experience with the CDAP program, and complete a follow-up survey. 

The Canada Digital Adoption Program has an assessment tool you can use to quickly determine your eligibility likelihood.

The Application Process 

To apply for the Grow Your Business Online grant, visit the CDAP website and follow three steps: review eligibility criteria, work with a local service provider, then apply for the grant.

Once you hit “apply,” you’ll be directed to a service provider selection menu, which is organized by province and territory, and lists multiple providers you can connect with to apply. 

Each provider has its own web portal for the application; some require you to create an account before you can begin, while others will permit you to begin filling out an application form right away.

Some local service providers, like Alacrity Canada, allow for grant registration from the business owner, an employee, or a third party.

Be sure to have the required documentation ready to upload and attach to your application. You’ll need to provide documents that prove your business is a registered business, such as a master business license, article or certificate of incorporation, certificate of registration, or a GST return from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). 

Sparx Publishing Group’s Digital Marketing Services 

Sparx provides full-suite marketing solutions. So, which of our services are eligible for grant coverage, and what kind of packages do we offer?

At Sparx, we offer two service packages: fixed-term project and retainer. Our retainer package is great for long-term marketing support, while our fixed-term project model is ideal for anyone looking for help with a specific project or for kickstarting digital marketing strategies.

We can help you with website creation; social media account creation, management, and marketing; ad campaign creation, analytics, and management; marketing and advertising strategies, campaigns, and implementation; search engine and user experience optimization; and more. Plus, we can help you get started on your new digital marketing path by creating compelling content that tells your business’s unique story. 

Check out our portfolio pages and social media for examples of our work.

Team Up with Sparx

Ready to start building a digital marketing strategy? The purpose-driven experts at Sparx can help. Contact us today for a free consultation.

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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

Diversity and Marketing: Why and How CAMSC-Certified Organizations Should Communicate Their Diversity

As a CAMSC-certified company, diversity is likely a key part of your identity and a value your brand is committed to supporting. Communicating this commitment to diversity will help drive your impact and demonstrate that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is an authentic part of your brand. 

Keep scrolling to discover why sharing your DEI story is an important step on your impact journey and to learn actionable tips that will give your purpose-driven marketing strategy a boost.

Why is DEI Marketing Important?

A DEI marketing strategy is no longer a nice-to-have, it can be make-or-break. In a 2019 survey conducted by Adobe, 61% of respondents said diversity in ads was important. The majority of consumers care about diversity, equity, and inclusion and are interested in marketing that visibly communicates a company’s commitment to DEI.

Marketing that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive also builds trust with current and prospective customers. In the same Adobe survey, 38% of the respondents said they’re more likely to trust a brand with diversity in its advertising, while a Microsoft Advertising Inclusive Marketing Research study found that 70% of Gen Z consumers feel greater trust for brands that represent diversity in their ads. 

Along with building trust and demonstrating a commitment to shared values, DEI representation in marketing drives up engagement and creates long-lasting emotional bonds with your desired audience. For example, 76% of Gen Z consumers are more likely to support brands with authentic advertising. 

DEI marketing is important for another reason as well: it draws in loyal, like-minded consumers who share your vision of a better world, and thus, are more likely to be interested in supporting your CAMSC-certified diverse business and furthering the DEI cause. A recent Deloitte study found that 57% of consumers are more loyal to brands with a commitment to addressing social inequities and that 90% of Gen Z consumers are more willing to make a purchase they believe is beneficial to society. 

When a CAMSC-certified company uses DEI marketing to communicate their unique and authentic diversity story, it’s a win for everyone. It will drive up visibility and engagement for your brand, expand your audience, and further the DEI cause, creating positive impact for all. 

What Does Effective DEI Marketing Look Like?

DEI marketing should be representative of both your internal team and the audience you want to engage with your brand. So, what does that look like exactly? 

Effective DEI marketing removes barriers, celebrates differences, and invites everyone to interact with you by communicating your unique story and values in a way that forms a strong emotional connection. It contains imagery and messaging that is accessible, inclusive, representative of folks from different walks of life and backgrounds, and keeps gender balance in mind. 

After all, representation is a bridge to your brand. Consumers want to feel seen and heard, and will ask themselves, “can I see myself in this?,” which is why 47% of Gen Z consumers are more likely to trust brands that they feel represent them in their advertising. Unfortunately, a Top Design Firms’ study found that only 29% of BIPOC consumers feel that their race is accurately represented in advertising, and a 2021 Facebook study found that 54% of consumers do not feel culturally represented in online advertising, even though 71% of consumers expect brands to promote diversity and inclusion and 59% are more loyal to brands with diverse and inclusive online advertising.

If consumers can’t see themselves as the right fit for an organization’s product or service then they will not feel connected to a brand, and that feeling could result in decreased engagement. To build that bridge and invite in your desired audience, your DEI marketing should represent them accurately while avoiding homogenous, biased, or cliched imagery and messaging.

Communicating Your Diversity 

As part of an effective DEI marketing strategy, you can communicate your diversity story with the following suggestions.

  • Put your CAMSC certification in places where they will be seen, such as your website footer, email signatures, social media profiles, and advertisements and collateral. If you’ve invested in certification, be sure to put it on display.
  • Use images that are representative of diversity, equity, and inclusion across all your content and channels. Consider doing a content audit, if necessary. It’s important to be vigilant when it comes to your visuals so that you avoid exclusionary, biased, or cliched imagery. There are a lot of different databases with stock image collections that represent different demographics and underrepresented groups. You can also use images of your diverse CAMSC-certified team on your website, instead of stock images.
  • Avoid exclusionary language choices. Words are powerful, which is why it’s important to carefully select each word to ensure it supports your message and welcomes your audience. Stay up to date on politically correct terms, look at how different groups refer to themselves and echo their wording to avoid problematic language, use gender neutral words, and be mindful not to include language that supports stereotypes.
  • Ensure that your content is accessible for individuals with disabilities. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provides the international standard for making web-based content accessible for people with disabilities. You can test your webpages and marketing collateral against these standards to help you determine how accessible your website will be for everyone. Make adjustments as needed and ensure text and visuals are clear, readable, and compatible with screen readers.
  • Get everyone’s input. Since your CAMSC-certified organization has a diverse team, it can be extremely helpful to give everyone the chance to provide their input. By bringing forward their unique backgrounds, perspectives, and identities, your teammates can help identify problem areas and provide innovative ways to communicate to audience segments you want to include. Just a note: don’t expect diverse employees to heavy-lift educating fellow staff and/or consumers. Be respectful of their time, energy, and boundaries, and consider how you can compensate them for their efforts if they agree to help out beyond their usual job description scope. 

Conclusion

Integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into your marketing, communications, and content is a huge part of walking your talk and sparking positive change. Creating a more equitable, inclusive, and diverse society rests on all of us. If you can demonstrate that you can do this in your business by marketing with purpose and communicating your DEI story, other people will look at what you’ve done as an example of what they can do as well.

Join Forces With Sparx

As a CAMSC-certified organization, Sparx would love to work with you to build a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable community. Want to team up? Give us a shout for a free consultation. Together, we can help make your diversity story shine.

Categories
Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

3 Marketing Best Practices for Your B Corporation

Achieving B Corporation status is a major milestone for many purpose-driven organizations. If your organization has received or recertified your B Corp status, firstly: congrats! Secondly, some good news: marketing your B Corp in the right way can help you stand out from your peers, deliver a deeper emotional connection with your stakeholders and ultimately maximize your organization’s impact.

How can you make the most of your marketing efforts? Here are three best practices for your B Corporation. 

Tell Your Certification Story

While you may know how rigorous it is to achieve and maintain a B Corp certification, an important question to ask is whether or not your audience does? 

Storytelling is a powerful tool for any purpose-driven marketing strategy. Incorporating your certification journey into your brand’s story can build credibility, emotionally engage your audience, and present a roadmap for achieving mission-critical goals.

For example, with strategic storytelling, your audience can gain an understanding of what compelled your organization to pursue B Corp status and where that fits into the big picture of your brand’s purpose. 

Communicating your intentions, whether it was legitimizing your existing world-changing efforts or deepening your relationships with like-minded suppliers, employees, and stakeholders by having an internationally-recognized stamp of approval, helps to build trust by explaining why having a B Corp certification matters to you. 

Additionally, the more that consumers and other businesses understand the work and commitment it takes to receive and maintain certification, the more respect the certification will command.

An easy way to call attention to your B Corp story is to have a dedicated web page or section on your About page that speaks to your B Corp certification. Once you have a landing point for the story, you can share it with new audience members (e.g. new email subscribers), as well as link to it on your social media channels. Budget-permitting, it could also be a fitting piece of content for an awareness campaign.

Communicate Your Impact

Another important best practice in marketing your B Corp is communicating the difference your brand or organization is making in the world. 

Your audience, whether it is potential or existing customers, as well as other important stakeholders value knowing that putting their support behind a brand results in tangible outcomes. 

So, whether it’s making progress in achieving your UN Global Compact’s Sustainable Development Goals program (if applicable), the amount of waste diverted from a landfill or the number of trees planted as a result of doing business with you, using numbers to clearly communicate progress and impact makes it clear to your audience that your organization values making a difference. 

While it’s a big feat to receive B Corp certification, it’s important to stay accountable to your stakeholders and share impact information as content (e.g. with impact reports or infographics) on your website, blog posts, email newsletters, and/or social media channels. 

Demonstrate That You Walk Your Talk 

Companies tend to think their internal operations aren’t newsworthy, but we know the power that small actions adding up over time can have.

When it comes to creating content to deliver to those who’ve expressed an interest in you, there’s a good chance your community will find small wins just as impactful and meaningful as your big PR pushes.  

As a B Corp, it is particularly important to demonstrate via your marketing mix that you are living by your mission to not only achieve and maintain your B Corp status, but to show your stakeholders that you’re truly “walking your talk.”

Here are some tangible suggestions on how to market walking your talk:

  • Keep your audience up-to-date on mission-aligned events you attend, company functions, and staff education sessions, and use these to generate content, such as event takeaways.
  • Add authenticity into your content by featuring profiles of your employees on your website and on your social media channels.
  • Make sure your website content is accessible, such as using alt-text, considering readability and design, and more.
  • Announce certifications, third-party recognitions and partnerships, and process updates.
  • Be transparent about your supply chain. Working with certified diverse suppliers, like Sparx, boosts your B Corp score and ensures your procurement remains mission-aligned.

Conclusion

The more that consumers and other businesses know about what it takes to achieve and maintain B Corp status, the greater the value that certification will have. 

By investing time and energy in these three important marketing best practices, we’re confident that you can help set your B Corp up for success, and ultimately provide the world with a better way of doing business. 

Get in Touch

Want to use marketing to share your B Corp story? Whether you need extra hands, hearts or ideas on how to do so, we’d love for you to contact the experts at Sparx for a free consultation. 

Categories
Impact Inspiration & Initiatives Work Life & Culture

An Update on Our Progress in UN Global Compact’s Sustainable Development Goals Program

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. 

In the meantime, be sure to check out our Make The World Better Magazine and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. 

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.

Categories
Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips Sustainability Tips

How to Avoid Greenwashing Your Brand

With over two-thirds of North American consumers preferring sustainable brands today, it’s no surprise that many organizations are responding by prioritizing environmentally-conscious business practices, such as reducing carbon emissions, using recycled materials, or donating to related causes. 

This has given way to green marketing, which is essentially organizations’ efforts to shout how amazing their environmentalism is through their advertising. All good things to fight the climate crisis, right? 

Well, unfortunately, there is a growing trend of brands making unsubstantiated green marketing claims, which leads them to be under scrutiny for false or misleading information, known as greenwashing. This can lead businesses to lose money and customers, receive negative reviews, and even be the target for class-action lawsuits.  

While Kermit the Frog may think “it’s not easy being green,” we think implementing authentically green business practices isn’t an out-of-reach ambition. At Sparx Publishing Group, innovation and sustainability is at the forefront of the content we create to make the world better. Here are our three tips to avoid greenwashing and reap the rewards of implementing green marketing into your marketing strategy. 

Become a Truly Green Business

The first step to avoid greenwashing is to practice what you preach. Do your research and commit to becoming a green business for real. Not only will you be contributing to positive environmental change, but marketing your green practices can improve your stock performance and get more loyal, higher-paying customers, as discussed in this Barron’s article. 

For more information on sustainable business practices, check out our article. Once you have an idea of ways you can make the world better, learn about setting SMART goals in cause marketing, including SMART goals examples. You can also harness the power of technology and social media to do good. 

Get Your Business Tested and Certified

Before you go to market with your green product, it’s advised to get your product certified. CSA Group is a Canadian standards organization “dedicated to safety, social good and sustainability” that can evaluate your product and, if approved, give you a sustainability mark, which will set you apart in the marketplace. 

As well, any buildings you operate can be evaluated with green building certifications. Becoming a B Corp (Benefits Corporation) is another excellent seal of approval to prove to customers you reach the highest standard of social and environmental performance.  

Communicate Your Sustainable Efforts to Customers

While it can be tempting to look better on paper, it’s worse to be discovered fraudulent or misleading. Communicate your sustainable efforts in an accessible, honest, and repetitive way for your customers and stakeholders. 

For example, this study found that Timberland, a United States-based manufacturer, sticks labels that resemble nutrition facts onto their product boxes. These labels list information regarding the company’s environmental practices, such as their environmental footprint, number of trees they’ve planted, and the total of their renewable, organic, and recycled material in their products. 

We’re Here to Help You

Sparx Publishing Group is a full-service marketing agency creating content to make the world better. If you need help with making a real, positive impact without greenwashing your brand, reach out to Sparx here. 

Categories
Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

Why and How to Lead with Your Values in Content Marketing

As the saying (or misquote from Field of Dreams) goes, “If you build it, they will come.” You have big dreams of making the world better, and chances are, there are people out there who share the same dreams and values.

Connecting with people to grow a value-aligned following can result in positive benefits for your organization in the long-term. Not saying that short-term wins aren’t important, but focusing on them exclusively, is, well, a little short-sighted. Here’s why and how you should lead with your values in content marketing. 

Why You Should Lead with Your Values in Content Marketing

1. Grow Your Community

By leading with your values, you humanize your organization, which makes it easy for people who share those same values to naturally gravitate towards your brand. This community is not only a place for relationship building and education around your important work, it’s also an invaluable source of feedback on how your organization is doing.

Plus, these followers represent a crucial part of your customer base. 90% of people buy from brands they follow on social media, according to a Sprout Social survey. The bigger your community, the more potential customers you have.

2. Maintain a Loyal Customer Base

When people like what you do and connect to it, they tend to stick around. And not only do they stick around, but they may become your biggest fans and cheerleaders. They’ll likely recommend you to your friends, write positive reviews, and continue to make purchases. 

Loyal customers are the right people to have on your side, considering customers trust family and friends’ opinions the most before making a purchase. That’s pretty powerful stuff.

3. Improve Your Bottom Line

If you’ve read point #1 and #2, this point should come as no surprise. Leading with your values means growing a loyal following, which leads to growing a loyal customer base, which leads to word of mouth spreading to even more future fans and customers. 

It’s also important to remember that the product or service you offer makes the world better. Not only does leading with your values help your bottom line and keep your organization growing, it also helps you achieve your environmental and social goals, because more people are making the better choice by interacting with your brand. 

How to Lead with Your Values in Content Marketing

1. Prepare Value-Driven Content for Each Phase of the Marketing Journey 

In case you weren’t aware or hadn’t considered how prospective customers become loyal fans, we’re here to convert you to using the customer journey in your content marketing efforts (wink). If you don’t have a marketing strategy, now is a good time to make one. And don’t worry, your marketing efforts don’t have to break the bank, there are plenty of ways to up your marketing game on a budget.  

Here are the four stages of the customer journey to keep in mind when creating marketing content:

  • Awareness – Like it says on the tin, this is the stage where you’re building awareness of your organization among prospective customers. Content marketing at this stage should be educational and start with why you do what you do.
    This can include revamping your “About” page, informative infographics, or educational videos that communicate your values and how you’re making the world better. If you’re unsure how to communicate your values, check out our blog. What’s important here is to be genuine, prove your value, and show that you offer a solution. 
  • Consideration – Now that your followers know what you do (and why), they may reach the point where they’re considering your product or service. At this stage, you’ll want to stand out from competitors. While you no longer have to focus quite so much on educating customers, it’s important to move customers closer to a decision while not pushing too hard. You can build trust by creating content that positions you as an expert in the space, such as case studies and FAQs.
  • Conversion – This stage is where your customers are ready to make a purchase – you just may need to edge them along. Your content marketing here should remind them why your product or service is the more ethical and sustainable choice, and what differentiates your company from any competitors.
  • Loyalty – As mentioned in the first part of this blog, leading with your values is a great way to build customer loyalty. Continuing to create share-worthy content about the amazing work you’re doing enables your customers and fans to share your content and amplify your good work, getting more people into your customer funnel at the awareness stage. 

2. Lean on Your Customers and Community

Remember your growing community? They’re also an invaluable source of impactful content ideas. Your community can tell you exactly what kind of content is important to them. Are they sharing an important cause? Using a specific hashtag? See if there are any aligned passions that make sense for your organization to get involved with. For example, Lyft Toronto acknowledges the pride of the LGBTQ2SAI+ community in the city and actively gets involved in the city’s pride events every year. 

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.