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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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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

Sparx’s Circular Economy Marketing Advice Masterpost

If we want to make the world better, we need to transition to the circular economy.

Sparx is determined to help amplify the good being done by purpose-driven organizations like yours — we even have our own 3Ps of Sustainability Practices (Philosophy, Possibility, and Profitability) which we use to approach marketing in the circular economy space. As such, we’ve written articles over the years to help changemakers share their sustainability stories, educate individuals about the circular economy, and expand their reach to a wider audience. 

We’ve compiled this masterpost to share advice and highlights from several of our circular economy articles and to provide quick and easy access to each blog post. Keep scrolling for tips you can start using right away! 

Table of Contents

  1. Overcome Challenges Unique to Sustainable Marketing
  2. Avoid the Appearance of Greenwashing Your Brand
  3. Reframe Consumers as Investors
  4. Help Your Audience Rethink Waste
  5. Use Storytelling

Overcome Challenges Unique to Sustainable Marketing

When it comes to convincing people to choose your company, you may face specialized marketing challenges as a purpose-driven organization. 

Here are some ways to overcome these challenges:

  • Communicate Your Value to Customers: Include an “About” page on your website that showcases your backstory, goals, and impacts. Periodically share this page and related content on your social media platforms, emails, and advertisements to educate new customers and remind existing customers of the impact of your good work.
  • Rise to the Challenge of Meeting Higher Customer Expectations: Ensure your marketing-adjacent user experiences, such as your website and your customer service channels, are solid and easy to use, so customer satisfaction is not only met, but exceeded. 
  • Stand Out From the Competition: Focus on what makes your company unique – and get specific. Communicate these differences, and their impacts, through your marketing efforts. Make sure you have a distinct visual identity (i.e. logo, fonts, imagery, and colour palette), and tone of voice that fits with your values and resonates with customers. Keeping up with trends can also ensure that you’re also keeping up with (or getting ahead of) the competition. 

Read more: Challenges That Are Unique to Sustainable Marketing and How to Overcome Them 

Avoid the Appearance of Greenwashing Your Brand 

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.  

To avoid being misconstrued as greenwashing, you can: 

  • 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 give you a sustainability mark. 
  • Communicate Your Sustainable Efforts to Customers: Communicate your sustainable efforts in an accessible, honest, and repetitive way for your customers and stakeholders. 

Read more: How to Avoid Greenwashing Your Brand 

Reframe Consumers as Investors

In order to empower consumers and businesses to choose purpose-driven products and services over the “default option,” brands need to provide resources that will educate consumers about true cost. Once made aware of this information, perceived value will begin to shift and purchasers will be equipped to decide if a brand’s impact is really worth their investment.

  • Explain Return on Investment: Consider treating customers more like investors. Investors want to feel that the reward is greater than the risk, they want to see tangible impact, and they want to know they can trust your brand. Also, by reframing customers as investors, the end game for companies and brands shifts to ensure they’ve considered how their customers can feel invested in seeing the brand they support thrive. 
  • Draw Lessons from Luxury Brands: Consumers of luxury goods spend their money because it allows them to make a statement about the vision they want to project. If purpose-driven brands follow this example and clearly communicate why their products or services are worth the premium price, it will encourage customers to invest. 
  • Report Your Impact: Whether you use social media, press releases, e-mail newsletters or other documentation, your steps to live out your vision can’t be taken in secret. They have to be a part of your communications flow, ingrained into your online presence, and something your audience can easily access through your website. Seventh Generation, for example, publicly presents their Climate Impact Report. 
  • Build Trust with Third-Party Recognition: Certifications such as 1% for the Planet, along with other recognitions such as third-party partnerships, programs, initiatives, and event participation all indicate to your customers that they can trust they will have a real impact when they invest in your brand’s goods and services.

Read more: Mind the Value-Action Gap: How Reframing Consumers as Investors Can Improve Marketing Results for Purpose-Driven Brands  

Help Your Audience Rethink Waste

Sparx attended the Zero Waste Conference 2022, which got us inspired about building a waste-free future.

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. 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 Shane 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.  

Read more: Zero Waste Conference 2022 Recap: Inspiring a Flood of Change 

Use Storytelling

Storytelling will help you better engage, inspire, and lead your audience on the long journey to the day when the circular economy just becomes “the economy.” 

  • Know Your Target Market Audience(s): Break down your audiences into primary and secondary groups through segmentation. It’s important that you get specific with your various audiences to understand who will have the most impact, and, therefore, who you should be reaching and creating resonance with. Depending on what sector you’re in within the circular economy space there may be unique audiences you’ll want to target.
  • Determine Your Current Challenges: What are the current challenges/problems your organization is facing that marketing/communications could help overcome? Knowing these challenges can help you focus on a story that would appeal to your target audience and cause them to perform a desired action. 
  • Use Storytelling to Reach Your Impact Goals: Storytelling allows you to activate the imagination of your audience, which can help you stand out from the noise, establish a deep connection, and ultimately get their buy-in.

Here are some tips for effective storytelling:

  • Establish a brand voice if you don’t have one
  • Choose a clear, concise message
  • Include personal anecdotes when appropriate
  • Look to others for inspiration. For example, check out Warby Parker’s Our Story page 

Read more: Why and How Circular Economy Companies in Canada Should Use Storytelling

Communicate Your Circular Economy Impact

Looking for marketing services to share your circular economy story or give a specific project a boost? The experts at Sparx would love to help amplify your efforts. Contact us for a free consultation. 

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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

Considerations Before Hiring a Marketing Specialist

When it comes to the purpose-driven space, marketing efforts not only include standard marketing goals but also serve to inspire action, communicate impact, attract the attention of like-minded audiences, and help the organization face greater degrees of scrutiny and expectation than brands outside the space. 

A lot of purpose-driven organizations search for a talented marketing specialist who can help achieve these goals by checking every possible box. But finding someone with the right combination of skills, innovative thinking, and expertise is no simple task. So, what should you look for when you want to hire a marketing specialist? 
Here’s what a marketing specialist should do, what they shouldn’t do, and what are the alternatives for a full-stack solution at a comparable cost.

What Marketing Specialists Should Do 

According to Glassdoor, marketing specialists “develop, execute, and monitor marketing programs across a variety of channels.” While the scope of a marketing specialist will vary on the budget, needs, and size of the organization, their focus should be on, you guessed it, marketing. 

A marketing specialist’s role should primarily consist of:

  • Understanding key business initiatives and implementing the marketing plan/strategy;
  • Supporting, project managing, and coordinating tasks for the execution of marketing campaigns;
  • Tracking marketing initiatives to adjust if necessary;
  • Conducting research on key areas, including competitors, customers, and trends, to identify opportunities for marketing;  
  • Working with the creative team (i.e. copywriter and graphic designer) to develop marketing collateral.

What Marketing Specialists Shouldn’t Do  

Finding a jack-of-all-trades marketing specialist, equipped with an entire team’s worth of skill sets, is like finding a unicorn. Even if someone has all the desired skills, the sheer volume of work they are expected to handle tends to reduce their bandwidth and increase the chances of burnout and human error. 

A marketing specialist should not be expected to:

  • Work independently, expecting them to be an expert in and cover all areas of marketing;
  • Create professional-level brand and marketing material (i.e. copy, design, video, etc.);
  • Carry out duties that should be assigned to a marketing manager, such as setting budgets, developing the marketing strategy, or reporting to executives; 
  • Perform IT and HR tasks.

Finding the Right Solution

While an in-house marketing specialist may be the right choice for your organization, outsourcing your marketing may be a better solution depending on your needs. If you are interested in a full-stack marketing solution, agencies and vendors like Sparx are an excellent alternative to consider.

Marketing agencies fill knowledge gaps with specialized expertise, creating professional marketing strategies and campaigns. As a team of experts, they provide top-quality talent across multiple channels, from analytics and web design to branding and advertising. 

Having a dedicated team of experts who already know how to work together, consistently work to stay current on the latest trends and best practices in the space and can assist your in-house marketing professional means your existing staff won’t have to deprioritize other tasks, and you don’t have to worry about the hiring and training process.

Not only that, but marketing agencies tend to use sophisticated tools and technologies, such as pricier software for design or analytics, that may not be accessible to in-house teams because of budget constraints. This leads to new levels of efficiency and effectiveness and opens up new avenues of innovation.

Working with marketing vendors and agencies also presents a lot of flexibility. You can scale up or down based on your needs, enabling you to find the ideal solution for your marketing budget.

Sparx is a Mission-Aligned Alternative

Looking for a full-stack, purpose-driven marketing solution? Contact the experts at Sparx for a free consultation. We’d love to help make your impact story shine.

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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

Why and How Circular Economy Companies in Canada Should Use Storytelling

In a world where consumption rules and waste is taking over, your organization is ready to help save the day.

As a circular economy organization, you already know the benefits of reusing, repairing, refurbishing, remanufacturing, repurposing, or recycling products. But the journey to rally others on your quest for impact may seem incredibly lonely.  

Bam! Suddenly, a conveniently-timed character has entered the scene to help guide your marketing and offer a beacon of clarity to your communications. Their name is storytelling. 

Setting and achieving your impact goals can be daunting given that the circular economy hasn’t entered the mainstream yet. And if getting attention is hard enough, imagine sustaining that attention to explain something that most people haven’t even really heard of. 

As an impact-led enterprise, connecting with your audience at a deeper level is crucial. Storytelling will help you better engage, inspire, and lead your audience on the long journey to the day when the circular economy just becomes “the economy.” 

To avoid getting lost in the plot and deliver compelling communications leading up to the Zero Waste Conference, here’s how to effectively use storytelling to reach your impact goals. (Cue the cliffhanger.) 

Know Your Target Market Audience(s)

Before you can begin using storytelling as a marketing tool, you first need to break down your audiences into primary and secondary groups through segmentation. 

According to Bizfluent, “the primary target market is the group of consumers a business covets the most or feels is most likely to be the purchaser of its product or service.” As you can imagine, secondary audiences are those that fall closely after primary in terms of desirability. 

It’s important that you get specific with your various audiences to understand who will have the most impact, and, therefore, who you should be reaching and creating resonance with. Depending on what sector you’re in within the circular economy/zero waste space, as well as your impact goals, there may be unique audiences you’ll want to target.

Here are a few sector-specific audiences:

Public/Government: Legislators, personnel, general public.

For-profit: Since the circular economy is new in the mainstream, audiences may need to get created; however, they may be cohorts of current “green” consumers. 

Non-profit: Employees (often unpaid volunteers), donors, board members, etc. 

Determine Your Current Challenges

Before you can devise a story to share through your marketing channels, ask yourself: What are the current challenges/problems your organization is facing that marketing/communications could help overcome? 

Knowing these challenges can help you focus on a story (or stories) that would appeal to your target audience and cause them to perform a desired action. 

For example, if you’re a non-profit in need of volunteers, perhaps you could highlight one of your current volunteers, including why they started volunteering, what they like about volunteering, and how volunteering at your organization makes an impact on the planet. Individuals who connect with the “characters” in the story are more likely to consider contributing to your organization, including possibly volunteering.

While most circular economy organizations may currently face the common issue of educating stakeholders about the zero waste space and the circular economy, there may be challenges specific to your organization and/or sector that are worth focusing on in more detail. 

Sector-specific challenges:

Public/Government: Getting funding and legislation passed and/or buy-in from stakeholders.

For-profit: Audience growth, lead generation, and/or sales. 

Non-profits: Appealing to board members, getting donations, finding volunteers, etc. 

There may also be challenges you’re facing with your marketing efforts. Luckily, we offer tips on how to identify and overcome them. 

Use Storytelling to Reach Your Impact Goals

Now that you know your audience and have identified your current challenges, you’re ready for the inciting incident: telling your story(ies). 

While it may seem daunting, humans have been telling stories for thousands of years; it’s sort of our thing. 

Storytelling allows you to activate the imagination of your audience, which can help you stand out from the noise, establish a deep connection, and ultimately get their buy-in.

Perhaps you didn’t realize that you were already doing it by leading with your values, but marketing relies heavily on telling stories — in this case, your story. 

In order to do this effectively, you need to take this “novel” concept of the circular economy — something, of course, Indigenous people have been doing for centuries — and package it in a way that is accessible and familiar.  

Here are some tips for effective storytelling:

  • Establish a brand voice if you don’t have one
  • Choose a clear, concise message
  • Have a clear structure; a beginning, middle, and end is a good place to start
  • Include personal anecdotes when appropriate
  • Use one of seven familiar story archetypes, such as Overcoming the Monster or The Quest 
  • Look to others for inspiration. For example, check out Warby Parker’s Our Story page 

By applying these tips, you can more effectively share your brand vision to achieve your impact goals, thus helping the circular economy at large — and the world, one story at a time. 

Get in Touch

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

If you’re in the business of making the world better too and need help creating great content, digitally delighting your customers, marketing your business, or you simply have marketing-related questions, the experts at Sparx Publishing Group are always available to chat. You can reach us here.

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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

Why and How to Add More Diversity Into Your Marketing Efforts

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

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

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

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

Why You Should Consider Adding More Diversity to Your Marketing

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

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

How to Add More Diversity to Your Marketing 

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

Get Expert Marketing Support with Sparx  

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

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Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips Work Life & Culture

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

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

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

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

Benefits of Remote Work for the Environment

1. Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions

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

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

2. Improved Air Quality

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

3. Decreased Carbon Footprint 

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

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

4. Reduced Waste

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

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

5. Decreased Water Waste and Microplastics

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

Benefits of Remote Work for Your Personal Environment

6. Improved Work-Life Balance

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

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

7. Increased Range of Job Opportunities

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

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

8. Decreased Commute-Related Stress

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

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

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

Work with Sparx

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

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

Categories
Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips Sustainability Tips

Sustainable Business Practices

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

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

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

Sparx’s 3Ps of Sustainability Practice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get In Touch

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

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