5 Creative Ways to Get Your Brand Message Across

Julie Starr • February 25, 2022



There is much more to attracting clients than simple advertising. And in the 21st century, using creative ways to get your brand noticed requires a mix of the traditional and contemporary.

TV Commercials

Billions of people each day watch TV, where the power of advertising is prominent. TV advertising is more successful than any other media source, and adults spend 23 times more minutes watching ads on TV than on their phones or tablets. But making an effective advertisement is challenging and requires a professional touch. So, a reputable video production company will work with you to develop an ad around what your brand stands for. As a result, sustainability and green messages can become associated with your company.

Local Collaboration

Establishing solid connections with a community can be done through local collaboration. For example, you can effectively market your brand and image to the public via local artists, singers, and writers. Additionally, you can offer brand promotion with fun activities. Examples include workshops, talent competitions, and training. Also, local artists are helpful for advertising through traditional media, and even better if they have a social media following. These include original art, creative video collaboration, and photography.

Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasts

Blogs, vlogs, and podcasts offer excellent value as an alternative to paid advertising. You can begin any of these with minimal expenses on platforms like YouTube. Podcasting is one of the fastest-growing media forms today, with comic book podcasts currently a popular form of entertainment. Therefore, simply talking about your green passions , such as recycling, can be inserted into a related topic. Further, relevant blogs are a great way to reach a large audience for little or no money. It is estimated that 4 billion people browse their favorite blogs every day. All it takes is for you to have a content brief in place so you know what you write about. Then you can start generating content to promote your brand and reach your target audience.

Influencer Marketing

A well-known online influencer is likely to increase interest in your company. Influencers include online celebrities like Michelle Phan and PewDiePie. They’re trendy and have lots of followers. Therefore they have instant reach to millions of potential customers. However, influencers don’t simply accept money for mentions, so your message needs to resonate with them. But some influencers will often review free stuff. Utilizing the power of influencer marketing in this way is a modern, authentic, and trusted method of social media promotion.

Social Media Ads

Social media is big business today. But with just one post, you can reach millions. Your business may not be able to afford the cost of marketing, but free advertising from likes and shares can make your posts go viral. Nevertheless, there is a range of social advertising options, and it’s hard to stand out in a sea of ads. When people scroll through targeted ads, a professional brand video company will create materials that grab their attention. Engaging users and potential customers further is an excellent way to build buzz around your message.

Summary

There are many ways you can promote a message over multiple mediums. Working with talented people is the best and works well when your message resonates with theirs.

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.