5 Traits of Every Successful and Sustainable Marketing Campaign

Julie Starr • April 28, 2022



Finding your feet in terms of marketing as a sustainable business can be tricky to navigate when you’re in the early stages of starting up. You realize that the world of online marketing is loud, busy, and often hard to break through, but now is the time to sit down and do your research so that you’re aware of the most successful traits of a sustainable marketing campaign. When it comes to advertising your eco-conscious business, you need to commit to your cause and use your voice to spread the message of your brand ethos and purpose. Consider some of the following ideas to get you started in crafting your very first marketing campaign in the sustainable sector. 

  • Digital Marketing Methods

Traditional methods of marketing are a big no-no when you’re competing in the world of sustainability. Everything you create should be via a digital platform so that your carbon footprint is as small as possible. Digital marketing companies will agree that printed ads, direct mail, and newspapers are slowly decreasing in popularity due to the online space and the impact it can have on consumers. Using email marketing campaigns, social media, and SEO on your website are all eco-friendly and impactful methods of digital marketing to explore.  And if you aren’t up to speed on how they all work, you can turn to an SEO marketing company for support. Getting that expert advice on platforms, you’re unsure about can help to make your efforts more of a success.

  • A Clear Unique Selling Proposition

When you have solid selling principles that differentiate you from other competitors in your space, you need to use this to your advantage and incorporate it into your brand messaging. Your unique selling proposition should clearly resonate with your ideal client and it will carry them through the customer journey seamlessly.

  • Eco-Conscious Design Elements

Using design elements to emphasize your sustainability standpoint is effective. From sourcing specialist materials for your packaging to reassessing manufacturing processes, there are a number of ways to make your product green from day one.

  • Reflective Pricing Strategies

Unlike mass-produced products, handmade, eco-friendly products often have a higher price tag. This is often because more thought and care is taken into the production and packaging of the item in order to reduce the impact on the environment. Intentional pricing strategies will put your brand in a good place in the market from the moment you launch.

  • Social Proof of Your Sustainability

It’s no secret that eco-conscious consumers are the most cynical audience of them all, so providing clear social proof of your sustainability strategies is a must if you want to build trust. Letting people know that your brand is sustainable isn’t always enough, so you need to go the extra mile in order to prove it. For example, you can use the appropriate eco-labels on your products, craft a statement for social media, publish reports about your sustainable actions and share behind-the-scenes footage with your followers of how your products are made.

As you can see, there are a number of successful ways to craft your sustainable marketing strategy and form a strong connection with your ideal audience. Heightening brand awareness and spreading the word about what you do will be your sole purpose whilst your business gets off the ground. Once you become more well-established you will be able to work with a marketing expert to help you hone in on your message even further and make a bigger impact.

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.