Innovation

As a small business focusing on promoting other companies in the Southern Ontario region, Roots Marketing is aware of the social impact of what exactly they are advertising. With access to televisions in public spaces all over Southern Ontario, Fred Scheuer and his team knew they had a responsibility to inform the public. Collectively, the team at Roots Marketing found a way to utilize their marketing expertise to increase environmental awareness while rewarding companies that practice those strategies.

Roots Marketing selects one company working to help climate change with two years of free marketing. This includes social media marketing, e-mail and SMS marketing, Google advertisements, and television advertising. In order to decide which companies to help, each employee will recommend a local company located in Southern Ontario, and describe why they believe that company deserves the free service. The team will come to a collective decision and choose 1-3 of these companies to help. "We're always coming up with different strategies to innovate, to give back to the environment... one of those strategies is we pick one company in every community that we operate in... we pick a company in each of those cities and provide them with free marketing services for 2 years."

This initiative began when Fred Scheuer became the President of Roots Marketing in 2021. After selecting which companies were going to receive the free services, Roots Marketing used their pre-existing marketing strategies and tools that they use for regular, paying clients.

Inspiration

During the years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fred Scheuer found himself with a lot more time to himself. Living in the Guelph area, Fred found himself going outside to the vast amount of hiking trails and nature hotspots the area has to offer. As someone who started his company during the pandemic, spending time in nature helped him destress after a long day and allowed him to reflect on how he could improve his company. He thoroughly enjoyed the time he spent in the great outdoors and, as a father, wanted future generations to experience the same joys of nature. Bringing a positive change to the environment has always been a core value of the firm. As a marketing company, Roots Marketing understood that it would be difficult and inefficient use of resources to try and develop initiatives to help the environment themselves. Instead, they decided it would be best to use their expertise and experience in the marketing industry to work with companies that share the same values of helping the environment. "It came pretty naturally... given who we are and what our core values are, the environment was one of them (core values)... we brainstormed together ways to live out this core value every day." Fred's team collectively decided the best way to give back to the environment is to provide free marketing services to companies that have sustainable initiatives. Fred mentioned that when he started his company, he knew that he wanted to give back to the community in some way; and quickly decided that the best way to do this was to provide free services to firms that help the environment.

Overall impact

Roots Marketing started as a marketing firm with a handful of employees with like-minded ideals, such as being passionate workers, having respect for others around them, and caring for the world they live in. Fred stated that after the innovation came into effect, he found that the company was growing internally and externally.

The small group that previously worked at the firm, saw an increase in employee satisfaction. Additionally, Mr. Scheuer mentioned that this initiative increased his firm's social image. For example, he said that it has helped attract potential employees to his company; and that when he discusses the initiative while interviewing potential employees, they are typically impressed by the work that Roots Marketing does to help the environment.

This initiative is still relatively new, so it is difficult to measure its long-term impacts. However, in the short term, Mr. Scheuer mentioned he has seen some of the companies he has provided free services to grow significantly with the help of Roots Marketing. This initiative helps companies grow their business at no cost, and the savings can be used to further enhance of operations of the company and to improve the sustainable initiative itself.

Business benefit

A majority of Roots Marketing’s advertisements are shown on televisions in public areas. The main objective of these advertisements is to increase exposure for the companies that hire Roots. The main benefit that has been seen by Roots Marketing is the increase in clients since the innovation was implemented. This innovation has resulted in Roots Marketing receiving free word-of-mouth advertising and has helped it build a strong reputation in the communities where it operates. For example, Roots Marketing was able to onboard a new, paying client, whom they were introduced to by a company that they provide free services to. The company receiving the services was impressed with Roots Marketing and told their suppliers about the company, which eventually resulted in Roots Marketing adding a new client and increasing revenue.

In addition to new clients, the innovation is used as a way to demonstrate the company's culture to potential employees. Mr. Scheuer mentioned that potential employees are very impressed by this innovation, and it gives them proof that Roots Marketing is truly concerned about more than just profits.

Social and environmental benefit

This innovation is currently working toward the 13th SDG, Climate Action. The main objective of the initiative is to increase exposure in one way or another. By increasing the number of clients, more companies that are working toward a cleaner future get exposure to the public, and the public is exposed to more information regarding climate action. As we all know, the internet is where most advertisements are found. By creating more appealing ads on all platforms, it extends the exposure of local companies to a greater scale. This allows these companies to increase their exposure without having to invest in marketing, and this saved cost can be invested into improving their initiatives for the environment.

Interview

Fred Scheuer, Founder