Why Balancing Sustainable Marketing and Great Creativity Is Not Only Possible, but the Only Way Forward

Newly B Corp certified creative agency The Onlii has become one of a handful of British ad agencies to legally commit to meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.

As such, The Onlii is part of a growing wave of organisations placing sustainability at the heart of everything they do - with the challenges and steep learning curves that this means in a GDP-driven economy. 

“There’s so much to learn - and unlearn - when it comes to social and environmental justice, but as a sustainable marketing agency we are committed to solving existing problems through our work instead of creating new ones for society,” say the agency's founders, managing director Rob Minto, operations director Natalie Minto and executive creative director Mark Harris.

So when the lively Leeds-based team behind the agency set up shop two years ago, they did so as a ‘purpose-driven organisation’ - a defined standard since last year - with a leadership deeply committed to equity, equality, diversity and inclusion. When you ask about their name, each of the founding team have their own take - from ‘we are the only agency doing this’ to ‘only accepting the best’, ‘only using what you need’ (a sustainable consumption mantra) and ‘the onlii constant is change’, to seeing the O/circle as a good symbol of circularity and life cycles, it being a playful name and the ii representing equality.

Regardless of interpretations, according to Robit all comes together with their common purpose and mission. “We are one of the first creative agencies that is fully sustainable and we want to help drive the change that is urgently needed [humanity has now crossed six of nine planetary boundaries]. This means we worked really hard to get our house 100% in order from the start and are transparent on our environmental and societal impacts," he says.

Granted, setting up an entirely self-funded business is a major risk in any scenario; add to this a business intent on creating shared value without the right policies in place to support this, against a backdrop of global pandemic and cost of living crisis, and you have a seemingly impossible challenge on your hands. 

“It's hard enough to start and grow a business without financial backing,” Rob says, “but The Onlii have done this whilst investing in Sustainability, EEDI and Mental Health First Aid training for the entire company as well as going through the B Corp process; whilst at the time opening doors with some really big brands with global footprints.” 

Indeed, this position has already paid off in more ways than one. For starters, The Onlii have never had to enter a competitive pitch. Their story is what has been inspiring people and brands to come to them. In just under two years, the agency already counts PUMA and Asda as clients - and are getting busier, with another FTSE company recently bringing The Onlii onboard to drive their sustainable marketing.  

This, in turn, enables the agency to turn down clients that aren’t aligned with their own, very clear values. Trade-off or opportunity? It depends who you ask. As a purpose-driven org (PDO), using their core values as a moral compass for client selection can mean walking away from juicy opportunities: when the agency was recently approached by a large organisation to be their creative partner, which would have provided financial security and growth, the serious values clash say the team “made the decision to ‘politely decline’ easy.

Another way being a PDO pays off, is to help brands navigate the hot waters of greenwashing and greenhushing. “With regulation fast coming down the track, brands are coming to us for help and we are forming some really exciting partnerships to help them with that; Sustainability is a mega trend, and we agree with Seth Godin when he says that ‘If done right, sustainable marketing is the biggest opportunity for brands since the birth of the internet’."

On first speaking to them, the founding team said they had two goals: leading by example - hence having ensured all their ducks were in a row first, and a deep commitment to continuously educating themselves; and helping others on the journey to positive change and impact. Legacy, a significant word in today’s context, came up: “We want to change the way things are done and to create a tangible legacy in sustainable marketing," says ECD Mark. 

“Whether you care about sustainability or not, your Gen Z customers and workers do, so it will be essential for sustainability to be at the front of the customer promise for brands, and also the heart of the business for creative agencies,” adds Rob. 

A timely stance indeed, as a new Deloitte survey revealed that 55% of GenZ and Millennials say they research brands’ environmental impact and policies before accepting a job, and more than 40% say they already have, or plan to, change jobs due to climate concerns. 

The success of the Leeds-based agency is heartwarming, confirming one doesn't have to be in London to have a global impact. But one of the most tangible and significant measures of a business’ impact sits at a local level. The Onlii are no exception to that and are actively involved in their community in Leeds: whether offering support to students through local Universities, or being vocal members of the Yorkshire B Local community. What’s more, every employee has a SMART performance objective to create positive environmental and/or social impact within the community, and The Onlii leadership team also offer their time to support businesses that want to start their B Corp journey.

“We want to lead by example, not preach, and the word ‘journey' is important here. We’re also figuring things out as we go, but cultivating a more diverse, inclusive and equitable space for all helps us reposition how others see the world," conclude Rob and Natalie. We’re here to help along this transformative journey - and that includes being open source on creative solutions."