Since the pandemic, there has been a real shift with people wanting to both buy from, and work for, morally responsible companies. This has lead to many brands quickly jumping on the ‘ethical’ bandwagon, making it hard to decipher the authentic from the faking it.
At Good Beans, we describe ourselves as an ethical marketing agency, but what do we mean by that? Here we describe our ethical practices, as well as some of the dubious business practices out there to avoid.
Sales practices
Starting a business is tough, and it can be tempting to be influenced by ‘experts’ and ‘gurus’, who often exploit business owners with promises of riches if they invest in a product or training course.
Service based companies like ours often think the only way to grow is to move to this type of a business model, offering pre-packaged products or training courses in order to scale. This is not our approach. Instead we write bespoke proposals for clients and grow organically, adding more staff as necessary.
You won’t ever see offers with limited time/spaces remaining, and we’ll never coerce you into buying something using fear, pressure or false promises. Be wary of these tactics and remember, if someone is offering something that sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Shared values
We work with charities and social enterprises who are working to improve our society in one way or another. This isn’t a cynical business decision, but because we truly want those organisations to succeed and grow, ultimately increasing their positive impact.
The world has got to change, and we want to help you do that the only way we know how – with affordable, jargon-free marketing support.
Industries we work with
We don’t want the money our clients spend to fund fossil fuels, so we bank with Triodos, one of the world’s most sustainable banks. We believe in the ability for business to have a positive impact on the planet, and so we’re a member of the Better Business Act which is campaigning to change the UK law to ensure every company in the UK aligns their interests with those of wider society and the environment.
We work with all types of businesses, big and small, but we have rules about the industries they work within. If there is ever a concern as to the nature of a client’s business or how they use their profits we won’t work with them.
Our corporate clients are charged a higher rate, which allows us to continue to provide affordable support for third sector clients. We think it’s a model that works well, while keeping us afloat.
Becoming a Community Interest Company or B Corp is a natural next step for Good Beans and we are excited about such a move when we are ready.
Working with your budget and setting expectations
Once we have an understanding of your project, we create a proposal based around your budget. By setting clear expectations and costs before starting a project, we aim for full transparency and happy customers.
We haven’t invented our knowledge or success to make us appear bigger or better than we are. You won’t see Ella in her Tesla promising you that if you choose Good Beans, you’ll be driving with Elon Musk too. We instead promise measurable results, and a smart strategy based on your resources.
We pay our people and invoices promptly, and do not expect anyone to work without renumeration. We also ask for the same in our clients.
Advice to our customers
Our focus is on long term sustainable growth, rather than short term results. This way you have a solid foundation, and a better chance of survival.
An ethical marketing agency will help you identify and target the right audience for your brand, ensuring that your marketing efforts are focused on building lasting relationships with customers who share your values. This approach not only leads to better return on investment but also contributes to the long-term success and stability of your business.
Big data, sophisticated advertising and personality-based marketing, are highly effective tactics that can verge into exploitation. We keep abreast of new technologies and methods but would never recommend them to a client if it didn’t suit their aims, audience, budget or in any way manipulated their customers.
‘Leading with the benefits’ is a well-known approach to sales, and a great way of creating marketing copy. However ‘Targeting peoples’ vulnerabilities’ is how this is often interpreted. We see it everywhere and it’s wrong. We are therefore mindful when devising messaging that we never verge into false promises, or try to harvest private information to influence our work.
Diversity
We are committed to treating all people equally and with respect irrespective of their age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
As two white founders, we are aware of the opportunities that come with our privilege. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity in all our processes, practices and culture. We are also taking steps to improve inclusivity when we recruit. You can read our equal opportunities policy here.
These rules are part of a process, and we are continually thinking about ethics in marketing and reviewing how Good Beans tackle this. If you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.