Junxion Strategy

Spring has sprung and sustainability is popping up all over. Since early March, Junxion has added several new clients and expanded its role with existing clients by taking on new projects.

The Toronto Vegetarian Association has engaged our team to develop an organizational strategy to raise awareness of the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle among Greater Toronto Area residents. The goal is to help more Ontarians to adopt healthier diets, reduce the environmental impacts of their diet and to support animal rights.

Zazengo, a social networking tool that links people and organizations to ideas, projects and action, is looking to Junxion to assist with the launch of its first commercial offering, through targeted grassroots and viral marketing.

Action Canada, a national fellowship program aimed at inspiring young new leaders, brought a recent web redesign project to our Interactive team. The client has requested a site that is more dynamic and interactive and focused on the program’s fellows and their leadership achievements.

After working with Junxion to implement a seasonal awareness campaign around Zero Waste, Metro Vancouver has reengaged Junxion to support residents in meeting the goals of the Sustainable Region Initiative. Focus areas include waste diversion, water conservation and smart urban growth.

BC Hydro, with 5,000 employees, is one of the largest employers in BC. Faced with a tight labour market and a large number of retiring baby boomers, the corporation is competing fiercely to recruit talented employees. Based on the success of similar work for the provincial government, Junxion was engaged by BC Hydro, in collaboration with the corporation’s ad agency, DDB Canada, to develop a compelling employer brand strategy.

Peter ter Weeme has been invited to co-host the 2nd Annual Strategy magazine Social Responsibility Forum, taking place in Toronto on April 15. The forum attracts senior executives from every sector, and offers panel discussions and case studies on how doing good can be good for business. Peter will bring his deep sustainability knowledge to the sessions, helping to frame participant discussions, inspire new ideas and spark collaboration. More information on the Forum can be found here.

With more than 17 years of experience in business consulting and communications, Mary Sturgeon knows a few things about the valuable role of media coverage in propelling the sustainability movement. But until recently, the value of coverage was difficult to measure. Mary was asked for her opinion on a new measurement tool, Media Relations Rating Points. Her thoughts around the importance of having standards in evaluating and measuring media relations success appear in a recent Business in Vancouver article. Download the pdf here.

Junxion Strategy is pleased to announce the appointment of David Laulainen, former principal of Catalyst Creative. David joins Junxion as a sustainability consultant and is responsible for retail marketing and product branding.

Since launching his first company in 1988, David has established himself as a specialist in the natural products industry and working with environmentally progressive businesses in Canada. Over the years, his work has centred on affecting positive consumer choices, behaviours and attitudes.

David’s expertise in the retail sector and product brand development complements Junxion’s core capabilities of providing strategic sustainability and communications to business, social and environmental non-profits and government. He will also take an active role in Junxion’s new business development efforts.

David is working on sustainability, social brand and consumer engagement projects with Park Royal Shopping Centre, Soyaworld and the Pacific Salmon Foundation.

Mary Sturgeon represented Junxion as an expert panelist at “Sustainability 1.0”, billed as Vancouver’s first small business sustainability expo. Mary brought her sustainability marketing expertise to the panel discussing “Going Green-Incentives, Resources and Marketing Strategies.”

Hosted by the Strathcona Business Improvement Association, the event sought to educate the 150 attendees on what sustainability means, and how it can be used to strengthen a small business.

Junxion’s Peter ter Weeme and Coro Strandberg of Strandberg Consulting hosted Rhonda St. Croix, the new director of restorative economy at Friends of the Earth Canada, at a recent event that examined opportunities to drive sustainability deeper into capital markets.

Attendance was limited to 20 participants, who learned about Rhonda’s work to advance capital market reforms, green investment, climate and water governance and freshwater management. They were then invited to share their work in related areas, with the goal of finding collaboration and partnership opportunities on joint projects.

In the spirit of the holidays, every December the Junxion Strategy team chooses three worthy community organizations as recipients of its annual giving campaign. Instead of sending paper greeting cards, we spend the money where it will make a difference, with an e-card that invites clients and friends to choose where the money will go.

This year’s recipients were Forest Ethics (protection of endangered forests), City Farmer (promotion of urban agriculture and environmental conservation) and Pivot Legal Society (legal advocacy for marginalized communities).

Our 2007 campaign drew 200 responses from Junxion friends and clients. Each of the three organizations captured approximately one third of the donations. Sustainability + Holiday Wishes that Make a Difference