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What Is Regenerative Marketing?

Posted on March 11, 2025 by
Regenerative Marketing
Author: Moh Al-Haifi
Co-Author: Isabelle Drury

Marketing isn’t working anymore. Not for people, not for the planet, and if we’re really honest, not even for most businesses. While your LinkedIn feed might be full of “growth hacks” and “foolproof scaling strategies,” there’s an uncomfortable truth lurking beneath the surface: conventional marketing often takes more than it gives back.

“But wait,” you might be thinking, “isn’t marketing just about connecting products with people who need them?” That’s what we’d all like to believe. The reality is more complex. Today’s marketing practices are deeply rooted in systems that prioritise rapid profits and scaling at all costs, while viewing competitors as enemies to be dominated rather than potential collaborators in solving real problems.

At Zebra Growth, our team and clients have witnessed firsthand how conventional marketing can drain not just our collective energy, but our hope for a better future. We’ve seen how chasing quarterly targets and aggressive growth metrics can disconnect us from the very people we’re trying to serve.

But what if there was a different way?

Understanding Regeneration and Marketing

Before we dive into regenerative marketing, let’s talk about regeneration itself. Think about the most resilient natural systems you know: perhaps a forest recovering after a fire, or a coastal ecosystem adapting to changing tides. These systems don’t just survive; they continuously renew and evolve.

From the soil beneath our feet to the communities we build, regeneration is the constant process of birth, growth, maturity, death, and rebirth. It’s not just a nice metaphor, it’s the operating system of life itself.

“That’s lovely, but what does this have to do with my marketing strategy?” The connection runs deeper than you might expect. Just as natural ecosystems thrive through cycles of renewal and interconnected relationships, our businesses and marketing efforts can follow the same patterns.

The Evolution of Marketing

To understand where we’re going, we need to understand where we’ve been. Marketing didn’t start as the data-driven, conversion-obsessed machine we know today. Its earliest forms were simply about human exchange: farmers trading goods at local markets, artisans sharing their crafts with neighbouring communities.

But something shifted during the Industrial Revolution. As mass production became possible, businesses needed ways to sell more products to more people. Marketing transformed from a tool for community connection into a mechanism for mass consumption. 

Over time, marketing became increasingly extractive and mechanistic, shaped by colonial mindsets that prioritised efficiency and competition over resilience and ecosystem health. Today’s conventional marketing practices aren’t just accidents of history, they’re direct products of systems designed to maximise short-term profits at the expense of long-term wellbeing.

(We’ve written a full piece on marketing’s history if you’d like to learn more: “Marketing’s Origin Story: The Good, The Bad, And The Colonial“.)

“But that’s just how business works, right?” Yes, that’s how business has worked. But as we face novel social and environmental challenges, more and more marketers are asking: Is this how business needs to work?.

A New Marketing Paradigm

“So if conventional marketing is part of the problem, what’s the alternative?” You might be wondering this as you look at your current marketing metrics, your team’s KPIs, your quarterly targets. The answer lies in understanding how living systems actually work.

Regenerative marketing isn’t just a set of new tactics or a different way to write social media posts. It represents a fundamental shift in how we approach the entire function of marketing, moving from a mechanical, extractive system to one that mirrors the patterns of life itself.

At its core, regenerative marketing operates through three essential patterns that we observe in all living systems: 

Holism: Seeing the whole picture

Living Systems and Regenerative Marketing

Conventional marketing often breaks everything down into isolated metrics–conversion rates, click-through percentages, cost per acquisition. But just as you can’t understand a forest by only counting trees, you can’t create meaningful change by focusing solely on metrics.

Holism means recognising that every marketing decision exists within a complex web of relationships. Consider a decision to launch a major social media campaign. Through a conventional lens, you might only measure engagement rates and follower growth. But through a holistic view, you see how that campaign affects your customer service team’s workload, influences your brand’s environmental impact through digital energy consumption, shapes community discussions, impacts your team’s creative wellbeing, and either strengthens or weakens trust with your audience. Each decision creates ripples throughout your entire ecosystem. This interconnected view leads us naturally to the next pattern.

Evolution: Learning through change

This is where we introduce the Theory of Emergence, an adaptation of the conventional Theory of Change framework. Instead of trying to control outcomes through rigid planning, the Theory of Emergence helps teams map out how their actions can catalyse positive systemic change.

In practice, this means:

  • Deeply connecting with your team’s foundational beliefs
  • Questioning assumptions about growth and success
  • Mapping the systemic problems you’re trying to solve
  • Identifying leverage points for positive change
  • Creating conditions for natural evolution rather than forced growth

Interdependence: The web of relationships

Interdependance In Regenerative Marketing

An ecosystem isn’t just a collection of separate entities–it’s the relationships between them that create life. In marketing terms, this means understanding that your business exists within an interconnected web of stakeholders, relationships, and environments.

This shifts everything about how we approach marketing strategy:

  • Every strategy must prioritise partnership development
  • Value exchange must be genuinely reciprocal
  • The more diverse your relationships, the more resilient your ecosystem
  • Growth happens through nurturing relationships, not extracting value
  • Success is measured by ecosystem health, not just profit

Now that we’ve explored these fundamental shifts in marketing strategy, the next step is turning them into action. Understanding these principles deeply is crucial, it forms the foundation for everything that follows. Let’s examine how these insights transform into regenerative marketing in practice.

Regenerative Marketing in Practice

After understanding these living systems patterns, the next question becomes obvious: How do we actually apply this in our daily marketing work? The shift begins not with changing tactics, but with transforming our fundamental approach to marketing itself.

Let’s start at the strategic level. Before creating any marketing plan, regenerative marketing requires us to deeply connect with our team’s core beliefs. This is about questioning everything we’ve been taught about growth, success, and impact. What do we actually believe influences how we see the world? How does that shape the way we run our business? What’s our real intention behind every action we take?

This mindset shift manifests in three key areas:

Firstly, authenticity in communication stands at the heart of regenerative marketing, especially when we consider how conventional marketing often creates artificial urgency or manufactured scarcity to drive sales. Regenerative marketing takes a radically different approach by returning to the fundamental truth of human connection. Before writing any piece of content, ask yourself: Would you say this to someone sitting across from you? If it feels inauthentic in a face-to-face conversation, it doesn’t belong in your marketing.

This means embracing new communication principles such as non-violent communication or taking a trauma-informed approach to audience engagement. Every email, social post, or campaign should be created with the full humanity of your audience in mind. Instead of relying on manipulation tactics or false scarcity, focus on creating genuine value and ensuring full consent in all interactions. The goal isn’t just to sell–it’s to build authentic relationships based on trust and mutual benefit.

Secondly, continuous learning over perfection is where regenerative marketing truly diverges from conventional approaches. Instead of seeking perfect campaigns or flawless execution, we embrace a continuous learning mindset. When a campaign doesn’t meet expectations, regenerative marketers don’t see failure–they see an opportunity for evolution. Teams come together with joy and curiosity to analyse results and identify learnings that will inform future strategies.

This shift away from perfectionism is crucial because you can’t be both regenerative and perfect. Perfectionism often stems from colonial and industrial mindsets that no longer serve us. By creating safe spaces for experimentation and adaptation, we allow our marketing efforts to evolve naturally, just like living systems do in nature.

Thirdly, partnership and value exchange form the foundation of growth in living systems, and the same principle applies to regenerative marketing. Every strategy must explicitly consider how we build and nurture partnerships across our ecosystem. This goes beyond conventional networking or transactional relationships, it’s about creating genuine value exchanges that benefit all participants.

The key is diversifying these relationships as much as possible. Just as a healthy ecosystem contains many different species working in harmony, regenerative marketing thrives on connecting with diverse stakeholders. This might mean collaborating with unexpected partners, engaging with community groups, or finding new ways to create value for your entire business ecosystem.

“This sounds all great in theory,” you might be thinking, “but what about metrics? Targets? KPIs?” This is where the Theory of Emergence comes into play. Instead of rigid planning and control, we map out how our actions can catalyse positive change while still achieving business objectives. This means creating marketing strategies that:

  • Address systemic problems rather than just symptoms
  • Consider impact across multiple time horizons
  • Build capacity for long-term resilience
  • Create conditions for natural growth
  • Measure success through ecosystem health indicators

But here’s where we encounter both a challenge and an opportunity. While transforming our marketing approach is powerful, it can’t exist in isolation. This brings us to perhaps the most crucial understanding in regenerative marketing–the principle of holism.

Beyond Marketing: Incorporating The Whole System

After exploring how to implement regenerative marketing practices, we encounter a crucial truth: marketing cannot function regeneratively in isolation. This brings us back to our first pattern of holism, but at an organisational level.

Consider this: If your marketing team embraces regenerative principles but your business model remains extractive, how authentic can your message really be? When your marketing promises positive impact while your supply chain creates hidden harm, how long can that disconnect survive?

The reality is that regenerative marketing reaches its full potential only when it’s part of a larger organisational transformation. Let’s examine what this means in practice:

Business model integration

At its core, a regenerative business model must actively solve social and environmental challenges as it grows, not create new ones. This requires a fundamental shift in how we think about value creation and distribution. We must design business models that actively regenerate the systems they operate within.

This means taking a hard look at your supply chain relationships and understanding their true impact. How does money flow through your stakeholders? Does your growth model strengthen or weaken ecosystem health? When we examine business through this lens, we see how modern practices have strayed from their roots. While businesses originally formed to help communities thrive and build resilience over generations, today’s focus on quarterly profits often undermines these longer-term goals. The pressure to maximise short-term returns can lead to decisions that compromise future stability and growth.

Regenerative business models reclaim this longer view. By considering impact across generations, not just our children, but their children’s children, we make fundamentally different choices about how to structure our operations, manage our resources, and measure our success.

Governance and investment

Conventional corporate structures often force short-term thinking through their very design. 

Quarterly profit pressures and conventional ownership models can make it nearly impossible to prioritise long-term ecosystem health over immediate financial gains. This is why regenerative businesses need to explore alternative models like steward ownership and patient capital. 

When your governance considers all stakeholders and your investment vehicles prioritise long-term value creation, your marketing naturally becomes more authentic because it reflects real organisational values, not just aspirational messaging.

(Shout out to Purpose Foundation for accessible learnings on keeping businesses independent and purpose-driven. For an economy that works for people and the planet.)

Leadership and culture

Marketing often acts as a powerful catalyst for organisational change, but this potential can only be realised with full leadership commitment to regenerative principles. This means cultivating a team culture that truly embraces continuous learning and evolution. Your recruitment processes, internal communications, and decision-making practices all need to align with your regenerative values.

A regenerative organisation weaves this thinking into every department and function. The impact extends far beyond dedicated sustainability initiatives, transforming how each team approaches their work within the larger ecosystem.

The challenge here is significant, particularly for larger organisations. The bigger the company, the more complex this transformation becomes. Yet this is precisely where marketing can play a crucial role, helping to shift organisational consciousness from the inside out.

This might all sound overwhelming, which brings us to perhaps the most important part of the regenerative journey…

Authenticity vs. Greenwashing

“Is this just another green marketing trend? How do we even begin to make such big changes?” By now, you might be feeling overwhelmed. The scope of change required can seem daunting, and with it comes a legitimate fear: are we just engaging in another form of greenwashing? 

This concern sits at the heart of many organisations’ hesitation to embrace regenerative marketing. And it should–the business landscape is littered with examples of companies whose sustainability claims proved hollow.

The difference between greenwashing and genuine regenerative practice begins with intention. Regenerative transformation starts with an honest recognition of current extractive practices in your organisation. This can be uncomfortable, it means acknowledging where your marketing, and perhaps your entire business model, may have contributed to systemic problems.

This recognition must be shared across your entire team, especially leadership. Without aligned intention at every level, regenerative efforts risk becoming surface-level marketing initiatives rather than genuine transformation. Remember: regeneration is the opposite of perfection. The goal isn’t to present a flawless green image, but to commit to authentic evolution, even when it’s messy.

Real regenerative practice demands radical transparency about both your successes and your struggles. This means being vulnerable with your audience about where you are in your journey. If you make a mistake, and you will, acknowledge it openly. Create clear feedback loops with all stakeholders so they can hold you accountable and help guide your transformation.

Some organisations fear this level of transparency might damage their reputation. However, audiences today are sophisticated enough to recognise and appreciate genuine efforts at change, even when they’re imperfect. What damages reputation isn’t the acknowledgment of challenges–it’s the discovery of hidden contradictions between claims and actions.

Take when Blackrock, a major venture capital firm, purchased Oatly, for example. This serves as a powerful reminder of how business model decisions can impact brand authenticity. When Oatly was sold, it highlighted a crucial question for regenerative businesses: Can a company maintain its regenerative principles when its ownership structure prioritises rapid financial returns? The era of being able to claim regenerative values while maintaining conventional extractive business models is coming to an end.

Finally, remember that you don’t have to figure it out alone. An entire ecosystem of support exists: systems thinking experts, regenerative consultants, and communities of practice are all available to guide your journey. Many have navigated these same challenges and can help you avoid confusion and missteps. The key is recognising that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a crucial part of regenerative practice. Just as natural ecosystems thrive through interconnection, your regenerative journey will be strengthened by the relationships you build with others on the same path.

Your Regenerative Journey

The shift to regenerative marketing isn’t about political ideologies or pointing fingers. It’s about our collective future and the health of the systems we’re all part of. 

Whether you’ve spent years in aggressive growth marketing or you’re just starting to question conventional practices, your perspective and experience are valuable here. In fact, some of our greatest insights come from those who’ve witnessed the limitations of extractive systems firsthand.

This is an invitation to everyone–regardless of your industry, background, or current practices. There’s no perfect starting point, and there’s no blame in recognising where we’ve been. What matters is our willingness to explore, learn, and evolve together.

At Zebra Growth, we’re creating spaces for this exploration through our Regenerative Marketing Playgrounds, informal fireside chats where we explore these ideas together, and our transformative 4-week course in partnership with With Life. But more importantly, we’re part of a growing movement of marketers, business leaders, and change-makers who believe in marketing’s potential to regenerate rather than extract.

The future of marketing isn’t about perfection, it’s about progression. And your voice matters in this conversation.

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Regenerative Marketing Playground Series invite

The Problem With Marketing As Usual

Posted on February 4, 2025 by
The problem with marketing as usual
Author: Moh Al-Haifi
Co-Author: Isabelle Drury
Contributors: Odette Bester, Lee Fitzpatrick, Zac Schaap

Something feels profoundly broken in marketing today. As purpose-driven leaders and change-makers, we sense the disconnect between our aspirations for positive impact and the manipulative tactics we’ve inherited. Marketing has become a sophisticated system of psychological triggers designed to drive consumption at any cost, whether it’s selling shoes or squeezing toothpaste ads into every corner of the internet. 

To learn more about how we arrived at this moment, check out “Marketing’s Origin Story: The Good, the Bad, and the Colonial.”

This wasn’t always the case. What began as the art of connecting people with genuine solutions has transformed into something more harmful. Yet, here’s the plot twist: in this moment of crisis lies an opportunity for transformation. We can reimagine marketing not as a tool for extraction, but as a catalyst for regeneration. (Think of regeneration as the opposite of “take, take, take”, it’s about giving back, restoring balance, and making sure the pie gets bigger for everyone.)

By understanding the true impact of conventional marketing practices, on individuals, communities, and living systems, we open the door to creating approaches that nurture rather than deplete. (Spoiler: it’s not just about planting trees after your ad campaign.)

For those feeling the tension between purpose and conventional marketing practices, join us as we explore what regenerative marketing could look like…

What Is Marketing Today?

The roots of modern marketing run deeper than most realise. In the early 20th century, Sigmund Freud (yes, the “tell me about your childhood” psychoanalysis guy) had a nephew named Edward Bernays, who revolutionised how businesses approached consumer behaviour.  His insight? That humans are fundamentally irrational, driven by unconscious desires and fears that could be harnessed to drive consumption.

This shift marked a turning point. Marketing grew from simply informing people about products to actively manufacturing desires. Through sophisticated psychological techniques, marketers learned to bypass rational decision-making and tap directly into our deepest insecurities, hopes, and fears. The goal was no longer to meet existing needs, but to create new ones.

Today, this approach has reached its peak. Algorithms track our every move, analysing our behaviours to predict and shape our desires before we’re even aware of them. We’re sold not just products, but identities, lifestyles, and the promise of unrealistic fulfilment. The freedom of choice we believe we have is carefully orchestrated through psychological triggers and manufactured scarcity.

For more inspiration and deeper thinking on aligning business and marketing with life, explore the Regenerative Marketing Movement–a growing community redefining what’s possible. 

What’s Broken With Marketing As Usual?

The cracks in conventional marketing are becoming impossible to ignore. Our planet sends urgent signals through rising temperatures and collapsing ecosystems. Our addiction to fast fashion fills landfills with mountains of discarded clothing, our desire for the newest gadgets creates toxic electronic waste, and our hunger for convenience generates endless plastic pollution. Each new product launch, each planned obsolescence cycle, each “must-have” trend pushes us further toward environmental breaking points. 

But something else is breaking too: consumer trust. People are waking up–not just to the manipulation and the calculated use of psychology to exploit their deepest insecurities, but also to the unrealistic expectations of working harder and longer in a world where wealth gaps grow wider and financial security feels increasingly out of reach.

The mental health crisis gripping younger generations speaks volumes about a system that profits from perpetual inadequacy. This isn’t just about individual choices–it’s about the bigger picture.We’ve created a society of “happiness machines“, consumers trained to seek fulfilment through purchasing rather than genuine connection or purpose.

The burden of our excess falls heaviest on those who can least afford it, when we in the Global North try to wash our hands of this waste–whether through recycling electronics, donating clothes, or shipping our plastic–it often ends up in communities in the Global South paying for our overconsumption with their health and wellbeing.

Why Is It Relevant Today?

A new wave of conscious consumption is emerging. People aren’t just buying differently, they’re questioning whether they need to buy at all. They seek brands that offer transparency, repairability, and genuine commitment to regenerative practices.

Industry leaders too are acknowledging this shift and are calling for fundamental change: 

✨ Philip Kotler, once known as the father of modern marketing, now advocates for marketing that serves societal wellbeing over pure profit. 

✨ Eric Liedtke, after decades at Adidas, left to create a waste-free fashion company, recognising that conventional marketing’s focus on endless growth and artificial needs is incompatible with the challenges we face.

✨ Seth Godin, renowned marketing expert, challenges us to move beyond interruption marketing to building genuine connections.

And many organisations already demonstrating what business aligned with life can look like:

🌱 With Life reimagines marketing and business through living systems thinking, offering pathways to design for thriving futures by aligning work with life itself.

🌱 Framework boldly challenges the tech industry’s obsession with planned obsolescence, designing laptops meant to be repaired and upgraded rather than replaced, putting repairability and longevity at the heart of their business model.

🌱 nRhythm brings together diverse global perspectives across 52 nationalities, reimagining organisational systems that work with life rather than against it, proving that transformative change is possible when we align business with natural principles.

🌱 WoolKind redefines fashion industry standards by crafting sustainable knitwear for every body, prioritising inclusive representation and environmental stewardship over trend-driven consumption, showing how fashion can celebrate diversity while respecting planetary boundaries.

🌱 Climate Farmers supports the transition to regenerative agriculture in Europe, building a community of farmers and organisations to scale solutions that heal the land and restore ecosystems.

🌱 Purpose Economy is creating a business model revolution, helping organisations embed stewardship and purpose into their ownership and governance structures, ensuring long-term alignment with the common good.

🌱 Capital Institute explores and promotes regenerative economics, showcasing a new paradigm for finance and business that respects planetary boundaries and nurtures human flourishing.

🌱 FairPhone challenges the electronics industry with its ethical smartphone, prioritising fair wages, sustainable sourcing, and repairable design to ensure technology serves people and the planet.

🌱 Vyld innovates sustainable menstrual care, creating products made from renewable marine resources like seaweed while promoting inclusive and eco-conscious solutions that work in harmony with nature.

They aren’t just changing their marketing, they’re transforming entire business models, governance models, and leadership styles to align with life. As the true costs of extractive marketing become clearer, purpose-driven organisations face an opportunity: embrace regenerative practices and help create the future our world is calling for.

What Is Life Aligned Marketing?

So, what does regenerative marketing actually look like? It begins with a fundamental shift in intention. Rather than manipulating desires, regenerative marketing starts with truth–about our products, their impact, and the real needs they serve.

This means moving beyond polished perfection to authentic communication that builds genuine trust. We ask different questions: How does this truly serve our community? What problems are we genuinely solving? What impacts ripple out from our marketing choices?

Regenerative marketing transcends individualistic consumption to create community resilience. Instead of selling personal identity through products, it creates spaces for collective value and shared purpose. This looks like building communities around repair and reuse, creating educational content that empowers rather than exploits, and celebrating collective impact over individual consumption.

Perhaps most radically, regenerative marketing abandons the myth of endless growth. It acknowledges planetary boundaries and designs within them. This means embracing circular systems where every “end” becomes a new beginning. Beyond conventional KPIs, success is measured through the full spectrum of impact: customer wellbeing flowing into community resilience, ecosystem health intertwining with resource circulation.

And while we’re here, let’s softly introduce a concept that’s guiding our thinking more and more: the importance of coming back to place. Regenerative marketing invites us to reconnect with history, context, and story, rooting our work in the natural ecosystems and bioregional contexts we’re part of. It’s a shift from a globalised, one-size-fits-all approach to something grounded in specific places, people, and shared histories.

This approach isn’t perfect, and it’s not supposed to be. We’re at the beginning of a new evolution in marketing–a lens we’ll spend decades refining. But the direction, this deep curiosity, and the initial shift from Ego to Eco (from “I” to “We All”) are crucial right now. In facing mounting environmental and social challenges, regenerative marketing offers a pathway toward genuine sustainability and deeper meaning in our work.

The Future Of Marketing

We can continue with practices we know are harming society and the planet, or we can embrace marketing’s potential as a force for regeneration. The choice is ours, but the stakes have never been higher.

To become a catalyst for the necessary change, begin by deepening your understanding. Documentaries like Buy Now and Century of Self reveal the historical roots and hidden impacts of today’s marketing practices. They offer crucial insights into the systems we must transform. Take time to reflect deeply on what you learn: How do these revelations connect to your own marketing work? What patterns do you recognise in your campaigns?

As you examine your current marketing practices, consider:

  • Messaging: How might your brand story celebrate collective wellbeing rather than individual status? What messages could create genuine connection instead of insecurity?
  • Channels: Where are you meeting your audience–in spaces of anxiety and scarcity, or in communities of learning and growth? How could your content nourish rather than drain attention?
  • Metrics: Beyond tracking conversions, how might you measure the depth of relationships you’re building? What would success look like if you valued ecosystem health alongside business growth? And how can you shift intentions away from obsessing over a final outcome, focusing instead on setting healthy conditions for all stakeholders–from your team to your consumers, suppliers, partners, and the wider society you’re a part of?

You’re not alone in sensing that marketing needs to change. Through our network of partners–including the Regenerative Marketing Movement, Conscious Marketing Movement, Agency for Nature, and many others–we’re part of a growing community reimagining what’s possible. These networks are just one part of the broader ecosystem of practitioners actively transforming marketing practices, and we invite you to connect with these spaces.

As we explore these vital questions together, frameworks like our Go-to-Ecosystem (GTE) help us reimagine marketing as a source of emergence rather than extraction. We invite you to join this learning journey, with tools like the GTE Cards offering pathways for discovering what regenerative marketing could mean for your work.

This is just the beginning, though. We’ll soon be rolling out more regenerative marketing tools to support this shift, including playground fireside virtual chats and both live and on-demand training offerings. These resources are designed to help you approach marketing and growth through a living systems and regenerative lens.

As we face the challenges ahead, we have a profound opportunity to reshape marketing’s role in society. The path toward regenerative marketing starts with a single question: How might your work contribute to a thriving future for all?

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Regenerative Marketing Playground Series invite

Marketing’s Origin Story: The Good, The Bad, And The Colonial

Posted on January 29, 2025 by
Marketing's origin story
Author: Moh Al-Haifi
Co-Author: Isabelle Drury
Contributors: Odette Bester, Lee Fitzpatrick, Zac Schaap

Marketing, as we understand it today, is a product of centuries of human exchange. While its earliest forms were rooted in trade and community, its evolution is also steeped in exploitation, colonialism, and hyper-capitalism. 

To truly understand marketing’s trajectory, and its potential for good, we must grapple with its “dirty” history, shaped by power dynamics, extraction, and cultural dominance.

Early Beginnings Of Marketing

While the formal concept of marketing didn’t exist in ancient times, systems of trade and commerce were sophisticated, culturally embedded processes that shaped societies. 

In pre-colonial Africa, for instance, trade networks such as the trans-Saharan trade routes were active from around 500 A.D. until the late 19th century, connecting West African empires to North Africa and the Mediterranean.1 These routes facilitated the exchange of gold, salt, ivory, and other goods. Similarly, in Southeast Asia, the Austronesian maritime trade network, established as early as 1500 BCE, linked the region with Southern India and Sri Lanka, forming early foundations for the Maritime Silk Road.2

Across these contexts, pre-colonial marketing and trade prioritised relational connections, communal welfare, and the symbolic value of goods, emphasising long-term relationships and social cohesion over profit maximisation.3

These practices evolved differently across cultures. In the Mediterranean, Herodotus documented the rise of “silent trade,” a form of barter where parties exchanged goods without direct interaction—a clever workaround for language barriers (or perhaps just ancient awkwardness). The Lydians later revolutionised trade by introducing gold and silver coins in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). These coins spread through Greek cities, streamlining commerce and setting a foundation for monetary systems. Still, this was just one expression of trade among many global approaches.

As communities became more complex, specialised skills led to natural divisions of labour. This made production more efficient—after all, one person couldn’t craft tools, weave textiles, and tend crops all at once. However, this separation also created a gap between producers and consumers. To bridge these divides, intermediaries emerged, adapting to the unique social and economic contexts of their respective cultures.

Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle observed these shifts and posed questions that continue to resonate: How do economic systems impact social cohesion? What makes an exchange fair? Their reflections, alongside the wisdom of diverse trading traditions, remind us that commerce has always been about more than transactions. It is a force that connects, transforms, and challenges societies—whether in ancient marketplaces or on today’s digital platforms.4

Marketing Under Empire

As we trace the history of trade and commerce, it’s worth pausing to reflect: how did we get from communal exchanges and relational trade to today’s vast global economies? It’s tempting to think these shifts were natural or inevitable, but the truth is more complex. Enter colonialism, a system that reshaped the world in ways we’re still grappling with today.

For those less familiar, colonialism refers to the political, economic, and cultural domination of one region or people by another, often through force. Between the 15th and 20th centuries, European powers like Britain, France, and Spain established vast empires, seizing land and resources while imposing their systems of governance, labour, and trade. The driving force? Economic gain, whether through extracting raw materials, exploiting labour, or opening markets for European goods.5

At this point, you might wonder, “What does this have to do with marketing?” The connection runs deeper than it might seem. The systems established under colonial rule weren’t just about controlling land or resources; they were about controlling narratives. Colonisers needed people, both at home and in the colonies, to buy into their vision. Marketing became a powerful tool to shape perceptions.

These marketing strategies did more than sell products; they sold entire worldviews. Advertisements often portrayed colonised regions as distant, exotic sources of raw materials, ignoring the rich cultural and economic systems that existed there. For example, campaigns promoting African cocoa frequently depicted cheerful workers in plantation fields—an image that misrepresented the harsh realities of forced labour and exploitation.6

This narrative wasn’t just inaccurate; it was harmful. By presenting these sanitised images, such campaigns erased the suffering of workers and legitimised systems of exploitation in the eyes of consumers. It encouraged people to view goods like cocoa, tea, and sugar not as products of human labour and struggle but as simple commodities to enjoy. This framing shaped consumer consciousness, creating a disconnect that still lingers in today’s global market, where the origins of goods and the conditions under which they are produced often remain invisible.7

Take the British Empire Marketing Board (EMB), founded in 1926, as an example. Its campaigns promoted ‘exotic’ goods as symbols of imperial success. Posters and advertisements presented products like tea and spices as everyday luxuries for British households, glossing over the human and ecological toll of their production. The EMB didn’t just sell goods, it sold the idea that empire was something to be proud of.8

These legacies laid the groundwork for many modern marketing practices. From branding strategies to global supply chains, the systems that emerged during colonialism still shape our world today. Understanding this history isn’t about assigning blame; it’s about recognising how deeply these legacies influence our economic, business, and marketing systems—and how they continue to shape consumer behaviour.

Marketing Meets Mass Production

To understand how marketing might serve regeneration rather than extraction, we must first examine a pivotal moment in its evolution: the Industrial Revolution. 

Regeneration, in this context, refers to practices that restore and renew rather than deplete—focusing on long-term well-being for people, communities, and the planet. It’s a vision of systems designed to sustain and heal, offering a stark contrast to extractive models that prioritise short-term gains at great cost. This perspective is vital to reimagining the role of marketing in today’s world.9

During the late 18th and 19th centuries, the Industrial Revolution ‌reshaped marketing’s purpose. As factories produced goods at extraordinary rates, businesses faced a new challenge: how to create enough consumer demand to match their production capacity. This need for mass consumption led to increasingly sophisticated marketing techniques that combined colonial trade promotion with emerging psychological insights.

The Psychology Blueprint

By the early 20th century, marketing professionals began applying psychological theories, ideas about how people think, feel, and behave, to influence consumer behavior on a large scale. These theories explored human motivations, unconscious desires, and emotional responses, giving marketers new tools to craft campaigns that resonated deeply.

Edward Bernays, often called the “father of public relations,” played a pivotal role in this transformation by applying the ideas of his uncle, neurologist Sigmund Freud. (Remember Freud? That weird guy that always comes up when discussing deep-seated sexual impulses that we’d rather not talk about at the dinner table?) 

Bernays used Freud’s insights into human psychology to revolutionise marketing. His infamous “Torches of Freedom” campaign framed cigarettes as symbols of women’s liberation, proving that marketing could create desires, and even cultural movements, where none existed before.

In his influential book Propaganda (1928), Bernays made his intentions chillingly clear: “The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organised habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society.” His work didn’t just change how businesses marketed products; it redefined how leaders and institutions shaped public opinion. Bernays became a key figure in modern public relations, advising governments and politicians on how to control narratives and influence the masses. Notably, his techniques were adopted not just in democracies but also in authoritarian regimes, including campaigns that aided leaders like Adolf Hitler in solidifying their power.10 11

This marriage of psychology and marketing laid the groundwork for decades of consumer manipulation. As television and mass media evolved, campaigns grew increasingly bold in their use of psychological tactics. Coca-Cola’s Christmas ads12 didn’t just sell fizzy drinks; they redefined how we see the holidays. The Marlboro Man13 didn’t just sell cigarettes; he turned smoking into a symbol of rugged masculinity. Through clever manipulation of human desires and cultural narratives, brands began embedding themselves into celebrations, identity, and everyday life.

The Digital Age of Hyper-consumption

Our digital landscape has amplified consumption to unprecedented levels, building upon decades of marketing psychology that we’re only now beginning to fully comprehend. As we excavate the layers of marketing history, we discover how deeply these patterns are embedded in our collective psyche, even as we become increasingly conscious of their influence. 

Social media platforms have dissolved the boundary between entertainment and shopping: TikTok Shop turns every video into a potential point of purchase, while Instagram makes every image shoppable. Amazon’s one-click ordering and next-day delivery eliminate any pause between desire and acquisition. Mobile payment systems and buy-now-pay-later services remove the psychological friction of spending.14

The mechanics of digital marketing have supercharged these patterns. Recommendation algorithms create infinite loops of personalised product discovery. Push notifications interrupt our daily lives with targeted promotions. Loyalty programs gamify spending through points and rewards. The result? A constant stream of micro-purchasing decisions that bypass our rational decision-making processes.

This evolution has generated extraordinary economic growth but at mounting human and ecological costs. Digital platforms perfect what economists call “commodity fetishism”, where products appear magically on our screens, disconnected from their true social and environmental costs. Fast fashion marketing normalises disposable clothing while obscuring its real impact: water pollution, carbon emissions, and challenging working conditions. Marketing optimises for engagement rather than wellbeing, creating addictive consumption patterns that drain both attention and resources.

The rise of digital marketing didn’t create these dynamics so much as amplify patterns that were already deeply ingrained in consumer culture. Advanced targeting and endless scrolling created new forms of consumer behaviour, while algorithms optimised for engagement rather than genuine human connection or planetary health. Many marketers found themselves caught in a system that rewarded short-term metrics over long-term wellbeing.

Yet, this growing consciousness of marketing’s legacy also points toward possibility. The same tools that powered hyper-consumption can be reimagined for regeneration, informed by our deeper understanding of how marketing shapes behaviour and society. The algorithms, targeting capabilities, and creative strategies that accelerated consumption can now strengthen human connection and planetary health–but only if we remain mindful of the historical patterns we’re working to transform.

Reimagining Marketing’s Future

As the world grapples with ecological collapse and the limits of growth, marketing must evolve into a discipline that nurtures life rather than exploits it. The transformation begins by redefining success.

The lens we inherited from modern marketing,  one of extraction, infinite growth, and individual gain, now meets its counterpoint. Rising from our growing ecological awareness emerges an alternative view: a lens of resilience, collective health, and regeneration. It’s a perspective that sees beauty in the reciprocal, that honours emergence, and that celebrates the intricate dance of life itself. Where the old lens fragmented and reduced, this new vision connects and restores.

Traditional marketing metrics like ROI and market share tell only part of the story. When we expand our definition of success to include ecosystem health, new possibilities emerge. Imagine measuring campaigns by their contribution to biodiversity, community wellbeing, and cultural flourishing. This shift becomes essential as consumers and companies recognise their health as inseparable from our living systems.

We can learn from both marketing’s missteps and its moments of genuine connection. What wisdom exists in pre-colonial trading systems that honoured reciprocity? How might marketing preserve rather than erode culture? What emerges when campaigns prioritise the wellbeing of all life—human and non-human?

I know, I know. A lot of questions. Take a deep breath in, annnddd release. Let’s just give ourselves permission to become curious through these questions.

As you reflect on marketing’s past and consider its future, you might want to ponder upon:

  1. How your current marketing practices either perpetuate or heal historical patterns of extraction, and how does this relate to staying true to your purpose when faced with pressures to scale?
  2. Where might you measure impact beyond traditional metrics, particularly when considering the hard lessons learned about balancing purpose with profitability?
  3. As your business grows and pivots, what assumptions about growth and success might you need to question in your current marketing approach? (Consider reviewing our North Star Metric framework in Miro for guidance on XYZ)
  4. In what ways could your metrics be expanded to measure regenerative impact while ensuring you stay anchored to your original mission?

We’re fortunate to be part of a growing movement of organisations and frameworks reimagining marketing’s role in building regenerative futures. Our partners in this work include:

🌟 Regenerative Marketing Movement: A collective of marketing practitioners and thought leaders working to transform marketing into a force for regeneration through educational resources and community building.

🌟 With Life: Pioneers in bio-inspired approaches to business and marketing, helping organisations learn from nature’s patterns to create more resilient and regenerative systems.

🌟 Capital Institute: Leaders in reimagining economics and finance through their Eight Principles of Regenerative Economics, providing a framework for holistic system change.

🌟 Purpose Foundation: Experts in alternative ownership models and steward-ownership, helping companies maintain their purpose and independence while scaling impact.

🌟 Impact Shakers: A global community dedicated to supporting and amplifying impact-driven entrepreneurs and initiatives

🌟 Considered Capital: Pioneers in mindful investment approaches that integrate regenerative principles, supporting businesses that create positive social and environmental impact while building long-term value.

🌟 Unity Effect: Facilitators of transformative learning and collaboration, helping organisations and individuals develop the capabilities needed for systemic change through innovative learning journeys and community building.

Each brings unique frameworks and approaches to transforming business practices. At Zebra Growth, we explore these questions of the intersection of marketing and growth through our Go-To-Ecosystem (GTE) Framework, which reimagines marketing as a source of emergence rather than extraction. By shifting from “market” to “ecosystem,” we recognise that sustainable growth depends on nurturing the entire web of relationships within a system. Our GTE Cards offer practical guidance for teams ready to implement these regenerative marketing practices. 

While frameworks offer guidance, the true transformation lies in our collective reimagining of marketing’s role in society. As we evolve, we must fundamentally shift how we understand value, success, and our place in the web of life. What role will you play?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Regenerative Marketing Playground Series invite
Source References
  1.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-colonial_trade_routes_in_Africa ↩︎
  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Southeast_Asia ↩︎
  3. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/20780389.2019.1694408?needAccess=true ↩︎
  4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235362475_A_History_of_Marketing_Thought ↩︎
  5. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/colonialism ↩︎
  6.  https://medium.com/special-collections/cultural-paternalism-colonialism-and-the-empire-marketing-board-a-blog-post-by-lauren-woodcock-371d9b5fa226 ↩︎
  7.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_Marketing_Board#/media/File:1907_First_Oranges_from_South_Africa.jpg 
    ↩︎
  8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_Marketing_Board ↩︎
  9. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235362475_A_History_of_Marketing_Thought ↩︎
  10. https://theconversation.com/the-manipulation-of-the-american-mind-edward-bernays-and-the-birth-of-public-relations-44393 ↩︎
  11. https://theconversation.com/the-manipulation-of-the-american-mind-edward-bernays-and-the-birth-of-public-relations-44393#:~:text=Often%20referred%20to%20as%20%E2%80%9Cthe,that%20control%20the%20public%20mind.&text=Bernays%20came%20by%20his%20beliefs,to%20bring%20democracy%20to%20Europe. ↩︎
  12. https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/coca-cola-christmas-30s/1108708 ↩︎
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlboro_Man ↩︎
  14. https://medium.com/the-environment/how-e-commerce-tricks-us-into-mindless-consumption-4db47656ff6f ↩︎

From Go-to-Market to Go-to-Ecosystem: Reimagining How Impact-Driven Organisations Enter New Markets & Approach Growth (Free Resource)

Posted on December 4, 2024 by
From go-to-market to go-to-ecosystem
Free Regenerative Go-to-eccosystem card deck

With four years of insights from
Zebra Growth’s work with regenerative organisations, this framework helps you launch offerings, adapt messaging, and create partnerships that support both impact and financial health. It’s a practical, balanced path to achieving lasting growth and impact without compromising values.

As an impact entrepreneur, you’ve likely felt it—that disconnect between your mission to create positive change and the traditional marketing approaches that seem to pull you away from your values. You’re building solutions for a better world, yet the conventional growth playbook feels extractive, perhaps even toxic to everything you stand for.

The current marketing landscape has become a barren field. Traditional Go-to-Market (GTM) strategies, rooted in colonial mindsets of extraction and control, have created environments where teams wither and creativity struggles to take root. 

Marketing departments have become pressure cookers of reactive decisions and fragmented campaigns, where creativity bows to campaign calendars, team wellbeing is sacrificed for pipeline targets, and deep stakeholder connections dissolve under the tyranny of monthly revenue goals. This cycle leads to burnout, complacency, and a frustrating sense of moving too slowly toward your impact potential.

Impact-driven organisations, despite their best intentions, find themselves adopting these same destructive patterns because they see no alternative path to growth. This extractive approach severs our connection to purpose and breaks down the delicate ecosystem of relationships that sustainable growth requires. When our teams lack the nutrients of strategic thinking and creative space, we’re not just underperforming—we’re actively contributing to a system that harms both people and the planet.

Yet marketing holds untapped transformative power in the present moment. While organisations set distant sustainability targets for 2030 and beyond, marketing is the daily catalyst that shapes how organisations show up in the world—influencing decisions, communities, and stakeholders with every campaign and customer interaction. We don’t need to wait decades for change when marketing has the potential to reshape business impact today.


Your journey toward regenerative marketing begins with understanding the tools that will guide your way. Let’s explore the Go-to-Ecosystem (GTE) framework—an alternative approach that puts life at the centre of how impact-driven organisations grow…

The Go-to-Ecosystem Framework and Tools

This insight led us to explore and develop the Go-to-Ecosystem (GTE) framework—an alternative approach that puts life at the centre of how impact-driven organisations grow. As you begin this journey, you’ll discover a framework that reimagines marketing as a source of abundance—where campaigns nurture communities, metrics measure flourishing, and growth strengthens the entire ecosystem. By shifting our language from “market” to “ecosystem,” we acknowledge the interconnected nature of sustainable growth and the importance of every relationship within it.


To support teams in adopting these principles, we’ve created the GTE Cards—a practical tool designed to help organisations learn and implement regenerative marketing practices. Available first in digital format and soon in physical form, these cards will be your guide, offering prompts and guidance for integrating regenerative thinking into daily operations and strategic planning.

Alternative marketing framework
Get the Card Deck Free

Building a Regenerative Alternative To Traditional GTM

This framework and its accompanying tools emerged from our recognition that impact-driven organisations needed a different approach to bringing products and services to market—one that would respect natural business rhythms, embrace sustainable growth patterns, and place human dignity at its centre. An approach that will help you break free from the toxicity of traditional marketing.

In collaboration with nRhythm and their With Life framework, and inspired by our role in the Regenerative Marketing Movement, we’ve developed an approach grounded in living systems principles—meaning it mirrors how healthy, natural systems function through resilience, interdependence, and adaptation. Living systems principles unlock a different way of working–just as a forest thrives through the smooth flow of nutrients between all its elements, organisational health depends on how effectively energy and information flow within teams. 

This manifests in tangible ways: team motivation, connection to purpose, and excitement for responsibilities. Instead of rigid, extractive structures that prioritise short-term efficiency—often leading to burnout and depleted creativity—we consider how energy flows through an organisation, creating space for natural growth and innovation to emerge.

Over the past four years, your fellow impact-driven organisations have helped shape this vision through partnerships across the globe, from government accelerator programs and university classrooms, from early-stage startups to established B Corps. Our approach has been further shaped by deep collaboration with thought leaders in regenerative design, including our strategic partnership with the With Life Ecosystem by nRhythm and Capital Institute. 

The shift to regenerative practices unfolds naturally. Each interaction has deepened our understanding of how living systems principles can transform marketing from a tool of extraction into a force for regeneration, catalysing not just organisational growth, but personal transformation within teams. Through this framework, you’ll discover how to build financial stability while fostering ecosystem health, finding that sweet spot where personal alignment meets impactful growth.

The GTE framework and cards represent a living system themselves—continuously evolving through practical application and community feedback. Built on principles of resilience, interdependence, and adaptability, they offer practical tools for sustainable growth aligned with your values. While we’ve seen promising results across continents and contexts, we remain transparent about its emergent nature, actively gathering case studies and learning alongside our community as we navigate this new territory together.

The Framework: A Living Systems Approach

The purpose in play card

As you navigate toward more aligned and sustainable growth, the Go-to-Ecosystem framework takes practical form through a set of digital cards—a format chosen to make these principles accessible and actionable in daily work. Each card becomes a stepping stone on your journey, offering guidance to align marketing with purpose, while honouring your values and wellbeing.

Each card builds upon the last, guiding regenerative leaders and marketeers through a structured yet adaptable process. This approach recognises the deep scaling potential that emerges when we honour the interdependencies within our ecosystem—reducing costs and effort while nurturing organic, sustained growth that benefits entire communities.

The journey begins with the foundational ‘Essence’ card. Created in collaboration with the With Life Approach, this card guides you through exercises that ground your marketing activities in your organisation’s core beliefs and purpose—preventing the all-too-common disconnect between marketing actions and mission that leaves many impact entrepreneurs feeling frustrated and misaligned.

The framework and accompanying cards unfold across three interconnected phases that mirror natural rhythms, supporting your path to sustainable growth:

  • Ponder: An annual practice of deep reflection where you step back to align your vision and map your ecosystem relationships. Through thoughtful consideration rather than rushed strategy, this phase helps you explore your essence, release anxiety, and ensure your goals remain rooted in your foundational beliefs and values. The cards in this phase guide you through connecting your strategic vision with your deeper purpose.
  • Prepare: A seasonal planning phase where teams transform insights into action with mindful readiness. During this quarterly cycle, you’ll design your presence, nurture partnerships with intention, and create marketing structures that energise rather than drain your organisation. The cards help you define priorities and craft resonant messaging that aligns with your ecosystem.
  • Play: The phase of active experimentation and engagement, including essential periods of rest and renewal—because regenerative growth requires both action and recovery. Through iterative cycles, you’ll test ideas, launch initiatives, and adapt based on feedback while staying responsive to your ecosystem. The cards support this dynamic process of meaningful engagement while honouring the need for sustainable pacing.

Who This Framework Serves

When you’re building solutions for a better world, every marketing decision should move you closer to your impact goals, not further away. These tools resonate with organisations at different stages who share a common challenge: bringing their impact-driven offerings to the world without compromising their values or wellbeing.

We developed these tools for change-makers like you who recognise the potential in your offerings but find yourself caught between growth and purpose. You might have tried everything you can think of, exhausted your current approaches, and now need a structured pathway forward. Perhaps you’re feeling the strain of financial instability, or your current marketing approach lacks the structure needed to create meaningful traction. Maybe you’re preparing to launch something new and want to begin with integrity, aligning health and financial goals from day one.

The framework and cards are your companions when your team feels disconnected from purpose and drained by constant stress, when you’re tired of reactive, uncoordinated approaches to growth, or when you seek to create genuine impact rather than just maximising profit.

How To Make The Most Of The Framework

Your journey into regenerative marketing deserves thoughtful guidance. To support your exploration of the GTE framework and cards, you’ll find everything needed to get started: practical guides for using the cards and clear pathways for implementation that align with your values and goals.

Each card in the framework mirrors the interconnected nature of living systems, structured to guide you from purpose through to practical action:

  • The Purpose section grounds you in ‘why –connecting each marketing activity to your deeper mission
  • The Outcome section reveals what becomes possible when marketing flows naturally–showing you clear indicators of success
  • The How section provides practical steps that honour both growth and wellbeing – giving you actionable pathways forward
Card 1
Card 2
Card 3

Begin by setting aside 1-2 hours to familiarise yourself with the core principles and explore the first set of cards. We recommend starting with the Essence card and moving through each phase at a pace that works for your organisation. These tools aren’t a quick fix or rigid template; they’re an invitation to thoughtfully reshape how your organisation approaches growth while maintaining financial stability and team wellbeing.

You can explore the framework as a leader seeking to chart a new direction, with your team to align purpose and action, or alongside partners to strengthen ecosystem relationships. Use it to guide specific projects and launches, or as a foundation for long-term organisational transformation.

As these tools continue to evolve, we’re learning alongside organisations like yours. The GTE Framework and cards represent our first iteration, built from our experience implementing regenerative marketing approaches with clients globally. We’re continuously gathering insights and refining our approach through real-world application.

If these principles resonate with you and you’re seeking more hands-on guidance, we’d love to explore how we can support your regenerative marketing journey. Whether you’re looking for structured implementation support or simply want to learn more, let’s connect and discuss how these tools can serve your unique context.

Join other impact-driven organisations exploring this regenerative approach to growth. Download the free digital cards and begin your journey today.

Get the Card Deck Free


Impact Shakers Lightning Talk: The next generation of marketing is regenerative

Posted on September 6, 2023 by

This summer at the Impact Shakers Summit in Brussels our co-founder Moh shared his journey to discovering regenerative marketing. Watch Moh delve into the art of nurturing businesses in a way that not only sustains but also regenerates, breathing new life into industries and ecosystems alike.


What’s the Impact Shakers Summit?

The Impact Shakers Summit is the inaugural European startup event with a sharp focus on inclusive entrepreneurship and impact. This significant summit united key players in the innovation ecosystem, all dedicated to advancing inclusivity and sustainability for our shared future.

Who are Impact Shakers?  

Impact Shakers form connections, foster growth, and invest wisely. In their eyes, entrepreneurship serves as the engine of change. Yet, they recognise that unraveling intricate challenges demands a tapestry of diverse minds. That’s where the Impact Shakers ecosystem shines, tilting the playing field and rewriting the entrepreneurial story.

Their mission spans the life journey of impact-driven enterprises, from the spark of inspiration to the flourishing stages of growth and successful exits. In this transformative journey, they partner with both visionary entrepreneurs and savvy investors to make the world a better place, one step at a time.


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Soulful Content Creation that Elevates Early and Scaling Regenerative Ventures to Amplify Their Voice

Posted on April 19, 2023 by

Introducing our “Regenerative Design & Communicate” Services

In the beautiful complexity of life, nature offers us valuable lessons in resilience and adaptability. At Zebra Growth, we are inspired by the natural world to create marketing and branding stories that not only connect with people’s hearts but also help heal our planet.

Our mindful audiences face a daily barrage of marketing messages, making it essential for impact-driven ventures to produce content that is both extraordinary and deeply meaningful. The rise of AI and chatGPT has only increased this challenge, filling our customers’ minds with dull content lacking substance.

For impact ventures to truly thrive, they must clearly communicate their value propositions. Inspired by mother nature herself, our “Regenerative Design & Communicate” services provide tailored solutions for non-profits, social enterprises, and impact-driven businesses while embracing elegance, authenticity, and honest expression in our conscious approach.

What can you expect from our services?

  • A team of experts in design, copywriting, and website development, inspired by nature’s adaptability and regenerative processes
  • Customized, eco-centric solutions for your organisation’s unique needs
  • Flexible options, including one-time projects, pay-as-you-go services, or retainer packages
  • Consistent, high-quality content that embodies your brand identity and ecological values
  • Meaningful, data-driven content creation with a focus on regeneration and healing
  • Measurable results that align with your goals and foster a healthier planet

Now, let’s delve into the details.

Our “design and communicate” services provide impact-led ventures access to the copywriting, design and website development talent they need in the most flexible way. 

There are three easy ways to access this support: 

One off projects 

Our core team works closely with you to create compelling messaging and design. Working with an extended team of specialist freelancers, we also support the production of branded videos, product photography and experience design.

We take a holistic approach to communication, ensuring that your brand is applied consistently across all channels. From website design and development, to brochure and deck design, we offer a wide range of brand assets.

Take a look at a few recent examples of one-off projects below: 

Accelerating an end to homeless with Crisis Venture Studio – Brand deck design and copy

Facilitating flexible working with a global network of on-demand workspaces – Video production 

Pay-as-you-go

We provide impact ventures with an on-demand option to choose the services you need when you need them. We can help with brand guideline creation, landing page design, and copywriting. 

Pay-as-you-go services are ideal for occasional needs where flexibility is a high priority..

Whether it’s a one off landing page design like this one for Intelligent Growth Solutions, or flexible video production for Grand Bequest, we will most likely have an option to suit your needs.

Retainer

Our retainer services are for those looking for more regular support. We provide content packages to ensure your brand message is always on point so your customers hear from you consistently. 

Whether it’s SEO copywriting, or regular design support, our retainer customers enjoy discounted pricing that isn’t available with our other packages.

Check out this vertical farming blog we produced as part of a retainer package to create content for technical products and services that boosts SEO

Embrace the resilience and adaptability of nature with our “Regenerative Design & Communicate” services, tailored to help your impact-driven venture heal, grow, and thrive.

So, what type of work do we specialise in?

  • Brand Guidelines: 

Do you already have a strong brand identity, but find that your communications are still inconsistent across different channels? Establishing a clear set of rules and standards will provide continuity and allow your brand to shine. We’ll make sure your brand is represented consistently to build trust with your audience.

  • UX/UI Digital Design Systems: 

Do you already have a robust set of brand guidelines? Take them to the next level with a digital design system. Remove the guess-work with a working tool to ensure a seamless user experience, from initial interaction to final conversion. Design that is intuitive, functional and visually appealing.

  • Website and Product Design and Development: 

We specialise in creating custom-designed websites and products that are  beautiful and effective in driving business growth and customer engagement.

  • Photography and Videography Production: 

Capture your brand’s story in visually and emotionally compelling ways through video and photography, whether it’s short social reels, or a long form documentary.

  • Print Media Design and Copywriting: 

Highly effective print media that engages your audience and communicates your brand’s message. Our holistic approach ensures a consistent brand experience between the physical and digital worlds.

  • Events and Experiences Design: 

The spaces we occupy and invite people into are an extension of your brand and a physical and experiential representation of it. We craft rich brand environments that leave a positive lasting memory for people to take home. 

  • Deck Design and Copywriting: 

Create compelling visual presentations that effectively communicate your brand’s message and story. We understand the pressure to impress investors, and a well crafted presentation can make a world of difference to communicate your mission.

  • SEO Blog Research, Copy and Design: 

Our experienced content creators provide research-driven blog copy and design to attract organic traffic and drive engagement.

  • Newsletter Copy and Design: 

Eye-catching and effective newsletters that deliver value to your audience and keep them engaged with your brand.

Watch the video below to learn more about the different types of copywriting we can support with: 

We’ve covered the what, now let’s explore the why…

Why is content creation important for your impact venture?

Content creation is a vital aspect of any impact venture’s success. It’s the backbone that supports the connection between your organisation and your audience. Without it, your mission and vision can easily get lost in the noise of the digital world.

One of the key benefits of content creation for impact-driven organisations is its ability to inspire action and create meaningful change. With the right messaging, you can attract individuals who share your values and encourage them to take action towards a common goal. This tribe effect can create momentum, and allow your mission to be realised much quicker.

Consistent and high-quality content also plays a critical role in establishing trust with an audience. By producing valuable and informative content on a regular basis, you can establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry and build credibility. A strong content strategy helps you to attract new supporters, and keep existing ones.

Moreover, investing in content creation helps you to create a strong brand identity. By developing a consistent tone of voice and visual style, you can create a recognisable brand that continues to strengthen over time. A strong brand identity will help you differentiate from competitors and build trust.

Who’s content game is strong?

Guayaki is a regenerative brand that creates sustainable products with environmental and social well-being in mind. Their content creation strategy aligns with their brand mission, and it reflects their commitment to sustainability and regenerative practices.

Here are a few ways in which Guayaki’s content creation strategy is doing good:

  • Educating consumers: Guayaki’s content educates consumers about regenerative agriculture and sustainable practices, and shares information about the environmental benefits of their products.
  • Highlighting their values: Guayaki’s content showcases their commitment to sustainability and social responsibility through their mission statement, sustainability goals, and progress updates on social media.
  • Storytelling: Using storytelling, they connect with their audience and showcase the impact of their products and practices, such as their partnership with the Ache Guayaki community in Paraguay.
  • Visuals: Their content includes visually appealing images and videos that highlight the natural beauty of the environment and the communities they work with.

Patagonia are leading the way with SEO content

Patagonia’s successful SEO strategy can be attributed to their focus on creating high-quality content that aligns with their brand values and mission to have a positive impact on the environment and society. They use a variety of formats, including articles, videos, and infographics, to educate their audience on topics related to sustainability and ethical manufacturing practices.

Patagonia also pays attention to technical SEO best practices, such as optimising their website structure and ensuring mobile-friendliness and fast page load speeds. Their commitment to environmental and social responsibility has helped them earn backlinks from high-authority websites, increasing their domain authority and improving their search engine rankings.

This SEO success is reflected in their website traffic, with over 10 million monthly visits, and their large number of backlinks from over 120,000 referring domains. Patagonia’s SEO success has also been recognized by industry publications, including winning the award for Best Integrated Campaign at the US Search Awards in 2018.

How can you work with us?

We have a simple 5 step process to establish if we are the right fit to support you with your content needs: 

Step 1 –  You’ll start with a 90 minute diagnosis call with one of our growth experts. Be completely authentic, we want to get under the layers, to find out your ‘why’ and what’s holding you back. This gives us a clear understanding of your needs and how we could help.

Step 2 – This is the start of the magic. We’ll present our solution to you, then together we co-create a proposal that fits your needs.

Step 3 – Onboarding plan – Once the proposal is accepted, It’s time to get aligned and connected. Your account manager will arrange a kick off call to introduce you to the project team, gather all necessary documents, and select the tools required for project success. 

Step 4 – Most of our projects have an element of strategy to them. This could involve a few interactive workshops, followed by our strategists preparing a detailed project plan. 

Step 5 – The final stage is where the rubber meets the road. It’s time for implementation and our team of experts will get to work delivering the project and realising your goals.

Your team


Led by our Senior designer Keiron, our Design & Communicate pod includes designers and copywriters from our core team, supported by an extended group of specialist vetted freelancers with experience ranging from website development, technical SEO, video production and motion graphics.

Here’s a video of Keiron talking about our in-house team and extended team of specialist freelancers.

Still unsure if we’re the right fit?

We cover a broad range of specialisms, yet there are a few areas where we have certainly earned our stripes.

Regenerative marketing

Combining the marketing tools from Silicon Valley, with regeneration. Taking inspiration from nature itself. We know our stuff when it comes to growing brands and building movements, but our primary focus is to use marketing to heal people and the planet. 

B2B growth marketing 

Build predictable B2B sales and growth strategies for your impact driven organisation. With a strong understanding of buyer behaviour, an obsession about full funnel marketing and a track record in delivering high pressure account based marketing strategies, we’re a trusted partner for some of the world’s leading impact brands.

B2C growth marketing 

Build your B2C brand, grow your community, and achieve MoM growth. Whether you’re an E-commerce brand or provider of SAAS solutions, creating a community of advocates and building virality effects into your product offering are some of the challenges you will face. Get more customers, keep them for longer, and rely less on paid acquisition channels.

Impact branding and communications 

Communicate innovative products, stories and innovations to educate and inspire the market and drive systemic change. Building a brand that is both distinctive and regenerative is tough and the language we choose to communicate the social and environmental challenges we face is more important than ever. We help simplify your message to build trust with your customers.

Sarah Hopley

Crisis Venture Studio

“We asked Zebra Growth to assist us with the design of an important deck, and the team and final product exceeded our expectations. They were professional, friendly and helpful so we really enjoyed working together. We especially appreciated the persistence to understand our complex models to accurately portray these through design. Thanks again!”

Finally, check out our pricing

Get in touch  

And that’s it! Hopefully you now have a better understanding of how our “Design & Communicate” pod can help your impact organisation.

We understand the challenges that come with growing a regenerative business. It’s all too easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day and lose sight of the bigger picture. 

Our growth diagnosis is a free tool that allows us to identify bottlenecks, share insights to overcome them and signpost you to the most suitable solutions to increase revenue and create a roadmap to maximising impact. 

Book your growth diagnosis

How to start experimenting with growth marketing: An overview of the G.R.O.W.S. process

Posted on January 30, 2023 by
An image reading How to start experimenting with growth marketing: An overview of the G.R.O.W.S. process

In this article, we’ll introduce you to growth marketing as a driving force for regenerative growth in social impact startups. We’ll look at how the G.R.O.W.S. process can save you precious time and resources, while helping to grow your startup effectively.

We break down what growth marketing is and each step of the G.R.O.W.S. process. We’ll give practical examples at each stage to help you optimise your growth for maximum social impact.

We’ve even included our free Growth Experiment Planning Tool at the end of the article, so you can start running your own experiments.


What we’ll cover

  • What is growth marketing?
  • Traditional marketing VS Growth marketing
  • The 70/30 Experimentation Rule
  • Experimenting with growth marketing
  • How Lean Startup methodology inspired Growth Marketing
  • The G.R.O.W.S. process
  • Getting Started with Growth Marketing


Growth Marketing Experimentation Glossary

Before we dive right into what growth marketing is, let’s get a quick rundown of some key terms that’ll pop up in this article:

  • Experiment – Testing out different marketing techniques, product features & brand messages in a rapid, data-driven manner, to identify which ones are the most effective at driving user growth and impact.
  • Growth Cycle – The lifetime of the G.R.O.W.S. process from start to finish (steps 1-5).
  • Growth Lead – A dedicated team member that makes growth the central focus for everyone in your startup, they are responsible for embedding the process into your team and running experiments.
  • Growth Lever – The immediate improvements and processes you can implement to drive growth for your startup – these are quick wins for your business that have the most impact.
  • Hypothesis – The testable solution to improve your startup’s growth by focusing on improving one key area of your business. 
  • Iterative – The process of running multiple experiments where the results from the previous experiment inform the starting point for the next one.


What is Growth Marketing?

Growth Marketing is the process of running a series of experiments and implementing processes over a short period of time. It aims at growing your company’s reach and revenue through cost-effective, creative strategies. 

By approaching your marketing strategy as a series of experiments with a quick turnaround, social impact startups can discover the best methods for optimising their growth without being cost and resource intensive. 

And Growth marketing is about approaching your growth with a curious mindset, with the focus on one key area where your business can improve, then testing this assumption in the shortest time possible. 

We’ve touched on it here, but let’s now look at what sets growth marketing apart from traditional methods.


Traditional Marketing VS Growth Marketing

We’ll start here with an offbeat similarity between traditional and growth marketing. They’re both about assumptions. Marketers need to make assumptions about how potential customers will respond to their value proposition and product, that’s kind of the whole idea behind a marketing strategy.

But, the main difference here is what we do with these assumptions. Traditional marketers sometimes run the risk of basing their entire strategy on assumptions they’ve made and put this into a lengthy, expensive campaign. In these cases, they are essentially trying to predict the outcome of a constantly shifting market. 

So is this the best option for a newly formed social startup looking to increase their reach and steadily grow their business?

Of course not. Most startups need to focus on staying afloat, let alone run an expensive campaign that may not yield the results they assumed. The time and energy of such campaigns just isn’t worth the potential growth your business could see.

This is where growth marketing comes in. Like we’ve mentioned, growth marketing is the iterative process of running a series of rapid experiments and measuring their success over a short period of time. 

By doing so, your startup can effectively test your hypothesis and measure outcomes far quicker and adapt to a changing market. And the benefit here for early startups is growth marketing is designed to be fast, efficient and cost effective. 

So by beginning to experiment with growth marketing, social impact startups can have a faster time to market, a higher return on investment and the capacity to scale marketing activity that yields positive results quickly when compared to traditional marketing methods.

We’ve only scratched the surface of growth marketing here but if you’re feeling extra curious, we delve deeper into ethical marketing and social impact in Ethical Growth Marketing 101.

So you’re interested in experimenting with growth marketing? Great! But how do you decide how much time to spend on this and maximise your growth potential?

The 70/30 Experimentation Rule

The main blocker for early startups and novice growth marketers is the thought that running experiments will be too costly and time consuming. Luckily we already know that isn’t the case. 

But you can’t base your entire growth strategy on experimentation alone. That’s why it’s really important to follow the 70/30 rule when it comes to experimentation. 

When planning your growth strategy, you’re aiming to identify the main growth levers you can pull to gain early traction and quick wins for your growth.

70% of your time, resource and budget investment should focus on pulling the 1 or 2 growth levers we’ve identified at the growth strategy stage. 

By doing so, we can focus on driving early traction that creates runaway momentum and motivation for your team.

Spend the remaining 30% on embedding the growth marketing mindset and experimentation process into your startup. 

This is where we begin running rapid experiments across product, brand, sales and marketing to create a roadmap to diversify our growth levers. It’s all about optimising your growth here, as we’re mitigating the risk of our early growth levers reaching saturation point. 

By taking the time to embed the growth marketing process into your startup, you’ll instil an innovation mindset that unlocks the next big growth lever towards and beyond product-market fit. 

Particularly in the early days of a startup, this laser focus is critical in coordinating limited budgets, resources and stakeholders to focus on what matters the most.

Now that we’ve got an idea of how much time we should devote to experimentation, let’s see what that looks like in growth marketing.


Experimenting with Growth Marketing

It might seem daunting but the real success in growth marketing comes from following the process over results. 

When beginning to experiment with growth marketing, it’s important to remember that you’ll be running consecutive experiments over short periods of time. 

So, if your first, second, or even seventh experiment doesn’t yield the results you expect, that’s totally fine – it’s part of the process.

According to Grow with Ward for first time growth marketers (or growth hackers as they put it) having 1 in every 10 experiments succeed is considered a great result. For seasoned growth marketers, this can increase to 1 in 3 experiments. 

We’ve thrown the word around a few times now, but what is experimenting with growth marketing? 

Let’s say you’ve noticed that the open rate on your newsletter has steadily dropped over the past 3 months. You’ve highlighted the issue and decide to A/B test the next newsletter using a different subject line. 

The following month you find that Subject line B increased your open rate 30%. Using the data collected from the A/B test, you now know how to effectively increase your engagement with your community and reach a wider audience. Congratulations! You’ve just run a successful experiment. 

Of course, that doesn’t mean your newsletter is now perfect, you might then realise you’re losing engagement and subscribers once they’ve clicked through. So it’s back to the drawing board for another hypothesis and experiment. 

This is the essence of growth marketing. You consider one key pain point in your business that you can improve. Then, look at what action you can take in the shortest amount of time, using the least resources and within your team’s capabilities to tackle this issue.

Before we get into the process behind how you actually run growth experiments, it’s important to consider where the idea of growth marketing came from in the first place.


How Lean Startup methodology inspired Growth Marketing

It’s no surprise that growth marketing is a great fit for scaling growth for startups. The base principles are inspired by lean startup methodology, as set out by Eric Reis. The lean startup is the most fundamental framework that has taken over the startup world over the last decade.

The principles of Build, Measure, Learn are the core of lean startup. Taking an iterative approach to your ideas, being open to testing your hypothesis and knowing when to pivot is crucial to your startup’s success.

And it’s now adopted in the marketing world and, more specifically, in growth marketing channels. The method at the centre of growth marketing is the G.R.O.W.S. process.


The G.R.O.W.S. process

Adopted from the GrowthTribe, the G.R.O.W.S. process is the core process that every growth marketer or team needs to adopt, over anything else. Developing from the lean startup model, it’s the blueprint used to efficiently optimise your startup’s growth.

And the process is set out in simple 6 simple steps; 

  1. Gather Ideas 
  2. Rank Ideas
  3. Outline Experiments
  4. Work, Work, Work 
  5. Study Data (see where we get G.R.O.W.S.)
  6. Repeat

Like we’ve mentioned, the important thing isn’t to spend weeks pouring resources into a lengthy campaign. It’s about giving yourself over to the process and continuously coming up with new hypotheses, testing them out and determining what works and what doesn’t. 

Typically, the entire process should last anywhere between 2 weeks and up to 2 months. But we’ll get to that later.

The key here is embedding the G.R.O.W.S. process into everything your startup does. Your priority is following this process of generating fresh ideas, continuously analysing the data and learning from the results. 

In doing so, you’ll gain a far better understanding of how to optimise your strategy for growth, without wasting resources.


So what makes the process so important to social impact startups?

While following this process, it’s essential for growth marketers to have a central metric to optimise for.

We can see here that in the centre of the iterative process, we have social impact. This is particularly important for you Changemakers. Since the ultimate goal of your startup is creating maximum impact in balance with profitability. 

Channelling social impact at the centre of this, then, ensures that your growth is always built around the key purpose of your business and help to push our society towards a regenerative economy. 

Now that we’ve got an overview of the process, let’s look at each step in more detail.

1. Gather Ideas

The first step of the process is to gather ideas. This is where you’ll sit down and consider one specific pain point where you see an opportunity for growth and generate ideas to tackle this. 

We’re really wanting to consider what specific value we’re offering to potential customers or partners, at a specific part of the funnel. Then, we want to look at how we are planning to communicate this to them. 

 It may seem obvious but a pivotal step is to gather your team and allow everyone to give their input in the planning process. 

It’s important here to have a diverse range of opinions in the session. In our 10 Step Masterclass to achieve growth in 2023, our co-founder Moh suggests: 

“The Gathering ideas stage usually consists of a 2 to 3 hour meeting including multiple team members that are cross departmental…you as a Growth Lead have the responsibility to choose the best people who can show a fair representation of your diverse team and mindsets that could feed into growth ideas and hypotheses.”

So It’s useful here to use a collaborative tool for brainstorming. At Zebra, we use Miro Boards as a great way of getting everyone in the team involved. And the added bonus is having all of your ideas collected in a single board that’s accessible for everyone. 

Useful tip: Using a Miro Board is a great way of gathering your ideas. We’d also suggest keeping notes throughout the session and finalising this in a report to make the next step easier!

You don’t want to spend too long gathering ideas. Choice is good, but don’t get bogged down on the small stuff! We’d recommend this step taking 1 – 2 days, including your meeting and follow up report.

2. Rank Ideas

So you’ve found the focus for your experiment and had an insightful brainstorming session with your team and an abundance of great ideas to build your growth?

Fantastic! You’re now ready to take those ideas and rank those ideas.

So how do you know a good idea from a bad one? Just kidding, there’s no bad ideas. But there are ideas that can be easily achieved and have a big impact on your growth. 

To rank ideas, we Zebras recommend using the I.C.E. matrix (Yep, it’s another acronym). The I.C.E. matrix consists of Impact, Confidence and Ease. 


The I.C.E. matrix is a way to weigh the different hypotheses you’ve gathered. You do this by measuring the impact it could have on your growth against a potential ease level and the ‘confidence’ of your team. 

Let’s take a quick look at each of these.

Not to be confused with the social impact you’re trying to achieve, the Impact you’re measuring is on the growth of your business. There’s no use in focusing on something that will bring little results. Remember, we’re optimising for the most efficient growth in the shortest amount of time – think big!

What we mean by Confidence is does your team really believe that this idea will have a strong impact on your growth. Or rather, do you truly have the confidence that this idea will work?

While Ease is where you ask yourself how complex is the idea and if you can achieve (or prove) it within the short timeframe.

When using the I.C.E. matrix, it’s important to remember the 20-80 rule. You want to put in 20% effort to achieve 80% output. We look at this in more detail in our previous article.

You’ll want to have a similar meeting as when gathering ideas and once you’ve settled on the best hypothesis to test, you’re ready for the next step.

3. Outline Experiments

Now that you’ve got a shiny new hypothesis and you’re itching to test it out, we need to outline the experiment. This is another key stage, particularly for the Growth Lead. 

For this stage, you’ll need to clearly outline what the purpose of your experiment is. It’s best to do this in a 1 – 2 page report. The key things to note here are:

  • The purpose of the experiment.
  • What is the timeline of the experiment?
  • What are the outcomes?
  • What is the main metric you’re measuring for validation/non validation?

This stage not only solidifies your idea but it should inform the implementation stage. 

It’s important here to go into detail of what you expect through the experiment and clearly communicate this. This way, every team member involved has an easy understanding of how the experiment will run.

We know we’re laying it on thick here. But, particularly for new growth marketers, having a strong reference point throughout your early (and future) experiments will keep you on the right track and having your experiment running smoothly.

Along with the previous 2 steps, we’d suggest spending no more than 1 week planning. But make sure not to rush through the steps and only proceed to testing your hypothesis once everyone has a clear understanding of your outline.

Just last week we outlined 3 experiments for one of our clients and our Senior Growth Marketer, Patrick, sent a Loom video detailing the outlines to all team members involved in the project. Loom’s another handy tool for growth marketers that ensures your team is aligned even when working across departments at a busy startup.

Now, let’s get to work!


4. Work, Work, Work

This is the step we’ve all been waiting for. It’s now time to run your experiment and test your hypothesis. 

The reason why there’s three works is that it signifies the pace you’ll be working at. This is the lengthiest step but it’s where working fast creates results.

Moh discusses this further at our 10 Step Masterclass to achieve growth in 2023:

“This is where speed matters in growth marketing. It’s about asking yourself how can we execute as fast as possible and gather the minimum amount of data in the shortest time to validate or invalidate our hypothesis…In all the other stages of the process you want to zoom out and take your time. But within step 4, you want to try to execute as fast as possible.”

So having a strong outline for reference, you’re really wanting to put a focus on working quickly to gather the minimum amount of data. 

Of course, we’re not saying you want as little data as possible. Rather, you’re gathering as much data as needed to prove (or disprove) your hypothesis within the time limit of the experiment. 

Depending on the experiment, this step should last between 1 – 3 weeks. For first time growth marketers, you wouldn’t want to take longer than. The important thing when starting out is that you’re embedding the G.R.O.W.S. process into your way of working and learning how to use the process to achieve maximum growth.

It’s also important during this stage to focus on the work, but of course you’ll be wanting to meet regularly to review the progress of the experiment. 

We’d recommend a weekly meeting per experiment you’re running. This ensures all team members involved are aligned and you’re keeping on schedule as set out in your outline from step 3. There’s also the added benefit that you might already be able to find some insights that’ll inform the next step of the process. 

If you want to learn more about how you can achieve your growth goals this year, why not sign-up to our 2-part Masterclass running at the end of February.

5. Study Data

Congratulations, you’ve now run your first experiment! The hard part’s over and it’s time to look at your results. 

Studying data is crucial to growth marketing – how else are you going to validate your experiments?

This is a more straightforward (but pivotal) step. Here, you’ll analyse the data that you’ve measured over the length of the experiment in step 4. What we’re really doing here is finding out if your hypothesis is proven.

Remember – if you find the results invalidate your hypothesis, that’s totally normal! The focus is on studying the data to gather insights and key learnings that will inform your next growth cycle or experiment. 

The important thing here is remaining curious and open to understanding the results. If the results aren’t what you expected – why? What could you do differently? What have you learned about your target segment? Or have you discovered something in your value proposition that isn’t being communicated? 

These questions aren’t exhaustive, of course. They’re just a way to get you to start thinking about how growth marketing uses data to continuously improve how you manage your growth. 

As a Growth Lead, it’s your job to collect these results and share them with your team. Collaboration is key here, again (notice a theme here?). 

For the final week of the cycle, we’d recommend taking time to collate the results and have a retrospective meeting with everyone involved in the experiment. This allows you to consider what worked, reflect on your insights and plan how these results will inform your next cycle.

6. Repeat

We’re sure you know where we’re going with this but it felt rude to leave the final step of the G.R.O.W.S process out. The last step in the growth cycle is to do it all over again. 

Of course, you’re not just starting from scratch, you’re now armed with solid data from the previous cycle and have a clearer understanding of the next logical steps for future experiments.

For the entire cycle (steps 1 – 5) of the G.R.O.W.S. process, the total time spent is really dependent on the size of your team and the maturity of you adopting growth marketing. Usually, this spans from between 1 – 2 months per cycle period. 

And you can, of course, run multiple experiments at the same time. But for first time growth marketers, we’d highly recommend beginning with just 1 experiment at a time. 

This will really help embed the process into your startup, whilst shifting the mindset of your team. And, in time, this will allow for greater results.


Growth Marketing & the G.R.O.W.S. Process Recap

So let’s do a quick recap of what we’ve discussed in this article:

  • Growth Marketing is the process of running a series of experiments and implementing processes over a short period of time
  • Growth marketing can offer a faster time to market, a higher ROI and isn’t as cost or resource intensive as traditional marketing
  • You want to focus 70% of your time resource & budget on pulling the growth levers that gain traction for your startup and 30% embedding the growth marketing mindset and experimenting
  • Lean Startup methodology of Build, Measure, Learn inspired growth marketing
  • Growth marketers use the G.R.O.W.S. process to optimise their growth
  • The 6 steps to the G.R.O.W.S. process are Gather Ideas, Rank Ideas, Outline Experiments, Work x3, Study data
  • A full cycle of the process should last between 1 – 2 months
  • First time growth marketers should run 1 experiment at a time
  • Proving 1 in every 10 experiments when starting out is a success
  • Focus on one key area to improve, don’t just look for maximum results
  • Collaboration is key to the success of experiments and including teams from across departments generate better hypothesis
  • Embedding the process into your startup and adopting a curious mindset will allow you to optimise your growth towards maximum social impact


Getting Started with Growth Marketing

Now that you’re clear on what growth marketing is and we’ve talked you through the G.R.O.W.S. process, let’s see how you can get started. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re a solo impact founder or a growing team of Changemakers. You can start experimenting with growth marketing right away! 

Of course, the first step is to introduce the idea of growth marketing to your team and familiarise them with the concept (this article should come in handy!). 

If you’re wanting to expand your own understanding, we’d recommend doing some further research and Grow with Ward gives some great insights into the subject.

Then, it’s important to appoint your Growth Lead, if you don’t already have one. They are responsible for running the experiments, leading ideation sessions and ensuring your team is aligned throughout the projects. Plus they’ll keep track of your progress and results. 

When your team is inspired and ready to get experimenting, we recommend making sure you have the right tools for the job. We’ve already mentioned some of our favourites for the different steps of the process. 

We know that getting started is the most daunting part of the process. That’s why we’ve also created our free Growth Experiment Planning Tool. 

This includes everything you need to start mapping out your own experiments. You’ll receive:

  • Hypothesis Planner and ICE Scoring Template
  • Experiment Tracker Template
  • Ideation Miro Board Template

And that’s it! You’re now ready to start optimising your growth for maximum social impact with growth marketing.

Ready to experiment with growth marketing but don’t know where to start? We’d love to collaborate! Get in touch to discuss your startup’s growth today.

B-Excited: How can your business become a B Corp?

Posted on December 23, 2022 by
B-Excited: How can your business become B Corp?

Taking you through the process now that Zebra Growth is B Corp certified

Ever wondered how a business becomes a B Corp? In this article we’ll cover:

  • Zebra Growth’s B Corp Status and what it means to us
  •  What is a B Corp?
  • How are B Corp businesses changing the way we think of business?
  • How can you become a B Corp?
  • The process of becoming a B Corp
  • BIA: The free tool tool for assessing your impact
  • Our 10 favourite B Corp certified businesses

Are you a social impact startup or scaleup and looking to enhance your commitments to social progress? Maybe you’re just genuinely curious about all these companies that suddenly have a shiny B graphic slapped on their website. 

Either way, your curiosity has put you in search of what a B Corp is and now you’ve found yourself asking: how does a business become a B Corp?

In that case, we’ve got you covered. Before we answer all those burning questions, we’ve got a small announcement of our own (3 guesses what it is).

Image confirming this business is B Corp Certified


Gather the herd: Zebra Growth has an Announcement

At Zebra Growth, we’re all about championing the changemakers who want to bring balance to the business world. Our focus is to educate and co-create with social impact startups and scaleups, so that we can achieve a regenerative economy. 

And we’re at our best when we’re working with the social pioneers who are making a real positive impact on humanity and the planet. But as a growing startup ourselves, it’s important to acknowledge our own progress.
That’s why we’re absolutely thrilled to announce we are now a certified B Corporation!



What does the B Corp certification mean to us?

It’s a huge honour for us to achieve B Corp status. We are humbled to be counted among the many other businesses that are leading a global movement for an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy. 

And since zebras love to travel in herds, it’s no surprise that we believe in the power of community. We can’t wait to see what new connections and collaborations will come from our B Corp certification. 

A huge shout out to our team here at Zebra for helping us get to this point, and by truly living by the values of what it means to be a B Corp certified company.  

Of course, this is just a small step to shifting our collective mindset towards a regenerative economy. We’re just one of thousands of changemakers who want to use business as a force for good. It’s going to take time, collaboration and resilience but we’re excited to be part of the change.

With that out the way, let’s dive into what a B Corp is and find out how it could be the next step for your business.



What is a B Corp?

Before we jump straight into what a B Corp certified business is, we should start with who does the certifying –  B Lab.
B Lab is a non profit network that focuses on changing the global economy for the better of people and planet. Their mission is to change businesses into a force for good. In their own words, “B Lab creates standards, policies, tools, and programs that shift the behaviour, culture, and structural underpinnings of capitalism.”

So where do B Corps come into play?

Certified B Corps are companies verified by B Lab that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. 
This isn’t to say these companies are perfect, but rather they have clear processes in place for creating positive impact, safeguarding employees and customers while ensuring they balance profitability with purpose.




Image showing text: One small part of a community of changemakers, driving towards a regenerative economy.

B Corp status isn’t the B-all and end-all

So you’re a social impact startup or scaleup and you’re focused on making a change to the business world? That’s amazing! Now, you’re looking for the next step to commit to social progress – what better way than to become a B Corp?

Don’t get us wrong, becoming a B Corp isn’t the answer to all the world’s (or your business’s) problems. But the end goal here isn’t to become B Corp certified (which might sound weird since you’re going for a B Corp certification). 

Rather, it’s about taking the time to delve deep into your business and its practices. By truly understanding how your business operates, the impact you have and what changes need to be made, you’ll create a more positive impact for all stakeholders and across your business. 

And by doing so, you’re using your business as a force for good. Then, you can make a real commitment to these practices and solidify this with your B Corp certification. 

Like we said, becoming a B corp isn’t the end game. It’s a step towards challenging the degenerative ‘business as usual’ model and balancing profit with purpose. And we do this by being one small part of a community of changemakers, driving towards a regenerative economy. 
With that in mind, let’s take a look at how your regenerative business can take the steps to become a B Corp.



The process of becoming a B Corp

Becoming a B Corp takes time. Like a proper long time. Be prepared to spend a lot of time researching and revising, then re-revising your processes and implementing changes. For us Zebras, the total process took 18 months. 

But don’t get us wrong – that’s the whole point. As we’ve mentioned, you’re taking an in-depth look at how your business operates and finding areas to improve. 

And the payoff is worth it. The real value of becoming a B Corp certified company is by going through the process and discovering how your business can be better and then making those changes.
Whether you’re whisked straight to certification (it’s not likely but who knows!) or you miss the mark, there will always be something within your business practices that can be improved, and that’s kinda the whole idea behind the B Corp certification.

So what’s the steps to becoming a B Corp?

B Lab has plenty of resources to help you on your way to receiving certification. And the actual steps to become a B Corp are pretty straightforward, if lengthy;

Confirm you can certify

If you have at least 12 months of operations and are a for profit business in a competitive market, good news! You can apply for B Corp certification.

B Impact Assessment (BIA)

B Lab offers a free, confidential online tool to help you assess your business – The B Impact Assessment (BIA). Here you will assess all the areas of your business in great detail (we’ll even cover it in greater detail, below) and once completed, B Lab will give your business its impact score once completed.

Image showing text: Over 6000 B Corp businesses, 1 unifying goal.

Improving your Score

The next step is to look at improving your score, and you’ll need to spend a lot of time reassessing where you can improve your business practices.

To achieve B Corp status, businesses need an impact score of at least 80 to certify as a B Corp and this is rare the first time round.  B Lab offers useful tools within the assessment to help highlight pain points and help with prioritising tasks.

Remember: Improving your score means improving your business practices, that’s why the process is so important. Focus on improving how you operate and not just fixing things to achieve a better score.

Meet the Legal Requirement

Once you’ve improved your impact score to reach 80+, you’ll need to make amendments to your governing documents. 
The certification requires you to adopt specific wording to your Articles of Association. Reinforcing your commitments to consider the impact of all business decisions for all stakeholders in your  business. (yet another incentive to push progress!)

Submit & Review

Hooray! Now you’re ready to submit. You’ll need to fill in B Lab’s disclosure questionnaire and submit your completed assessment. This will be reviewed by their independent standards team. 

Take the time here to keep working on improving your score and engage with B Lab to provide further evidence of the answer you’ve given in your assessment. This includes giving evidence to back up your answers from your own internal data over the last 12 months.

After Certification

Congrats! You’re now a shiny new B Corp, all that hard work paid off. You now need to sign the B Corp agreement and pay your annual fee. 

Of course it’s time to share the news and celebrate but remember that this is a small step towards a greater goal. Being a B Corp isn’t about being the first, or best single business but being a part of a community that is committed to using business to improve society.  

And, as we’ve mentioned, the work doesn’t stop here. You’ll need to recertify every 3 years and continue to achieve an impact score of at least 80. Which is a great way to keep us on our toes and consistently work at improving our impact.
Now we’ve got the process covered, let’s look at the BIA in more detail.



Assessing your Impact with BIA

The BIA is a rigorous tool that takes you through around 200 questions that assess your business. Providing you insight into how purpose driven your business operations are.

So what areas does the assessment cover?

Governance

From your code of ethics to mission & engagement, you’ll be assessed on the internal policies and practices of your business.

Workers

Are your employees satisfied in their role? How are you safeguarding their health and well-being? These are just some of the areas to consider when assessing how your business supports employees.

Environment

Regardless of the industry, your business will have an impact on the environment. Here you will assess what processes you have in place to ensure you’re being mindful of the planet and its resources.

Community

Community covers a wide range of topics, like engagement, diversity, equity and inclusion. Here it’s about looking at how your business positively engages with external stakeholders.

Customers

We can’t have a business without customers, but do we have processes in place to receive customer feedback and handle complaints? How are we measuring customer satisfaction and putting their well-being as a priority? Understanding your relationship with your customers is key to creating a positive impact.

The next steps

Now that you’ve scrutinised every aspect of your business, completed the questions and provided your evidence to B Lab, you can submit your assessment and you’ll be given your impact score. 

Out of a possible score of 250+, businesses need to achieve a score of at least 80 to become B Corp certified. For reference, the median score for ordinary businesses who complete the B Corp assessment is 50.9. Here at Zebra, we were thrilled to receive an impact  score of 90.

Of course, achieving a lower score isn’t a bad thing either – making the effort  to take the test alone is a sign businesses are on the right track! 

Regardless of the score, every B Corp certified business will have areas to improve, and the point of the certification is to keep businesses focused operating with purpose for the good of all stakeholders.

Like we said, it’s about using business as a force for good.

Now that we know how it’s done, let’s take a look at some of the amazing B Corps who are changing the way we see business.

Image showing text: Business as a force for good.



Our 10 B Corps to B inspired by:

Bosquia – Promoting reforestation for companies and individuals

Brewgooder – Turning beer into water (not literally)

allplants – Helping transform the planet through sustainable vegan food subscriptions

The Body Shop – Making an impact on the beauty industry with ethically sourced and naturally-based ingredients

The Cheeky Panda – Keeping the luxury in household goods without compromising humanity or the planet

Better World Books – Spreading knowledge and driving sustainability

Anne Mulaire – Returning to Nature with Slow Fashion

Mana Earthly Paradise – Redefining sustainability in tourism

Sinba – Helping companies and individuals co-create a world without trash

Lily’s Kitchen – Making a positive impact with pet food

It’s so inspiring to see the progress they’re making and we’re honoured to be a part of their community.



The B-ginning (too much?) of a new chapter as a B Corp

Image showing text: Being B Corp Certified is a reminder we're on the right path, but there's still work to be done.

Receiving our B Corp certification is the culmination of a lot of time, energy and hard work from all of our team at Zebra. It’s been incredibly humbling to find a team where every individual truly understands what we’re working towards, embracing our values and vision of a regenerative economy. 

Being B Corp certified is a reminder we’re on the right path, but there’s still work to be done. As our Managing Director Lee says, it’s time for us Zebras to walk the walk.

And moving into 2023, our main focus is to become a more regenerative business. This will help us achieve our vision of a new, regenerative economy. An economy that is run by ethically driven entrepreneurs who seek to balance profitable growth with creating positive societal impact.

Not to mention the opportunities this certification gives us. It’s a chance to build on the already amazing community of changemakers around us. We’re excited to engage with a diverse group of social pioneers and come together to share ideas and co-create for the benefit of people, planet and profit.

Having this B Corp certification now allows us to lean into the commitments we have made, as well as make the improvements we need to accelerate our transition into a fully regenerative business. 

Finally, we want to thank all of the inspiring changemakers we have worked with this past year. Your collaborations, challenges and insights have helped us to grow and allowed us to learn what it truly takes to change the business world.

And we can’t wait to get started. We’re excited to be a part of the change and look forward  to  seeing the positive impact that this community will make in 2023.


P.S. We were thrilled to host the Director of B Corp Portugal, Luis Amado at our Lunch & Learn this week. He really put into perspective what it means to be a B Corp and the impact businesses can have when working as a community.

Image showing a google meets picture of the Zebra team and Luis Amado, Director of B Corp Portugal.




Want to hear more?

Are you looking to build regenerative growth? We’d love to collaborate with you!

Why not book a call with Lee, our Managing Director to see how your startup can create the most impact in 2023.

Stack ‘em up: Why a well-executed tech stack is vital for Regenerative Startups

Posted on December 9, 2022 by
In this article, we’ll look at how a well-executed marketing tech stack can help your business achieve regenerative growth and give you our favourite tools for Regenerative Startups to grow their business.

Why is a marketing tech stack vital to Regenerative Startups?

In this article, we’ll look at how a well-executed marketing tech stack can help your business achieve regenerative growth.

What we’ll cover;

  • What is a marketing tech stack?
  • Tech stacks: A Growth Hacking Fundamental
  • Prioritising your tech stack to optimise growth
  • How can a marketing tech stack help grow your business?
  • Our favourite tools for Regenerative Startups

Positive social impact is key to challenging the problems we face today and regenerative startups are at the forefront of creating real change. And the impacts of climate change, the pandemic, Brexit and the war in Ukraine have all highlighted the need for mindful, efficient growth.

From our experience with the sector we believe that, for regenerative startups, understanding and utilising the correct tools to grow their business is vital to creating the most positive impact, bringing us one step closer to a regenerative economy.

Don’t worry, we aren’t keeping all the cards to ourselves. We’ve compiled a list of our favourite tools at the end of this article, so you’re ready to start optimising your growth.

What is a marketing tech stack?

A marketing tech stack is the collection of tools, software and technologies that marketers use to optimise and augment their marketing processes. The aim here is to drive growth as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

Marketing technologies are ‘stacked’ to create an integrated series of tools that allow you to build and connect processes. Marketers and businesses use tech to optimise their marketing activities, but in order to take an agile and dynamic approach, it’s necessary to consider how you can integrate tools and tech rather than using them independently. 

Layering tools and technologies in this way allows for specific automations, giving businesses a much clearer understanding of how to  reach and engage with their customers. It’s this layering of technologies that  led to the term ‘marketing tech stack’.

Tech stacks: A Growth Hacking Fundamental

The tech stack sits at the very heart of Growth Hacking which is a proven and agile  methodology that we use here at Zebra Growth. But growth hacking is much more than just a methodology. It’s a mindset.

Growth hacking has changed the way in which we approach marketing. It challenges the traditional marketing model. 

Traditional marketing generally involves committing a large budget to advertising, email campaigns and other paid media. Growth hackers don’t tend to operate endless budgets so their focus is on how they can ‘move the needle’ the most with the leanest of resources. 

This is where a well-executed tech stack comes in; its one key purpose is to make sure you get the right message, to the right audience in as cost effective and efficient way possible.

There were around 8000 marketing solutions in 2020 compared to 150 in 2010

Growth hacking is an imperative methodology for regenerative startups. We know from experience that a fast growing startup is filled with shifting priorities and many tasks can fall by the wayside, things like marketing strategies and tactics just aren’t seen as a priority. 

In some cases the cost of running intensive marketing campaigns isn’t worth it as it’s labour intensive and it may take months or years to achieve growth. 

By employing a growth hacking mindset, an experimental approach with a carefully constructed tech stack, regenerative startups really can achieve channel/market fit much earlier than if they were to put all of their budget into siloed channels and traditional marketing strategies. 

With that in mind, how do you decide what tools to integrate into your stack?

Not all Tech is created equal

In 2020, it was estimated there were around 8000 solutions in the marketing landscape, compared to just 150 in 2010. So it’s safe to say that building your perfect tech stack takes time and consideration.

And there isn’t a one-fits-all approach to tech stacks. The key to a successful tech stack is having the right tools for your business, market sector and your team’s needs. With so many options available, it’s about finding what is right for you. 

When integrating a new tool (remember: you’re introducing tech to build on what you have, not replace it) you need to consider how accessible it is for your team. If a system sounds great on paper but is causing communication issues everyday, or doesn’t meet your team’s skillset, it’s probably not for you.

A marketing tech stack is there to make your job easier and put your team in the best position to maximise your growth. So before you decide to start bringing in complex tech, it’s important to have solid foundations to build upon.

Integration is your North Star with Tech Stacks

Laying the foundations: The importance of prioritising your tech stack

We’re not suggesting that you drop all your current tools and strategies and spend your full year’s budget on the latest tech.

Quite the opposite. 

The truth is, evaluating your current marketing activities and setting solid foundations will make the biggest difference in your growth in the long run. 

We know that building a tech stack can quickly become a daunting task, that’s why we’ve laid out the groundwork to get your growth on the right track. We like to think of the marketing tech stack hierarchy as a pyramid, and it’s a simple one at that. 

Hierarchy pyramid of tech stack tools - foundational tools and complex optimisation tools

On the base you have the foundational layer of tools that, if you get right, can make the biggest difference for growth in your business. The second and top layer of the pyramid is the complex tools that help you gather data, insights and analytics or allow for automation of your processes.

So, what is the foundational layer of tools when building your tech stack? At Zebra, we’ve found the most important things to get right first for maximum growth are Internal communication, Project management and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Systems.

Internal Communications

How does a new team member get up to speed on your latest projects? Where can they find information about your company culture and values? How do you communicate relevant news and updates across departments? 

The most effective way to do this is with a Company Wiki. This is a collaborative tool for storing and sharing internal information. It aims to be the single source of truth for everyone on your team. Each member can access internal information for reference, collaboration and to update as needed. 

At Zebra, our single source of truth is Notion. Notion gives every team member access to our processes, client information, our culture and values. Having a company wiki allows team members, new and old, to access all relevant files and information on projects, your business and ongoing strategies.

The benefit here is that nothing is lost in translation; by making all your important information easily accessible and giving every team member the chance to share their knowledge, you’ll improve communication across your business.

Project Management

While it’s important to have all your relevant project information on a company wiki, having a dedicated tool for Project Management is a necessity.

Whether you’re working across multiple teams or to a strict deadline, having a solid project management tool will allow you to coordinate effectively with your team and ensure you complete your project efficiently.

We use Monday.com for our Project Management. Monday.com allows you to create boards for your projects and seamlessly track its progress, set the owner of tasks and the level of priorities and allows you to post updates on the project, tasks and subtasks all within one system.

Another key benefit of Monday.com is that it allows for integration with other tools. We’ve linked ours to Slack (our internal communications app) so that our team is always in the loop. And this is a great example of what a tech stack should do – integrate with your other tools to optimise your processes.

CRM Systems

Taking the time to consider how you store customer data is crucial to any business. It’s one thing to keep a note of prospects and potential leads – but how do you effectively prioritise your workload and make sure valuable information isn’t lost, all while ensuring all the relevant teams and departments are clued in?

The solution, as you might’ve guessed, is with a CRM system. A CRM system helps your business keep customer details up to date, tracks your interactions with them and manage their accounts.

With regenerative startups, the adoption curve can be slow. Sales cycles can be long, and, in some cases, average order value high. All of these friction points can make it difficult for the sales team to maintain growth and strengthen the sales pipeline.

CRM Systems like Salesforce offer a solution to this. They integrate into one system that gives all departments (like sales, marketing, commerce and service) a single shared view of every customer. This is essential to building a cohesive business and allows you to improve your customer experience.

Having a really robust CRM, and a clear view of who is engaging with your business and what stage they are at in your sales funnel is a critical factor in the success of innovative regenerative startups.

And CRM tools, when properly set up by professionals, will allow for advanced tracking such as engagement scoring, which allows field representatives to be notified when a prospect engages with a piece of content, providing triggers to begin outreach. This allows your team to make the best decisions for growing your business.

Optimising your Tech Stack

Once you have evaluated your current systems and worked to integrate these foundations, you can start to target some of the more complex tools to nurture growth; 

  • Research Tools
  • Business Intelligence
  • Analytics
  • Reporting
  • Data Management
  • Email & Marketing Automation
  • Design System Tools
  • Advertising & Paid Media
  • Social Media Management

It’s important to research different options and find the tool that works best for you. If you’re unsure of which one works best for your business, seek advice. 

Zebra Growth has extensive experience working with these systems ourselves and helping to integrate them for our clients. We’d be love to collaborate with you and find the best tech stack for creating regenerative growth for your business.

How can a marketing tech stack help to grow your business?

As we’ve mentioned, a tech stack is a collection of tools, so they’re only useful when they’re fit for the right purpose. Tech stacks aren’t a marketing strategy, they form part of one. A tech stack is only effective with a clearly defined marketing strategy.

So it’s important to clearly define what you want to achieve with your marketing strategy. Start by looking at your current marketing activities. 

The key here is evaluating how you are currently communicating against how you want to grow your business going forward. Looking at your current tech and IT infrastructure, consider what is working well and what can be improved. This is where building your tech stack comes in.  

A representation of all the key categories of a marketing tech stack

The stacks above encapsulate all the main categories that go into a marketing tech stack. Of course, we only want to focus on the tools that will benefit your marketing strategy. 

Do you want to reach a specific segment through social media? If so, consider what you need to execute your campaign and how you’ll measure the results. Tools like Buffer can help to grow your audience organically. 

Are you trying to increase your organic traffic to your website and rank higher on search engines? Then maybe you want to consider SEO software, like Semrush, to discover how your content can be more accessible to your customers.

The main idea here is to hone your strategy and find the right tools to integrate into your processes that will help you achieve regenerative growth. 

As you grow, maintaining a solid tech stack will allow your business to maintain strong communications with your customers and across teams.

Let’s talk tech – our recommended tools for your marketing tech stack

As promised, here is a list of our top tools for each category for building the best Regenerative Startup Marketing Tech Stack. 

Remember to take your time going through these tools and consider what’s best for your business, team and marketing strategy!

Research tools

Google Trends Google Trends is a useful search trends feature that shows frequency of keyword search and and to discover event-triggered spikes in keyword search volume
HotjarHotjar is a product experience insights tool that gives you behaviour analytics and feedback data to help you empathise with and understand your customers
BrandwatchUnderstand and engage with your customers at the speed of social with Brandwatch, the social suite built for our fast-moving world.
TypeformForms that perform: get feedback and leads with ease Using stylish forms that make data collection a walk in the park

Business Intelligence

CanddiTurns your website visitors into customers. Find out who is visiting your website, and which of them are ready to buy
Dun and Bradstreet Business insights on over 40 million companies to manage risk and increase supply chain resiliency

Analytics tools

Google AnalyticsGoogle Analytics is a web analytics service that provides statistics and basic analytical tools for search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing purpose
OribiStunning AI to automatically track all your key conversions, discover what actions sites like yours should focus on, and increase results

Reporting Tools

Dash this An automated marketing reporting tool created to help marketers save hours of work and create their reports in the blink of an eye.

Data management

Google Data StudioGoogle Data Studio (GDS) is a great, free data visualisation tool (note my use of the phrase data visualisation tool, as opposed to business intelligence tool here) that lets you build interactive dashboards, and customised, beautiful reporting.
Supermetrics Picks up all the marketing data you need and brings it to your go-to reporting, analytics, or storage platform — whether that’s a BI tool, a spreadsheet, a data visualisation tool, a data lake, or a data warehouse.

Project Management

Monday.com Monday.com offers 5 end-to-end products to choose from to run the core of your business. Our products are dedicated solutions built on top of our Work OS and designed to answer the needs of specific industries and verticals
ClickupAll of your work in one place.  Tasks, chat, docs, goals and more – Plan, track, and manage any type of work with project management that flexes to your team’s needs.

Company Wiki

NotionYour single source of truth for documentation,  access to all the information relevant to a project including links, files and strategies. 

Email marketing and automation

MailChimpMarketing and sales tool – No matter the size of your business, these tools are here to help you launch, build, and grow.

SEO, content and referral tools

SEM RushAn all in one SEO swiss army knife helping you to grow organic traffic with a complete and easy bank of search tools and workflow
MOZSearch engine optimization at its best!

Design System tools

MiroVisual collaboration tool that takes physical ideation, brainstorming and workshop sessions and marketing strategy and gathers insights into powerful visual boards
FigmaOnline design tool with features that make feedback, and collaboration super easy, resulting in better cross functional working with designers, and faster turnaround times.

Advertising and paid media

Meta AdsMeta Ads Manager is the control room for all advertisements across all Meta platforms. It’s a tool used by top marketers to create, manage, change, and analyse all aspects of their digital advertising on Facebook and Instagram
Linkedin AdsAn ad platform has ad types to meet all your marketing objectives with a reach of over 750 million professionals on the world’s largest professional network.

Landing Page and CMS

UnbounceCapture way more leads with high-converting landing pages that you can optimise on the fly, all without a developer.
ClickfunnelsGenerate New LEADS That You Can Connect With… Create simple funnels that quickly capture your visitors’ contact information, so you can generate new leads to follow-up 

CRM systems

HubspotHubSpot’s CRM platform has all the tools and integrations you need for marketing, sales, content management, and customer service. Each product in the platform is powerful alone, but the real magic happens when you use them together.
SalesforceSalesforce is a customer relationship management solution that brings companies and customers together. It’s one integrated CRM platform that gives all your departments — including marketing, sales, commerce, and service — a single, shared view of every customer.

Social Media management

HootsuiteTool for planning out social media posts and it’s great if you run multiple social media accounts for your business.
Loom.lyLoom.ly is the built-in URL shortener of Loomly, your simple social media calendar tool!
BufferBuffer helps you build an audience organically. We’re a values-driven company that provides affordable, intuitive, marketing tools for ambitious people and teams.

Ready to build your stack?

Before we send you off to build the most well-executed tech stack startups have ever seen, we want to leave you with some of our top tips when building your tech stack:

  • It’s a complex task – be prepared! – huge amount of tools and tech are available
  • Keep it simple – the more tools and integration, the more complex your tech stack becomes
  • Choose tools that align with your strategy, budget, your team’s capabilities
  • Research all the options – don’t rush to buy until you have the full picture 
  • Triage existing tools and IT infrastructure to inform integration of new technologies
  • Tools need to contain features that can allow marketers to personalise content
  • Consider your team set up – tools need to support efficient working practices for onsite teams and remote workers
  • Don’t be tempted into reinventing the wheel – choose a solution that will help you reach your goals without too much effort
  • Thinks integration – not all tech works seamlessly
  • Be prepared to iterate – technology changes frequently! 
  • Consider your team’s capability and skill set when choosing tech 

And most importantly, if you are not sure how to build the right tech stack, seek advice.


Is your marketing strategy not creating the growth you expect? Why not book a call with our Managing Director, Lee for some insights into how you can find the right tech stack for your business.

It’s Time to Grow-up: Is Vertical Farming the Future of Agri-Tech?

Posted on November 23, 2022 by

What can we learn about Vertical Farming’s Impact?

In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at the growing practice of vertical farming and highlight a few of the changemakers who are making their mark on the agri-tech sector. 

With key insights into growing interest from investors, innovations that are shaping the industry and walking the tightrope of regenerative growth and emissions, we’ll see how Impact Founders can drive change and offer solutions to the climate crisis.

It’s Time for Change

As global leaders held discussions on the climate crisis at COP 27, the world population quietly grew to 8 billion people, as announced on Tuesday. Despite the promise of steps towards Net-zero and deals for green energy, the climate crisis is continuing to have a devastating impact on our people and planet.  

With 10% of the people on our planet living in hunger, it’s impossible to ignore that food insecurity is fast becoming a major impact of climate change. Not to mention the escalating effects caused by supply chain issues brought on by the pandemic, Brexit, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the cost of living crisis. 

We know that yearly discussions and promises alone won’t bring real change, we need to shift our focus to regenerative growth and that’s why we at Zebra Growth support the innovative changemakers that create the most impact.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem. While we sit and stare at the news waiting for the next anxiety-inducing report on energy prices, pioneers in agri-tech are facing the threat of food insecurity head on using Vertical Farming techniques.

But with critics arguing that emissions are too high compared to traditional agriculture and rising energy costs, is vertical farming the future of agri-tech? Let’s take a look at what’s happening in the sector and some of the changemakers hoping to answer that question.

Let’s get Vertical

Vertical Farming (VF) is the agricultural process of growing crops in vertically stacked layers, maximising land space and potential crop yield. What makes the practice so fascinating (not to mention groundbreaking) is that the crops are grown indoors with no soil or sunlight. 

Techniques such as hydroponics, aeroponics and aquaponics are used to grow crops indoors using the method of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). CEA allows every step of the growing process to be controlled for each specific crop, from humidity, light, temperature and even CO2. 

Utilising a CEA indoors means vertical farms don’t need to rely on pesticide as the plants are grown in clean, monitored conditions, allowing farmers to grow nutrient-rich produce all while helping to restore the land typically used for agriculture. 

We’ve seen this for ourselves through our collaboration with IGS. IGS is an agri-tech innovator, revolutionising the sector with Growth Towers. Their system uses TCEA (Total Controlled Environment Agriculture) which removes all external variables to create a predictable and repeatable growing environment. This not only optimises yield but limits wastage. Their  groundbreaking work signals a much needed shift towards more regenerative practices!

Vertical farms can yield up to 10 times the yield of open-field farming of the same land area. Without the dependance on sunlight and unencumbered by harsh weather conditions, vertical farms can grow year round and still produce high-quality produce around the world. 

The practice is typically used to grow leafy greens, herbs and soft fruits, given their small size and large profit margins. Critics of vertical farming often cite this as a key reason that vertical farming can’t tackle food insecurity as vital crops such as wheat cannot be grown indoors given its size.

So vertical farming is an interesting project but it won’t yield true results?

This is simply not the case. Agri-tech innovators are already a step ahead of critics, as Amsterdam-based startup Infarm have successfully grown wheat indoors without soil or pesticides. The world’s first indoor staple crop is projected to have an annual yield of 117 tons a hectare, by comparison the average yield for the EU in 2022 was 5.6 tons a hectare. That’s one way to silence the naysayers!

Through vertical farming, Infarm was able to have 6 growth cycles in a year, compared to a single growth cycle with traditional farming methods – isn’t that incredible? 

While scaling such an operation will have its own set backs, Infarm believes that with the right innovations and improved technology, they will be able to increase their yield by 50% in the years to come. 

With hundreds of startups led by innovative changemakers working towards revolutionising the agricultural sector, it’s hard not to see the potential for vertical farming. 

Of course, a key benefit of vertical farming is allowing the land and resources used in traditional agriculture to replenish, giving us the opportunity to shift towards a regenerative form of open-field farming. At Zebra Growth, collaboration is at the heart of everything we do and the only way we can truly look to solve food insecurity is utilising technology, so we can complement traditional methods, not compete with them.

We are closely following new developments in the sector over the coming months and years and we are hopeful that innovation and tradition can drive progress. With developments across agri-tech enhancing the practice of open-field farming (such as the use of drones to detect disease in crops and limit wastage) we have no doubt that innovation and tradition will find a way to collaborate towards a better future.

But let’s imagine the potential that growing staple crops indoors gives us. Countries affected by drought, extreme climates, or where wheat has never grown in the past could become self-sufficient and thrive with direct access to staple crops. 

Our vision of a regenerative economy could be realised through these kinds of innovations in vertical farming working in tandem with open-field farming, and we want to do everything we can to make that our reality.

And the progress isn’t going unnoticed

Climate Smart Agriculture (such as vertical farming) was the number 2 in the top 10 Climate Tech Trends and Innovations for 2022. More and more investors are seeing the real world value of vertical farming. With the global market value of vertical farming expected to surpass $20.9 billion (USD) by 2029, it’s no wonder that investors are looking to VF startups to drive change. 

From cutting transport costs, mitigating supply chain issues, food waste and bringing nutrient-packed produce to urban areas, vertical farming is a vital investment for VCs looking to give their funding to sectors that promise regenerative growth with real impact and tackle climate change. 
From our own work with clients in the sector, including IGS (who raised £42 million in Series B funding) we’ve seen the excitement growing amongst investors for innovative and regenerative startups – it’s an exciting time for climate tech  changemakers!

That’s not all…

Early in 2022, London-based startup Vertical Future raised £21 million, in Europe’s largest ever Series A funding in the industry. What’s clear to us – and clearly investors – is the brand’s clear purpose and reach. We can’t ignore how exciting this is for agri-tech startups, vertical farming is starting to turn heads.

Vertical Future looks to empower their customers to grow produce sustainably and closer to the point of consumption, satisfying the significant need to reduce transport emissions and provide the freshest produce. This startup proves not only the importance of innovation in vertical farming but rather that VC’s are hungry for fresh and revolutionary solutions to food insecurity. 

Vertical Future not only grows food but 40% of their plants are produced for pharmaceutical purposes, adding yet another game changing potential for vertical farming. With the funding secured, they’ll now focus on scaling their operations across the globe.

Now that’s exciting.

In fact, in the UK there is growing demand for agri-tech startups. Just recently, a partnership was launched in Gloucestershire to promote growth and innovation in the sector. The partnership between food science and technology consultancy, Campden BRI; Hartpury University and College’s Agriculture Agri-tech Centre and Tech Box Park, the Royal Agricultural University’s Farm 491 and the University of Gloucestershire’s Countryside & Community Research Group (CCRI), aims to bring innovators and startups from around the globe to the county to share expertise and grow the already £1.5 billion valued sector. 

Gloucestershire has the highest concentration of fast growing agri-tech SMEs and a hyperfocus on agricultural education – we can’t wait to see where their innovations take us next! 

We, at Zebra Growth firmly believe that working collaboratively to support the vision of agri-tech startups is an essential step towards building a fairer, regenerative economy.  We all need to act now if we are to  protect our planet’s resources, and it’s great to see that local authorities are starting to notice this too!
And, thought leaders are starting to recognise the benefits of funding R&D in agri-tech as a means of limiting the supply chain issues that have disrupted food distribution these past few years.

Growing-up isn’t always easy

So, while vertical farming boasts a higher crop yield and has the potential to bring nutrient-rich food to urban areas, it’s not without its setbacks – what developing technology isn’t?

A recent article published in Nature Food looked at sustainability within vertical farming among other food system technologies. The Scandinavian team found that vertical farming had a ‘mixed sustainability’ as its greenhouse gas emissions were higher than that of conventional farming. 

What we found especially interesting (not to mention reassuring for our climate conscious changemakers) is that the report focuses on the energy used to run the farms and openly admits that the literature studied had a distinct lack of focus on the socio-economic sustainability of the practice – considering two of the three pillars of sustainability is people & profit, it’s a wonder why these key benefits of vertical farming aren’t considered in assessing its sustainability.

The report notes its own shortcomings, of course, and discusses vertical farming’s ability to reduce CO2 emissions through cutting down on transport as a theoretical practice, and we’ve already seen that vertical farms are being brought to urban areas. 

Vertical farming is not only limiting transport emissions but reducing food waste, all while bringing fresher, healthier food to people –  we’d say that’s pretty sustainable!

And let’s not forget about the regenerative benefits of closed-loop vertical farming. Compared to traditional agriculture, there is no chemical-filled water that has the potential to pollute the environment, and conversely the crops aren’t affected by contaminated water.

We’ve seen this first hand with our client  IGS’s TCEA, their fully automated water and nutrient dosing system ensures that the only water that leaves the farm is in the crop itself – this will do wonders in a future where water scarcity is fast becoming a genuine concern. 

The closed-loop process allows vertical farming to reach climates – and people – that would never have the ability to grow coveted crops.

A perfect example of vertical farming’s versatility is VeggiTech’s work in the United Arab Emirates.  In the Sharjah desert, the startup has cultivated 150,000 crocus sativa bulbs to grow saffron. Despite the turbulent climate, through vertical farming, VeggiTech estimates the first crop to yield around 5.5 kilograms of saffron – this may seem a paltry sum but with a market value of up to $3000 a kilogram, it’s sure to push innovation in the sector. Did we mention it was grown in the desert? It doesn’t get any drier than that.

With 90% of the UAE’s food coming from imports, having access to the spice close to home will have a massive impact on transport emissions. And this is just one spice, in one country. Imagine being able to bring vertical farms to vulnerable countries with limited access to water! Is this anything but a leap towards a regenerative, prosperous and fair future? 

Of course, we still live in the present and the cost of setting up and running a vertical farm can be pricey. 

IDTechEx’s 2020 report suggests energy to typically cost around 35-40% of the Operation Expenditure (OpEX) of a vertical farm and high energy output equals higher emissions. With energy prices reaching an all time high, for many critics the future of vertical farming is questionable – say it isn’t so!

As we’ve seen, this hasn’t slowed the appetite of investors in agri-tech, and why should it? The key to successful technologies is innovation and development, R&D from well-funded startups is pushing progress. 

Already developments in energy efficient LED lights has meant costs are being brought down. And let’s not forget that changemakers in agri-tech are constantly generating solutions to constantly improve the practice. 

Innovation is paramount to growing a successful and regenerative business. We’ve seen this firsthand with IGS. Coupled with energy efficient LED lights and their TCEA, growers can increase energy efficiency by up to 50% while reducing the overall cost – we can already see progress being made.

What’s even more promising, and often not being considered by critics, is the prospect of vertical farms being run on renewable energy. The topic has been in the minds of agri-tech visionaries as far back as 2018, when yet another vertical farm pioneer, OneFarm, found that vertical farms run on green energy have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by 70%. 

It seems to us that the energy costs and emissions of a radical technology such as vertical farming are but a symptom of the wider failures of our reliance on finite resources that are ravaging our planet. 

Closed-loop farming is only the beginning. It’s never been more clear that we need to shift towards renewable energy if we are to protect our planet and its people. With progress made every day, vertical farming gives us the opportunity to create a real impact on food insecurity and shifting towards green energy could yield limitless results!

It’s a great time to be a Changemaker

So, is vertical farming the future of agri-tech? The practice is growing fast and visionaries are surpassing setbacks whilst silencing critics. The process may not yet be perfect, but massive strides are already being made to future proof vertical farming. 

The practice will be essential in allowing land used by traditional farming methods to regenerate and thrive and the future of food security will come from a balanced collaboration between open-field and vertical farming. 

Socially-driven entrepreneurs are making their mark in the sector and with thought-leaders and investors ready to trust in the process, we’re thrilled by the potential that vertical farming brings to restoring balance to our world. As the sector grows, we must ensure that positive impact is at the heart of the progress.

We believe the real power of vertical farming comes from startups with a clear, driven purpose that will pave the way for progress and shift the business world’s outdated concept of profit at all costs. Those brave pioneers that understand the need to transform our broken system and build a brighter, regenerative and impactful future.  

As more changemakers rattle the business world with innovations in agri-tech, we can see real impact being made and we’re excited to be a part of it!

We have supported groundbreaking agri-tech startups to define their purpose and vision. Working collaboratively, we help to create ethical, regenerative growth that balances people, planet and profit. 

Without these visionary changemakers, we’d be stuck watching as greed and ignorance destroys our beautiful planet at the cost of its people and if that isn’t something worth growing-up for, we don’t know what is.

Let’s Recap

So, what do we know about vertical farming? The practice is making waves in the agri-tech sector and with the global market value set to surpass $20.9 billion (USD) by 2029, investors are looking to agri-tech startups for visionary solutions to food insecurity.

And with the ability to grow crops in even the harshest of climates, vertical farming has the ability to reduce transport emissions and bring the freshest, nutrient-rich produce to everyone around the globe. 

The process isn’t without its faults, with higher energy outputs and emissions, but the key to vertical farming’s success lies in visionary startups and we can already see the impact of advancements made to the closed-loop technology.

Through further research and a shift towards renewable energy, vertical farming can help restore balance to our planet and promises fair, regenerative growth that we desperately need.

But vertical farming is just one significant strand in the web of agri-tech. A driving force for change, its power comes from complementing traditional open-field techniques allowing a holistic approach to growth, with respect for our planet and its resources. 

Across the agri-tech sector we are stunned by the innovations of pioneers who, when working towards a shared vision, are building a future that benefits people, planet and profit. 

Looking for more?

Check out the Changemakers we’ve mentioned and some useful links below!

Are you driving to make change in agri-tech or needing guidance on regenerative growth?

We’d love to chat about how you can grow your business for maximum impact. We understand the need for real action and a shift towards impactful growth, that’s why Climate-tech is one of our key areas of focus.

If you’re keen to scale your own regenerative growth, why not reach out to Rae – there’s always a fresh pot of virtual coffee waiting!

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