Brand+Butter: A Conscious Approach to Marketing

Zoe Hawkins built Brand+Butter on an idea that was equal parts stubborn and lofty – to only offer ethical marketing and work with those who are doing good (or ready to change their ways). Having come from traditional big advertising agencies, Zoe was all too familiar with the greenwashing and misalignment behind the scenes of many businesses, as well as some agencies themselves. 

“I knew that if I wanted to continue to work in marketing I had to do something different, something that would actually have a positive impact. Brand+Butter’s approach comes from this ethos. We began by working with clients that shared our outlook, then looked inwards – at the detrimental impacts of marketing and the platforms we rely on, and the power that we have as an industry to reduce emissions and support local media”.

For Zoe and her team, this looks like letting brand’s actions do the selling, even when it’s something they’re still working on and haven’t perfected yet. This applies to Brand+Butter too, with Zoe running sustainable marketing workshops around our rohe, even though best practice is always evolving as we learn more about the impact.

Zoe says “Sustainability and improving your impact is constant work in progress. Yet a lot of brands are scared to say how they’re trying to do better, for fear of getting it wrong. However 53%* of people will assume a brand is doing nothing in that space, or hiding something, if they say nothing. The most important thing is to be clear about the steps you’re taking, and measure your impact so you can listen, learn and adjust. It’s not about the end goal, it’s about what you as a brand are doing now.” [*source: Edelman Special Report 2025].

Digital footprint is a part of impact that’s only recently entered the public awareness, with the rise of AI and water-hungry data centres becoming a popular headline. However it’s not just AI, every email newsletter, website image and social media post comes at a cost. In fact, the advertising industry produces more emissions than aviation, with current numbers sitting at 3–4% of global emissions. [Source: AdNet Zero]

Zoe says “The cloud isn’t a weightless place where all of our digital footprint disappears. It’s actually an energy-hungry infrastructure that all of us contribute to. As a marketing agency built on doing good, it’s important to us to practice what we preach and help our clients to do the same. That starts with our media choices and the platforms we support, and sometimes recommending not doing any traditional marketing altogether.”

For Brand+Butter, it’s not about switching off digital altogether, but being intentional about where and how it’s used. They recommend clients only market where it makes sense, sometimes that means local, impact-led platforms, or putting marketing spend into causes that create real change, rather than running ads at all.

They walk the talk, too: B+B is a SUC-free Workplace, created Natural Capital, volunteers at community events, and offers community rates to local non-profits. They don’t advertise themselves, instead relying on the work, word of mouth and meaningful impact to speak for them.

The partnership with Love Wānaka is a great example of this in action. Through the journal we share stories that inspire action through celebrating locals doing good and educating on ways to help create a brighter, more resilient future for our rohe.

“Working with Love Wānaka lets us do the part of this job we love most: telling positive impact stories that are genuine, about people out there doing the mahi.” Zoe says.

• Say what you’re doing to reduce your impact, even if it isn’t finished. An honest update beats a polished claim you can’t back up.
• Measure what a campaign costs, not just what it earns. Track the impact alongside the performance, and let that shape the next marketing decision.
• Choose platforms on purpose rather than by default. Use local and impact-led where you can, and only the ones that genuinely work for your business.
• Ask whether marketing spend is even the right move. Sometimes the most effective option is sponsoring a cause your audience already cares about, or getting your team along to a community planting day.

Learn more about Brand+Butter’s mindful marketing ethos, and get in touch with their team to talk about your impact strategy, energy-efficient website, and conscious marketing. 

Brand+Butter is a great example of the good mahi happening across our rohe – and Love Wānaka’s Impact Partner programme is how we bring more of these stories, and more support, to the causes that need it.

Becoming an Impact Partner means joining a growing network of local businesses who’ve chosen to put their values into action. Whether that’s donating a percentage of proceeds like Brand+Butter, sponsoring a specific project, or simply showing up for community working bees, every contribution helps fund grassroots environmental organisations working to protect and restore our region.

You don’t need to have it all figured out to get involved. You just need to be ready to start.

Ready to join? Reach out to the Love Wānaka team to learn more about partnership options, or find out how you can volunteer or donate to local causes already making a difference in our rohe.