For me to evaluate how a digital marketing company can operate on a more eco-friendly basis, it would be necessary for me to see how their actions are either directly or indirectly hurting the environment. Since I still know so little about the marketing industry, the best way for me to do that is to start with the basics. America is one of the highest carbon-emitting countries in the world partly because so many people commute to work via automobile. As far as I can tell, Ingenex Digital Marketing is a small company with employees living in (or at least near) Ann Arbor.
The next step would be to evaluate the office space. Is the lighting low-wattage (i.e. – curly fluorescent bulbs instead of regular ones)? Are employees actively recycling paper and containers, and buying recycled materials (from paper to scissors)? Is the building designed for efficient heating and cooling to minimize utility costs and related pollution? If not, can it be renovated? Is the company buying credits for wind and solar power, and donating to organizations that plant trees?
There are also alternative options for heating and cooling. If the office is a standalone building on a large property, it could be possible to install a heating and cooling system that runs fluid pipes through the ground to harness the earth’s temperature (which is warmer than the air in winter, and cooler than the air in summer).
As far as I can tell, a company like Ingenex Digital Marketing does most of its work online. That already implies that many operations that were once done on paper are now done electronically. Another option might be to provide pro bono work or discounted services for charitable groups or non-profit environmental organizations that need help with digital marketing. Some examples in the Ann Arbor area are the Great Lakes Commission, National Wildlife Foundation, and Greenway Collaborative.
