Sustainable marketing champion

Carrie Mayo

‘Business leaders are in a position to spread a message, and I’ve always wanted that message to be one of inspiration and positivity,’ says Carrie Mayo, founder of MAYO Web Design & Marketing Services in Portsmouth. (Courtesy photo)

In the environmental and sustainability business arena, B Corp accreditation is a significant milestone for a company. Portsmouth-based MAYO Web Design & Marketing Services has become one of the latest to join the vast global network that now numbers over 5,650 companies of all sizes in more than 85 countries and more than 155 industries. The B Corp goal is to make business a force for good and encourage collective action because, as the nonprofit organization cleverly says, we have no Planet B as a backup.

Rochester native Carrie Mayo, a graphic designer by training and optimistic environmentalist by temperament, founded MAYO Web Design & Marketing Services in 2002, and has seen the company grow, with more than 90 clients across the country.

“There have always been environmental movements, but recently the work that started 40 and 50 years ago seems to be on an accelerated path,” Mayo told NH Business Review.

Q. Why is B Corp certification important to your company?

A. When the MAYO team and I first learned about B Corp and saw how closely their standards aligned with our values, it was like we found our family. Through the process of certification, we were exposed to new areas of improvement and ways to focus on aspects we had not focused on before. It didn’t just recognize what we had done, but drove us to do better.

Business leaders are in a position to spread a message, and I’ve always wanted that message to be one of inspiration and positivity. It’s something consumers are looking for, that reputation for doing good and having authenticity. When you have a choice in services, and all things are equal, what happens within the company and the way it operates behind the scenes can be the differentiator.

B Corp has a formula that holds us accountable and allows us to highlight these aspects in a transparent, authentic way.

Q. What is sustainable marketing and how does it work?

A. To me, sustainable marketing boils down to creating long-term value. Instead of focusing on short-term returns, MAYO seeks to nurture relationships with customers. We help companies build and showcase a strong company culture, which attracts both consumers and top talent. It’s about marketing the whole company, not just its products and services.

It’s also about reducing waste. Waste isn’t acceptable in how we consume products and also in promoting products. It’s not just doing things because they’ve been done before or for the sake of doing them, but being really focused on value and ROI. It’s about being strategic, testing what works, niching down and not being everything to everyone.

Q. How closely do you work with companies on sustainability issues?

A. A typical client for us would be a regional solar installation company. We work with them on how to market services, but also engage with consumers on sustainability issues relevant to them. It all goes back to purpose, values and meeting clients where they’re at. Some companies may be more deeply engaged in sustainability, while others are just starting to do this work. We love to help companies find ways to do more in a way that’s not just greenwashing, but has a real impact and is true to them.

Q. How have business attitudes towards sustainability changed since you founded MAYO?

A. There have always been environmental movements, but recently the work that started 40 and 50 years ago seems to be on an accelerated path. Countries and the United Nations are setting climate goals and that trickles down to communities and individuals in communities. Millennials and Gen Z have different attitudes on the environment and are forcefully encouraging companies to integrate sustainability as part of their core values. The demand is growing with consumers, and corporations are demonstrating that triple bottom line formula: people, planet, profit.

Q. How diverse is the support network in New Hampshire?

A. Thankfully, we aren’t doing this alone. NH Businesses for Social Responsibility is creating a community for like-minded businesses to help support them throughout their journey. UNH is committed to its B Impact Clinic, which is connecting students with companies to complete their certification process. And we can look to businesses in New Hampshire that have come before us, like Pete and Gerry, ReVision Energy, Stonyfield and Piscataqua Savings Bank. More than any time before, there are resources and institutional knowledge for companies who want to be a force for good.