Ethical Marketing: Is Marketing with Heart the Key? Meet Daiva Dominyka, Who Thinks So 🧡

Welcome to "Marketing With Heart", a special edition where we get to know incredible marketing freelancers who are all about putting ethics first. My main goal here is to inspire brands with a strong sense of purpose to take on a more positive, sustainable, impactful, accessible, and inclusive approach to marketing.

I'm seriously stoked about this week's lineup because I've got an unbelievably amazing marketing freelancer to feature. This lady is seriously inspiring, and I couldn't be more grateful that she agreed to be a part of this. Trust me; you're in for a treat!

But before we dive in, I just wanted to take a moment to introduce her to you. 👇

🔹 Daiva Dominyka — an ethical marketer and climate activist ready to support your company‘s growth in a regenerative and ethical way. She is driven by storytelling and creativity that builds communities, restores the planet, and fosters genuine relationships.

How would you describe ethical marketing in your own words?

Ethical marketing is a conversation with your conscious self. It’s an action taken with the intent to do good for a fellow human, animal or planet, embraced with honesty, humility, and transparency and channelled from deep corners of your heart. It’s inspired by deep purpose and supported by the community you serve. 

It has many ingredients, but I believe that ethical marketing comes naturally to most of us. When unethical approaches are in place, your moral radar turns on, leading to unease and discomfort, warning you that something just doesn’t feel right. Listening to that feeling and inquiring deeper leads you to embody an ethical marketing approach. 

Can you share an example of a marketing campaign that you believe successfully incorporated ethical considerations?

TAZO organic tea has recently launched a video marketing campaign that reflected a regenerative culture: they shot the video in the back garden without using AC or lights and used solar power where needed. They also hired the local community to reduce flight emissions, provided child care on set, used plants instead of props and cooked vegan meals instead of ordering tons of wasteful takeaways. They also challenged the status quo in their messaging by revealing that business as usual is killing the planet, oh and the best part: they donated 1 dollar from each view to Rodale Institute - organic farming NGO. In 2 minute video, they managed to promote their product, build brand awareness and gain trust and support regenerative farming, disclosing the need for farmers' healthcare, education and adequate wages. Of course, they were very good at advertising how they created this campaign, so we have to be careful for ‘regeneration’ not to become another buzzword, but I believe they did a great job and put more effort than any other recent campaign that I know. 

That’s where we’re heading - brands prioritising impact by changing their supply chain, involving all stakeholders in their purpose along the way and leading the cultural change.

Other great examples of how to join mission and communications well are the recent re-brand of Animal Rebellion to Animal Rising, Patagonia’s ‘Don’t buy this jacket’ campaign or ByWay slow travel agency leading the movement towards sustainable, flight-free travel.

Change is on the way - the size of impactful businesses is growing, and we are forming our own little networks that create a positive ripple effect. Tons of start-ups, B-corps, social enterprises and small business owners work with genuine care to serve and heal their communities. Marketing is a direct reflection of our everyday lives, and we, business creators and marketers, have a huge responsibility to shift the narrative and re-invent our processes. 

What are some common ethical dilemmas that you have encountered in your work as a digital marketer, and how did you address them?

I will name the most frequent dilemmas I experience

• The use of platforms

It’s hard to lead the real system change using mainstream social media. For a small business owner or a start-up trying to make an impact and make a living, it’s crucial to interact and use these platforms to reach wider audiences. However, as companies, they’re highly unethical (in their handling of user data, centralised power, exposing vulnerable communities around the world to dangerous content, political scandals, contributing to internet addiction etc.). So this leaves us with the dilemma: to support these companies and use them for good or protest and build alternative tools. 

For now, I advise using these companies for first-hand interactions and audience growth but direct all your attention and effort to eventually move off them to your personal membership sites, Discord, Slack, or other independent platforms and focus on email marketing and community building. And support any alternative social platforms that are arising in the space.

• Data consent 

There are many grey areas of data privacy in paid advertising. The deeper you dig, the greyer it gets, and the truth is you’re rarely held accountable for not complying with GDPR because results bring profit for Meta. Facebook says that all users must give permission for their information to be used (for example, in creating LAL,i.e. Lookalike audiences), but I’ve seen too often this not being the case. It happened to me - as a young freelance marketer, I followed the advice of business coaches and, big marketing agencies, Facebook resources themselves (that just happens not to display these rules in an obvious and clear way) and unintentionally started following these so-advertised practices that I, later on, found to be unethical. 

Now, I ask my clients how they got the data and what processes they had to collect their consent. Our roles as ethical marketers are to address these issues, inform the clients and only use data in a way that the client has agreed upon. 

• The problem of growth

Marketing has contributed to economic growth degrading the environment and pushing us past  social and planetary boundaries. That raises a question: is sustainable or regenerative marketing possible within the current economic model? I don’t think so. We must collectively invest our time and resources to explore and build alternative economies. However, it’s so complex and bigger than any of us that it will take a long time and possibly conflict to achieve such change. So, how to open yourself to the possibilities of exploring new economies? How to run a business that puts daily bread on the table without harm? How to go beyond ‘business as usual’ in times of record atmospheric CO2 emissions?

• Speed, fast results vs long-term sustainability & ethics 

Another direct reflection of our culture that is evident in marketing is a hunger for profit and fast results. When a client comes asking for marketing support, they are more often than not driven by stress and lack. This pushes us, marketers, to focus on getting those results fast, forgetting or not embodying conscious practices along the way. The truth is, to grow your business and following sustainably takes time. We need to stay grounded and move with our inner and outer nature investing in our personal growth, building relationships and looking after our well-being and the community we serve.

Ethical marketing is effective and more sustainable long term, and people are tired of everyone shouting at them. Society is changing and becoming more aware, and marketing also needs to move beyond short-term, profit and fast, results-focused transactions. 

• AI 

Hot and possibly all-changing topic that brings many ethical questions is AI in Marketing. While I won’t be able to tackle this in-depth, I’m curious to ask a content question: Do we need to inform consumers that AI wrote the content? Do they care? Unfortunately, there are few studies directly linked to AI-written content and its impact on readers. It seems that now we rarely can use the content without human input, so perhaps it’s ethical not to disclose it if we end up editing and writing ourselves. But it might be a matter of time, and I hope someone is working on regulations and AI Marketing ethical guidelines.

Can you share an example of a marketing campaign or tactic that you think is unethical? What makes it unethical, and how could it be improved?

Greenwashing is among the most unethical and widely spread behaviours, especially in mainstream marketing (Coca-Cola, Ryanair, Ikea..).

For example, H&M - a high-street fashion brand, is one of the most unjust, wasteful and harmful companies that platformed climate activists and used social movement messaging and branding. We see greenwashing every day, just visit your nearest supermarket, and you can fill your whole basket with items that claim to be ‘Bio’ and ‘good for the environment’, and marketing is highly responsible for it. To tackle greenwashing, we need regulation that puts the responsibility on the companies, marketing agencies and corporations and not on the consumer. 

When it comes to tactics, there are plenty, but I’ll name just a few:

• Pain point marketing: a classic old-school marketing tactic that teaches you to use your potential client’s pain, stick a knife in there, twist it, and exaggerate the situation by fear-mongering only to make a sale. 
• Fake urgency: speculating to consumers that the offer is only available today and you need to get it quickly when there’s no real urgency.
• Dishonesty: showing only one side of the coin, e.g. ‘’I made 10k this month by only using this small step; you can get it too’’, and while that might be true, these companies don’t share how many people they got on the email list, how long they’ve been building the company for, how much they invested in earning that much and so on and so on…
• Data privacy: not asking for people’s consent and re-using your client's data on other platforms.

To shift from these tactics is not difficult. Simply - don’t use them. Instead, tell a story about your service or a brand, talk about the impact you’re trying to make, and use positivity, care and love in your language. Show the impact you have already created. That’s why I love marketing - it can be so creative and push boundaries. If your business is aligned with your deeper Purpose, this work will be easy and enjoyable and bring the right people through the door. 

What are some key metrics that businesses should use to measure the success of ethical marketing campaigns? How do these metrics differ from traditional marketing metrics?

That is a very good question. Success is different and highly personal, so every business owner should define their success metrics. I love using the Ikigai model for various exercises as it feels much more whole. Defining value not just by email subscribers or follower numbers and sales but by looking at the whole ecosystem. 

Success metrics can look like this:

• My well-being and enjoyment while running the campaign
• Personal or company growth during the campaign 
• Revenue
• Impact (have an impact measurement process to build reports)
• Positive impact on my client's satisfaction
• Connections made
• Hidden success (I called this metric ‘hidden’ because it might not be immediately obvious. For example, maybe you had a consultation with someone, and they didn’t buy from you, but you shared something so impactful that it changed the entire direction for them).

Traditional marketing is looking at numbers, at ‘performance’. And doesn’t include anything mentioned above. 

What advice would you give to a small business owner who wants to make their marketing more ethical but doesn't know where to start?

Connect to your intention - truly, deeply, in your heart, what do you want to achieve? Start there, investigate that intention, find the purpose, and then create your success metrics. 

Decide how you want to show up to the world and uncover your authenticity. Find ethical marketers to walk the path with you, listen to their advice, work on personal growth - emotional, physical and spiritual - it will be your guiding light. 

Collaborate with your competitors and focus on building your community, your ‘tribe’ - what you do will magnetise and attract the right people when you’re in your truth. What is yours? What story do you have to tell?

Once you have the answers to the above, you can start creating your services, offers, and gifts and choose how you want to communicate. And do the work. It’s not easy, but the journey can be enjoyable, creative and playful, and don’t take everything seriously. Celebrate when things go wrong, share your advice with others when you’re successful, stay grounded, move and get out in nature. Move from love and trust that you are more than capable of making a difference. 

Final Word 

Thank you again, Daiva Dominyka , for sharing your insights and expertise with us. Your participation has given us valuable insights into marketing with heart. And thank you to you, my awesome reader, for joining me on this journey. Every one of us has a role to play in making the world a better place. Let's continue to learn, grow, and make a positive impact, one step at a time. 👣

And I just wanted to take a moment to share an exciting opportunity Daiva Dominyka has to offer:

“Do you want to grow your email list and share more value so that you can nurture your community and make more sales? 

Then my Email Lead Gen 101: Craft Compelling Free Resources Guide is perfect for you!

Download the guide here.

I am also offering Free Consulations.”

Pssst… If you're looking for more inspiring marketing freelancers to follow and learn from, make sure to check out Ana Barreiro 🌱🔸 , Elena Ferrara-Crofts , Federica Girola , Kathrin Bussmann, Ph.D. , Margherita Sgorbissa , Slavina Dimitrova , Yuval Ackerman , and I’m sure many more! We're all in this together, supporting each other in creating a positive impact through our work. So, go ahead and give them some love. 😉

TL;DR

Meet Daiva Dominyka , an ethical marketer and climate activist ready to support your company‘s growth in a regenerative and ethical way. She is driven by storytelling and creativity that builds communities, restores the planet, and fosters genuine relationships. For her, TAZO organic tea's video campaign is a great example of ethical marketing that promotes the product while supporting regenerative farming and farmers' well-being. She discusses ethical dilemmas such as using unethical platforms, data privacy concerns, prioritising growth over sustainability, and the prevalence of greenwashing. She suggests measuring ethical marketing success with metrics like well-being, growth, revenue, impact, client satisfaction, and meaningful connections. For small business owners looking to make their marketing more ethical, Daiva advises connecting to their intention, being authentic, collaborating with competitors, and focusing on personal growth and making a positive difference.

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Summer Break Alert ☀️

Psst... Just wanted to let you know that I'll be taking a little break from social media for a while. It's important to take some time off every now and then, you know? It really helps us disconnect, recharge our batteries, and see things from a new and refreshed point of view. But don't worry, I won't leave you hanging completely! During this summer, I'll be sharing some incredible insights from conscious marketing advocates that I've come across. And yes, all of this content has been scheduled in advance. 😁

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