The Future is NO Plastic

Reduce Single Use

At Barefruit Marketing we are proud supporters of Ballina’s ‘Reduce Single Use’ challenge. In collaboration with Ballina Shire Council and Waste Warriors, we initiated the challenge to get other businesses on board after our own successful office challenge.

At the beginning of 2018, the Barefruit team watched a documentary called ‘A Plastic Ocean’. It had a profound effect – we were horrified and saddened by what we learned, and deeply inspired to create change. A new mindset was born within the office…

The Barefruit mindset, a forever habit, or our planet will get sick, and so will our animals and children and their children…

We realised how much we were contributing to the problem by using single use coffee cups, takeaway containers and food packaging, so we started an office challenge. We purchased reusable coffee cups, drink bottles and shopping bags for the team, and set up the following rules:

    • NO single use plastics
      1. NO disposable coffee cups – only reusable cups to be used
      2. reuse coffee carrying trays
      3. BYO bowl/crockery to local cafes
    • Sustainable switches
      1. reusable rags instead of paper towels
      2. keep cups
      3. reusable shopping bags
      4. metal straws over single-use plastic ones
      5. reusable cutlery and plates over toss-away versions
      6. beeswax wraps instead of plastic wrap
    • Composting food scraps
    • Double-sided printing policy
    • Car sharing/pooling to meetings
    • Dropbox filing system instead of paper filing
    • Correct recycling

Breaking the above rules = 10 burpees (in the office)

Within no time, this new way of thinking was second nature, and our waste has become minimal.

Have you joined the Reduce Single Use Challenge yet? Head over to @reducesingleuse to sign up your business and see how much of a difference you can make. We are proud supporters of this great initiative  #reducesingleuseballina
Related Tags: Marketing Consultant Gold Coast

Rafiki Mwema presents Kings and Queens of Rafiki

Kings and Queens of Rafiki

Our Chief Juicer Claire Harding is a passionate and driven marketeer. Her primary role is to oversee the strategic direction of your business and to ensure the smooth running of campaigns. Along with her busy schedule at Barefruit, Claire is also a board member for ‘Rafiki Mwema’, a non-profit organisation providing safe houses for young, traumatised children in Kenya. As part of the agency’s corporate social responsibility, Barefruit are corporate sponsors of the charity. Utilising the skills and connections of Barefruit to assist Rafiki Mwema in various marketing aspects.  In addition to this, Barefruit shares an office with the Rafiki Mwema headquarters and their fearless leader, Sarah Rosborg!

Alongside Lennox Head local Sarah, the founder of Rafiki Mwema (and Claire’s bestie) they have been working tirelessly to organise a special premier screening event of the eye-opening documentary, ‘Kings and Queens of Rafiki’. ‘Kings and Queens of Rafiki’ is the product of a recent trip to Kenya from Sarah and Rafiki Mwema’s Ambassador and Queen, Constance Hall for the opening of Kings Castle, a home fully funded by Constance!

Kings and Queens of Rafiki

Constance is a social media influencer, long-time supporter and ambassador for the life-changing charity, Rafiki Mwema. Her visit to the village was very special for the children of Rafiki, knowing everything she has done to support them, and was an equally special experience for her own family.

An evening filled with like-minded people coming together to make a positive impact, 100% of the profits made from the event will be donated to Rafiki Mwema. With local vendors and merchants donating their time for the event, this is truly a community supporting a great cause.

Kings and Queens of Rafiki

Kings and Queens of Rafiki will be premiered here on the Northern Rivers at - Lennox Head Cultural and Community Centre on Saturday the 24th November 2018 at 6pm with special guests including, Constance Hall and Sarah Rosborg. Enjoy the thought-provoking documentary, food and refreshments and a Q&A session after the screening of the documentary. You can view a trailer of the documentary here.

For more information or to attend this event please click here.

Optus My Business Awards Finalists

Business Awards

To top off an already exciting year Barefruit Marketing was shortlisted to the final 10 nominees for the Workplace of the Year category in the Optus My Business Awards!

The Optus My Business Awards are on of the longest-standing business awards programs in Australia, identifying Australia’s best business operators. Winners of these prestigious awards represent the best of the best. The powerhouse duo and the co-founders of Barefruit Marketing, Evan and Claire Harding, travelled to Sydney on Friday to attend this significant event, held at Sydney’s Four Points by Sheraton in Darling Harbour.

Covering 28 categories, the Optus My Business Awards acknowledge businesses and individual leaders that are achieving excellence in customer service and also recognises successes in innovation, corporate social responsibility and workplace culture.

"Our approach to people management and culture has shaped our business, our people and contributed to our successes" said Evan Harding on what he believes are some of the defining factors that lead to the agency’s initial nomination for Workplace of the Year.

On arrival back to the agency in Ballina Claire commented “Although we didn’t come away with the gold, so to speak, it was still such a momentous achievement for our agency and a privilege to be there with some truly amazing businesses from all over Australia.” Barefruit Marketing was the only nomination from the Northern Rivers – No small feat!

R U OK?

meaningful way

We started the conversation with our colleagues and asked R U OK, in a meaningful way. 

Connecting regularly and meaningfully is one thing that we can all do to make a difference to each and every one of us - especially if we are feeling not ok.

Regardless of how well you know the person, we encourage you to ask the question R U OK? It is important to realise that a lot of people are suffering in silence and don’t tend to speak up. It’s ok to not be ok.

If you’re not feeling ok, talk to someone you trust. We encourage it to be an ongoing and considered conversation - if you start it, take the time to help and listen - not just today, but regularly. 

Today, we took time out of our day to check in with our colleagues, shared a compliment with one another and to play a social game of ping pong. A shout out to Jo for winning the round robin and for being so awesomely creative in many ways. 

R U OK? If you need to speak with an expert call 131114.

The 2018 Lennox Head Business Award Nominations close TODAY!

Lennox Head Business Awards
Lennox Head Business Awards are closing!

If you have a business in Lennox Head, no matter how big or how small, no matter what it is that you do, and no matter how super busy you may be, it’s time to get recognised for all your hard work! The 2018 Lennox Head Business awards are open, but close this afternoon. Take some time out of your schedule and complete your nomination today.

This year the Gala night will be at Shelter. There will be entertainment, award presentations, delicious food and drinks. Get recognised, celebrate your achievements, eat some great food and share a drink with other business owners. Visit the Lennox Chamber website for more information.

Barefruit, winners of last years - Business of the Year (2017)

Last year, Club Lennox put on a fabulous spread for the awards, with entertainment by local crooner Sebastiaan, and hilarious MC carpet cleaner John Peacock. In a real testament to our hard work and recent business growth (including an increase in clients, staff and a larger office to accomodate), we took out both the professional services award, plus, for the second year in a row, the biggie – Business Of The Year.

Other winners included some of our clients: Culinary Science – Beef+Beach, Best Big Business – Ballina Campervans, Motorhomes & Caravans and Horizon Motorhomes.

Enter your business now!

If you are a local small business - it's really worth considering entering these awards, put together by a bunch of amazing volunteers from the Lennox Head Chamber of Commerce, and designed to promote and support local business. A huge thank you to the Lennox Wave for putting us in this month's addition, and reflecting on our achievements.

It's not too late - enter your business by 5pm today for its achievements - it's great recognition, as well as great night out for your staff. Head to the Lennox Head Chamber Website now - click here!

Celebrating client milestones at the Ballina Business Awards

Barefruit at Ballina Business Awards
A huge shout out to two of our clients for their successful wins at the weekend!

It was a night of all nights for local businesses at the Ballina Coast & Hinterland Business Excellence Awards, held at the Ballina RSL club. Everyone got 'dolled up' in their finest attire, and of course each member of the Barefruit Marketing team wore a hint of 'orange' - from bow ties, suspenders to high heels, and jewellery!

Barefruit were finalists but unfortunately didn't take the win, however we celebrated our clients successes - who took home 3 awards in total!

We're so pleased for our client BCMCHorizon Motorhomes, Horizon Motorhomes who took out the award for Excellence in Trade, Construction & Manufacturing (sponsored by Commonwealth Bank Australia) and for BCMC & Horizon Motorhomes who took out the award for Business Excellence (sponsored by ZZZ 2LM FM). This is a huge achievement for BCMC who are super pleased to be celebrating their 30th year in business (this year). This year, sees more growth for BCMC with the addition of caravans to their offering. BCMC is now the only retailer from the Tweed Coast to Coffs Coast to sell Millard Caravans. Last year, BCMC/Horizon also won the Manufacturing and Innovation award.

We are also so proud of our client UPA, who won the award for Aged Care & Wellbeing (sponsored Ballina RSL Club Ltd). This is also a huge achievement for UPA who offer a diverse range of aged care services extending from the Gold Coast south to Port Macquarie in New South Wales. The North Coast Region has continued to provide excellence in: Home Care, Residential Care, Respite and Carelink Centres and Youth Care (Foster Care) UPA in Alstonville.

A huge congratulations to our clients, we love seeing you win big and are honoured to work with you on your on-going achievements! We hope everyone had a wonderful night!

See photos from the night below (L-R) UPA's North Coast Region with their Account Manager, Jo Coby, Director's Claire & Evan Harding, BCMC/Horizon Clayton & Kylie Kearney, the Trophies, Barefruit's HR Manager Sara Davis, BCMC/Horizon Kylie Kearney, Director Claire Harding, the whole Barefruit Team (minus Jo and Nat), and some extra Barefruit happy snaps.

 

‘Hello, is it you we’re looking for?’

We are looking for a Strategic Creative to join our busy team in Ballina, with a focus on conceptual branding and design.

We want someone that wants to be part of something special. We want someone who is real and straightforward, capable of producing and presenting brave ideas. We want someone to challenge the status quo and someone to challenge us at Ping Pong on a Friday afternoon.

You will work closely with the strategic team to understand our clients and their brands, interrogating their briefs and shaping bold and creative solutions.

You understand the power of branding and great copy and you will oversee the creative output of the agency, mentoring the creative team.

We’re not looking for a graphic designer, or an illustrator, or a copywriter, we’re looking for the whole shebang.

You might already live close by, or looking to move to the beautiful Northern Rivers. You may be looking for full time, or for some on-going part time or freelance work. Whatever you are looking for, we want someone who is in this with us for the long term, to be part of our future.

To apply please send your portfolio, CV and salary expectations to claire@barefruit.com.au

creative solutions

Word Of Mouth Marketing

Word of Mouth
"Is it easy to generate word of mouth marketing for our business?"

This is a question the team at Barefruit get asked a lot, so we thought we would share a couple of industry tips with you.

First of all – stop thinking about marketing. Start thinking about real conversations and genuine recommendations.

1. Ask your loyal customers if they have ever recommended your business. If they have, thank them and ask why they recommended you? Keep a record of this!

2. See if there is a recurring recommendation e.g. great service, friendly team, value, best coffee ever. This is will be part of your marketing message.

3. Now where do your potential customers hang out? Social media? Community centres? Do they read the paper? Once you know this, this is where you can start to spread your message.

In a nutshell, find out why your customers love you and tell others about it.

Who doesn’t love a recommendation? We hope this information helps you grow yours.

Your Barefruit Team

Awards bare fruit for Ballina business

 

Thanks for the write up Ballina Advocate on our recent award win.

"WINNING the Lennox Head Chamber of Commerce's business of the year award last week was a special moment for Claire and Evan Harding - even if it was the second time the business won the gong."

"The owners of Barefruit Marketing in Ballina have had a string of success in recent years and said that success has helped grow their business through exposure the awards have given them..."

Read more by clicking on the image right.