At Retail by CRS, we firmly believe that the right partnerships help retailers achieve even greater success, which is why we’re proud to recommend West House Media as one of our trusted digital marketing partners. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, this husband-and-wife team brings something unique to the table: firsthand experience as retailers themselves. After spending more than a decade building and scaling their own e-commerce retail brand, they understand the realities of running a business and the challenges that come with trying to create marketing that truly delivers results. Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach, West House Media takes the time to understand each retailer’s brand, customers, and goals to develop creative strategies that feel authentic and effective.
What we appreciate most about working with WMH is their genuine investment in the businesses they support. Customers work directly with a small, dedicated team that provides personalized attention, quick turnaround times, and thoughtful recommendations tailored to their unique needs. Their services span everything from email marketing and social media creative to website banners, Google Ads, and more, all offered through flexible packages designed to fit a variety of budgets. They have been a valued partner to our team, and we confidently recommend them to retailers looking for a marketing partner that combines real retail experience with creativity, collaboration, and a commitment to helping businesses grow.
We got the opportunity to sit down with the WHM team to ask some fun questions in order to gain a bit more insight into who they are and what they do:
Q: What inspired the creation of West House Media, and what makes your approach different from a traditional marketing agency?
“We spent 12 years building Indoor Farmer into a national brand, and for most of that time marketing was a struggle — not because we didn’t care, but because we were too deep in the day-to-day to do it properly. We worked with agencies that didn’t fully understand the realities of running an independent business, and eventually we realized we needed a more hands-on approach ourselves. When we took over our own marketing, our click-to-open rates increased substantially and customer engagement followed. That experience showed us firsthand what a difference the right creative and strategy actually makes.
When we sold the business, we kept thinking about how many other owners were experiencing the same challenges right now. Paying for marketing that doesn’t really reflect the quality of their business, or knowing they should be doing more but having no time to figure it out. Those are the business owners we started WHM for.
We’ve actually been the client. We’ve managed inventory, negotiated with suppliers, built promotions from scratch, and watched campaigns drive real revenue or fall flat. Ruth brings that same understanding to every creative decision she makes. When we sit down with a business owner, we’re not trying to learn their world. We already lived it.”
Q: What does a successful partnership look like to your team?
It looks like an owner who’s stopped worrying about their marketing. Most clients come to us because it’s been reactive — something goes out when there’s time, nothing when there isn’t. One of the first things we do is build out a full annual content calendar so promotions and campaigns are planned well ahead of time. Marketing stops being something that falls through the cracks.
The real win is when a client starts feeling momentum again. Stronger click-to-open rates, a spike in conversions, customers coming back because a campaign was built around their brand and not borrowed from someone else’s playbook.
Q: Many independent retailers struggle with standing out online. What are some of the biggest branding or marketing mistakes you see businesses making today?
The biggest one is underusing their email list — and most owners don’t realize it’s happening. Every person on that list already chose to hear from you. That list is one of the most valuable assets your business owns, and yet most retailers are sending one email a month at best, with inconsistent design and no real strategy behind it. A well-executed campaign to your existing customers will almost always outperform anything you spend trying to find new ones. The opportunity is often already there — it just needs a reason to come back.
The second is inconsistency — in both frequency and presentation. A great post one week, nothing for three weeks, then a promotion that looks nothing like the last one. Customers pick up on this even when they can’t say why. Good design isn’t just about looking professional. It helps customers quickly understand who you are, what you offer, and whether they can trust you. When branding and communication feel inconsistent, that trust erodes quietly over time.
Trust builds through repetition — showing up regularly, looking polished, sounding like yourself every time. That’s what turns a one-time buyer into someone who comes back and tells their friends.
Q: What’s been your favorite client success story so far?
Working with CRS has been a genuine highlight. Their team has built a strong reputation by helping independent retailers solve real business challenges, and we’ve been proud to help communicate that value through consistent creative and marketing support. CRS is a B2B company, outside of our typical retail focus, and stepping into that partnership reinforced something we already believed — that understanding a business deeply before you design anything is what makes the work actually land, whether you’re selling to consumers or to other businesses.
Q: What advice would you give to a retailer or small business owner who feels overwhelmed by marketing and doesn’t know where to start?
Start with one thing and do it well. For most retailers, that thing should be email. It’s the most direct line to people who have already bought from you, it doesn’t require a big budget, and a single well-designed campaign can drive more revenue than weeks of social media posts.
From there — show up regularly. Same look, same voice, same cadence. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be consistent. The businesses that win at marketing usually aren’t the ones with the biggest budgets. They’re the ones their customers keep hearing from.
Sporadic marketing is harder to recover from than people think — because every gap is a customer who forgot you were there. And if you don’t have the time or capacity to do it well, that’s exactly what we’re here for.
If any of this resonates with you and your business needs, reach out directly to the WHM team at info@westhousemedia.ca or visit westhousemedia.ca to learn more.
