Tom Evans, PR & Marketing Manager:

• Harness the power of PR
• Be social on social media 
• Build your internal and external B Corp community

Last year, almost 1,800 companies around the globe – from boutique beauty businesses to sustainable paper product startups – officially became B Corp certified and joined the global movement. Here in the UK, we have also just reached the impressive milestone of 2,000 B Corps.

As an increasing number of organisations start their journey to certification, it’s more important than ever to effectively communicate your B Corp certified status to stand out from the crowd. Here are our top five tips to engage your audience and showcase your B Corp success.

Hit the headlines

Becoming B Corp certified is a big deal. Certified organisations operate in 162 different industries, across 96 countries, and include household brands such as Ben and Jerry’s, Patagonia and Innocent Drinks. If your company has joined this community, people will want to know about it. So, draft a press release or media alert to share the news and distribute it to relevant local and industry publications. Also, identify senior spokespeople in your organisation and pitch them for print, TV and radio interviews. This will help position your spokespeople as trusted thought leaders in the B Corp community and may even inspire others to get involved and start their own journeys.

When creating content, try to think about what makes your organisation unique or special – and why people should care that you have become B Corp certified. For example, are you the first B Corp certified business that specialises in sustainable sauces? Whether it’s tomato, mayonnaise or BBQ, it is newsworthy and people will want to know about you and your journey – it could even help boost sales!

Get creative on social media

Social media platforms are a great way to communicate your B Corp news. However, try to think beyond a typical social media announcement post and aim to publish something creative that will drive reach and engagement. Perhaps you could interview the CEO, share a giant piece of art that your employees have collectively created in celebration of the occasion, film a captivating video or launch an exciting challenge that has your audience scrolling through old posts to find a hidden B Corp graphic. 

In the weeks and months that follow, ensure that regular B Corp content is posted to keep the news at the forefront of your audience’s minds. For example why not film employees sharing their favourite B Corp brands and highlighting why? Remember to use the #BCorp hashtag too!

Utilise your hard-earned ‘Certified B Corp’ logo

Now that you have become B Corp certified, you can proudly display the ‘Certified B Corp’ logo across your channels. Don’t be afraid to include it on your website, packaging, email signatures and adverts. The logo is instantly recognisable and can only be used by companies certified by B Lab, proving your social, environmental and community commitments. Some tools, tips and resources to help ensure the logo is consistent with the B Corp brand guidelines can also be found here.

Get your best brand ambassadors onboard

If you are a large organisation, it’s possible that some of your employees may not know that the company has been on this lengthy journey. And since your employees are your best brand ambassadors, it’s vital that they understand what B Corp is and how you have achieved the certification so that their feelings, thoughts, and actions translate into genuine brand advocacy. We strongly recommend utilising relevant internal communication methods such as newsletters, your staff intranet, town halls and instant messaging tools to communicate your B Corp certified status. Better yet, why not throw a party to celebrate?

Become part of the B Corp network

Finally, our last tip is to interact with other brands wherever and whenever possible. Social media for example is an excellent tool for identifying other certified B Corps and engaging with them. If you see another B Corp business, congratulate them and you may find that they do the same for you. By developing your B Corp network, and attending the many events that B Lab regularly hosts, you will spread awareness, create a community and maybe even learn some new things that could be implemented or improved on when it’s time for your recertification. There is a also a lively B Hive network to join too!