Conscious Communications, a Cambridge-based PR and marketing agency, has been certified as a B Corporation (B Corp), joining a growing community of progressive companies reinventing business by pursuing purpose.
To become a B Corp the company completed a rigorous assessment by B Lab, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, which evaluated the whole business and measured its social and environmental performance.
Zoë Scorer, Deputy Managing Director at Conscious Communications, commented: “Thinking first about the impact our work will have and second about the impact on our own bottom line has been at the core of our business operations since our inception, so this is a huge milestone in our company’s story. Going through the B Lab process has been lengthy and intense; it is a testament to our unwavering commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices that we have scored as highly as we have.”
The B Corp certification addresses the entirety of a business’ operations and covers five key impact areas of Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers. The certification process is rigorous, with applicants required to reach a benchmark score of over 80 while providing evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices; Conscious Communications scored 101.2. To complete the certification, the company has legally embedded its commitment to purpose beyond profit in its company articles of association.
Zoë added: “We believe that having a positive impact is not only a good thing to do – but the best way to do business, too. So, we put corporate social responsibility at the heart of our business; it is part and parcel of what we do, because customers are demanding it; talented employees are attracted by it; and an authentic focus on corporate social responsibility and sustainability improves the bottom line. From our supply chain to our office operations, we meticulously consider the social and environmental impact of everything we do. We actively seek out opportunities to support local communities, and champion diversity and inclusion. The B Corp accreditation is validation that our business has been, is and will continue to do well by doing good.”
Conscious Communications is now one of over 6,500 businesses globally which are certified as B Corps. The B Corp community in the UK, representing a broad cross section of industries and sizes, comprises over 1,300 companies and includes well-known brands such as The Guardian, innocent, Patagonia, The Body Shop and organic food pioneers Abel & Cole.
B Corp certification is a continuous journey of improvement, with a requirement to recertify every three years. The company will now identify goals and opportunities, linked to the five impact areas of assessment: governance, workers, environment, community and customers, which will inform further operational developments.
Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UK, says: “We are delighted to welcome Conscious Communications to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies which are committed to changing how businesses operate and believe businesses really can be forces for good. Welcoming Conscious Communications is an exciting moment because the company has an opportunity to lead the way within the public relations industry. Its commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others and really help spread the idea that we can redefine success in business to be as much about people and planet as it is about profit.”
