3 ways to build your brand and create change this B Corp Month
This March is B Corp Month – a time to showcase some of the great environmental and social work that businesses around the UK are doing. It’s also an opportunity for the B Corp community to double-down on its efforts to influence positive change whilst building the brands and reputations of their businesses under the tag of #WeGoBeyond.
One of the most powerful ways of doing this is to think of your business as a domino. Give me a moment to explain what I mean by that.
Businesses can – should – use B Corp Month (#BCM2023) to engage existing customers and prospects on what becoming a B Corp means to them as a business and its people.
In doing so, they create what is called ‘social currency’ – a term used to describe an idea or movement that reflects a part of someone’s identity in a way that the individual wants to share their association with it; thereby, creating a domino effect.
As B Corps, we each have a responsibility to communicate why becoming a ‘better’ business is so important for the good of all of us. Businesses have the opportunity to lead the charge for positive change because, let’s face it, the government is no use nor ornament.
This change that is needed can only be effected by businesses likes yours and ours.
With that in mind, here are three ideas of how you can do this in practice:
1) Bi-monthly newsletter to your database of contacts sharing stories of what your business does environmentally and socially, and more important the ‘impact’ this is having. But make it personal. Talk about the difference it has made to your people and culture e.g.
- staff retention rates are now at their highest since becoming a B Corp;
- talent attraction has been boosted because workers want to work with an employer that has purpose;
- customer/client retention and attraction is greater because they know that a % age of their invoices will be used to support the great community and environmental initiatives you business is involved in.
2) Speak with your local media and share your experiences with journalists who write about business, sustainability/environment, and society. They represent your business community and will likely be interested in showcasing the great work you’re doing, which in turn could inspire action to change in others.
3) Run a social media campaign using the #WeGoBeyond brand guidelines that are available to download via the B Hive portal which B Corp members can access. This will help raise your profile and that of the wider B Corp movement itself – the more visible a campaign is to people, the greater the likelihood of them wanting to be involved.
We were thrilled to hear that our biggest client was inspired by our certification and has since started their own B Corp journey. They are now weeks from becoming accredited.
This matters because our client works with hundreds of small businesses and SMEs throughout the South West. They will all see that our client is striving to become a better business. And that could be just the spark that one, 10 or even 100 or more of their clients need to get on board with it themselves.
It only takes one business to create a domino effect.