Reputation warning to B Corps this B Corp Month
This B Corp Month, brands and businesses are being urged to tone down their hyperbolic identikit PR statements and focus on sharing the tangible outcomes of their ESG initiatives. Or they run the risk of blurring their brand and losing the opportunity to stand out and shine.
B Corp Month is here and LinkedIn is already in a frenzy with posts from other B Corps promoting their social and environmental credentials in a bid to win attention for themselves and motivate others to get on board with the B Corp movement. But the opposite is happening, and that’s not a good thing.
How many of you reading this have seen such statements by businesses and brands like this in the last few days?
- “Being a B Corp is more than a certification; it’s a commitment to ensuring we’re a business that can be a force for good.”
- “We’re super excited to be part of a global community of businesses that meet highest standards of social and environmental impact.”
Can you tell me what they mean in a way that is remiss of waffle and will resonate with other businesses who are not yet on board with what it means to be a ‘responsible’ business?
My guess is you can’t. I can’t and Clearly PR has been a B Corp since 2021. We even provide ESG comms as a service for clients and I can’t make head nor tail of what they’re trying to say other than “Look at us, we’re so good, please praise us.”
OK, I’m being a tad cynical there. But Clearly has been a B Corp since 2021 – a time when there were a few hundred of us in the UK compared to almost 3,000 today.
Back then, talk of being a B Corp was less hyperbolic and more substantive – ‘We’re doing X which delivers Y to the communities we serve.’
Do you want to fade or be found?
Such statements as the two examples above are identikit to what every other Tom, Dick and Harry say. They are baseless without substantiation and do nothing other than see your brand’s message blurred from view.
Worse still, you run the risk of being accused of green or social washing. That’s because the statements have failed to address the most crucial aspect – the ‘So, what?’ factor.
OK, you’re committed to being a ‘force for good,’ but so what? What does this look like in the real world in terms of your workers, community projects, carbon reduction etc.?
Storytelling with data
If you want to motivate others to become more socially and environmentally responsible, and to stand apart from your peers, talk a language that makes sense to them.
Remember, customers and clients have become increasingly skeptical of businesses and brands who try to position themselves as green and ethical.
Indeed, the FT recently stated that ESG is a “multi-trillion dollar marketing scheme.” It even suggested that “ESG” as a term may even “disappear” – such has been the wealth of greenwashing scandals and over-hyped but under-performing policies proclaimed by businesses.
So, don’t make wishy-washy statements that frankly mean bugger all to anyone and fail to impress anyone outside your own four walls. Instead, try something like this:
Your company publicly states that it has planted 10,000 trees over the last 12 months. Great, but so what? This is where most businesses stop and why many of them invite criticism.
Responsible reporting would add to this by saying: “… which is 100,000 kgs of CO2 removed from the atmosphere.
“That’s the equivalent to taking 21 cars off Britain’s roads this year.”
Tangible data that adds meaning to your story. THAT’s how to avoid accusations of greenwashing and ensure that your brands stands apart from all others.
Need support with your ESG communications or B Corp PR strategy? Get in touch today.
