Digital Visitor’s Journey to Becoming a B Corp

A commitment to the environment and society is increasingly on everyone’s agenda, causing B Corps to hit the big time.

Companies that hold B Corp status are dedicated and accountable, taking actions that recognise issues at the forefront of daily life, such as climate change and inequality.

COP26 has brought the climate crisis into full focus, with brands worldwide making commitments to changing their policies on carbon neutrality or negativity.

Whether they are ecotourism advocates, or their brand purpose is to give back to local communities, any business that acts to benefit the wider world will see a competitive advantage as priorities of consumers, employees and investors shift in favour of social responsibility.

What is a B Corp?

B Corp, short for Certified B Corporation, is the term given to any for-profit organisation that is certified by the non-profit B Lab as voluntarily achieving excellent standards of transparency, accountability and performance. They are businesses that hold strong Environmental, Social and Governance values.

Brands are recognising that B Corps are a great way to make a commitment to work in a way that will make a tangible difference.

In 2015, the B Corp initiative launched in the UK, with household names such as Innocent drinks, JoJo Maman Bebe and Propercorn all achieving certification since. They join the thousands of other companies across the globe who uphold their greater purpose as a business rather than a balance sheet. 

On the way to becoming B Corp certified, points are granted for how well a company is governed, how well they focus on the wellbeing of staff, and what they do for the interest of communities, customers, and the environment. Once certification is awarded, it’s about making continuous efforts to create even greater impacts throughout the company's business ethic.

Sector-specific B Corps, like Pura Aventura, Frontiers North Adventures and International Volunteer HQ are pursuing their purpose as advocates for stronger government policies on climate change, coinciding with COP26. Pura Aventura, for example, are committed to measuring and labelling their business's carbon footprint in order to decarbonise their operations. 

You can’t reduce what you don’t measure, and it seems there are few travel companies that truly realise the impact they’re having on the planet.

The pandemic has reinforced the argument for businesses to advance their environmental, social and governance roadmaps, with brands now more accountable than ever.

Quick pivots saw UK companies such as Mulberry making NHS gowns, and Brewdog making hand sanitiser. This set forth how clear social and/or environmental intentions can provide direction and durability in times of uncertainty.

As B Corp certified companies continue to thrive, this has led to change in momentum in the mainstream, and for good reason.

Positive aspects of becoming a B Corp 

Greater recruitment appeal

With employees too now holding higher regard to making a difference over traditional financial rewards, merging profit with purpose can provide a differentiator to attract and retain the best talent.

Look more attractive to investors

There is a growing community of investors focused on financing businesses with strong environmental, social and governance values, which are proven by holding B Corp status. They want their investment portfolios to reflect positive standards and best practices, keeping their ventures diverse, inclusive and accountable.

Positive brand equity growth

UK consumers care more about where they put their money, with sustainability increasingly part of the choice process. Positive commitments to sustainability can set your brand apart from others, keeping you atop of their mental shopping list.

Opportunity for growth

There is some evidence that being a B Corp can drive growth. In a B Lab analysis, UK B Corps reported an average revenue boom of 14% year-on-year since 2015, 28 times higher than the national average of 0.5%.

If your consumers, employees and investors are using sustainability to drive their decisions, it’s time to make yours accordingly.

What are Digital Visitor doing?

As a pending B Corp, we are dedicated to reaching equilibrium between people, planet and profit. We focus on ‘good tourism’, having invested over £50K last year on launching Naturebreak, an initiative to grow nature tourism across the UK.

We have committed to donating a percentage of our annual profits to charities which focus on biodiversity and protecting the environment.

We’ve also started a process to enable our team to spend more time on projects they care about, outside any brief or budget, providing pro bono work for our clients and causes.

Finally, we’re making a pledge to reduce and offset our digital pollution to achieve a carbon-negative workspace within the next 18 months. We strive to do business with our values intact, serving as a role model for others in the industry.

To learn more about how we can help you to develop your own brand purpose, get in touch.