May 7, 2021

Leveraging Your Purpose with B Corp Certification

In the world of business, there’s no shortage of certifications. But for organizations effecting positive change (what we lov at KidGlov!), the B Corp Certification is one worth knowing. This distinction assesses the positive impact of businesses all over the world. 

I invited two B Corp experts, Graham Pansing Brooks and Kyle Cartwright, founders of SEAchange, an organization that helps companies get their B Corp Certifications to join me on a recent episode of Marketing Mondays to tell us all about it. Here’s what we talked about.

What is B Corp Certification? 

Certified B Corporations are businesses that balance purpose and profit. These businesses go through a unique third-party verification process where assessors lift the hood, take a look at the organization from top to bottom and assess whether the group is living into their values and considering the impact of their decisions on employees, clients, the greater community, and the environment. 

It’s a unique, lengthy and sometimes challenging certification process, but it’s a great way to signal to consumers that your organization is living up to its values and is truly walking the walk when it comes to mission and purpose. All things we at KidGlov can get behind! 

B Corp Certifications are pretty rare. Groups like Patagonia, Toms Shoes, New Belgium Brewing and others are among the just under 4,000 organizations globally that have obtained the certification. As of the time of this posting, there are only four B Corp certifications in Nebraska, a number the group at SEAchange is looking to grow. 

How to Become a B Corp

SEAchange is on a mission to partner with Nebraska organizations and quadruple the number of B Corporations by 2023. You’d think in the Cornhusker State, where living into good, community-driven and well intentioned values is a way of life, the job would be a piece of cake. But the lengthy and complex process of becoming a B Corp means the group at SEAchange have their hands full. 

At KidGlov, SEAchange has been guiding us through the B Corp Certification process, helping us to become Nebraska’s 5th Certified B Corp! 

It starts with the B Impact Assessment, a series of questions to help the assessors get to know your business and how it compares against others on living your values. The assessment is lengthy and complex. Organizations sometimes take it multiple times to fully understand the context. The group at SEAchange helps organizations through the assessment, which is a great opportunity for organizations to take a good, hard look at what’s working, what’s not, and how they can better balance profit and purpose. 

A score of 40%—80 points out of 200—means your business can become a B Corp. Seems easy, right? 

But in reality, those points are hard to come by and with good reason. The B Corp Certification isn’t meant for every business out there, it only highlights those that are truly balancing purpose and profit and are using their missions as forces for good. 

Benefits of B Corp

Lengthy processes. Intense assessments. Why go through all the trouble? 

Well at KidGlov, we love to support changemaking organizations and we’d bet our bottom dollar that most people do too. People love supporting businesses and organizations that put people first, make environmentally responsible decisions, and ensure their decisions positively impact communities. The B Corp Certification is an opportunity to share with customers and partners that you are living into your values, walking the walk, and doing real, measurable good.

And that, friends, is marketing gold. 

Do you want to learn more about how your organization can become a B Corp? We know some great people at SEAchange you can talk to. 

And if you’re a changemaking organization who needs a hand buttoning up your message, we’d love to hear from you. Our proven brand advancement process works to define and align your brand to your mission. Give us a call to learn more! 

KidGlov is a boutique, full-service, advertising, branding and content marketing agency and certified B Corp, with offices in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, specializing in nonprofit marketinghealthcare marketingfinancial services marketingsocial impact marketing, and purpose-driven businesses.