Is B Corp pointless?

The tide is turning and a new wave of B Corps are getting ready to emerge. Ones without points, filled with purpose, and a whole new way to tell their sustainability story. Welcome B Corp 2.0 (or, Version 2.2 if we’re being picky). 

Last year B Corp announced the biggest shift in the movement’s 20+ year history - the removal of the points system. A gargantuan shift in how the standards are completed, achieved, audited, and implemented with the headline of shifting away from points and deeper into purpose, a move that they hope will make it more rigorous to attain and maintain.

So with the focus shifting from points to pledges, scores to strategies, and long-term commitment to change, the narrative that B Corps are telling needs to shift, too. 

The score is not the story 

And arguably, it never was. But what the points system offered was a short-cut way to communicate how ‘good’ a business is. If you understand the B Corp model, then you know what good looks like - and coming out of the assessment with over 80 points told a lot of the story to stakeholders and shareholders as well as the general public. 

Without a points system, the story needs to stand on its own two feet, and without a number to stand behind it, there will be more explaining to do - but, this is a good thing. 

Communicating purpose without points

It means there is an opportunity to craft a story that stands proud, and can take customers, clients, investors, teams, and everyone else on a journey. There is suddenly a window that needs words, language that will guide the way, and a very clear space for every B Corp to work on their impact story and how it wants to be heard. 

Before every certified business dives headfirst into words and story, they need to get super clear on the message - the big shiny one that says hey, this is who we are and this is why we care about being a B Corp. It’s no longer good enough to say that it’s the right thing to do - we all know that - it needs a grounding and a rooting that allows a story to emerge. 

Is it for people? Is it for the planet? And which of the areas can you have the greatest impact? There is often this sense of self-deprecation for brands and businesses that go through B Corp or similar certifications, that they simply must be doing more, better, in every area, all at once, else they don’t deserve that gorgeous wooden plaque and badge that comes with it. That is simply not true. B Corp businesses are doing better than their non-certified counterparts on every front (see the Take10 impact report) and keeping quiet for fear of being called out is doing every business in the movement a disservice.

So, the first step is getting clear on why it matters, deeper than it being right and bigger than it being necessary. 

What is it?

Telling a story worth sharing 

Every good story has a killer plot, find yours before you start writing - resist that urge to add stats before you know the shape of the story. 

Coming back to the points, there would have been an obvious area of praise and some clear areas for improvement, something like we scored really well for our workers and we really need to work on our environmental impact. 

That story has gotten us so far, but now there is a shift and a time to move towards deeper details and more nuanced narratives. 

Why is that a strength? What impact are you having?

Are you working on the areas that have the greatest impact? 

The standards have shifted and rather than excelling in one area and brushing the others under the carpet, businesses need to be graded well across the board, with clear plans in place to become better - whatever that looks like for them. The story needs to shift with that, too. 

The Triple Bottom Line 

What is good for B Corp should be good for the bottom line, and the story you tell is no exception. So often the impact side of a business is pushed into a corner, like the lost soul at a party with no one to talk to. Invite it into the inner circle. Purpose and impact should be sat right next to profit and the commercial opportunities within a business - and a good sustainability story should bring people into the brand world, not leave them confused about how they can help you grow, whether they’re a customer, a client, or an investor. 

Most people want to make better choices, better investments, and spend their hard earned cash in the right places, telling the right impact story can make those decisions easier. 

90% of our purchases are driven by emotion - not logic in what is more sustainable, what has the least impact, what does the most good, but the things that make us feel something. If your impact journey and story isn’t stirring emotion then it isn’t doing it’s job or serving it’s purpose. No, businesses don’t become B Corp to make money, but it doesn’t hurt for the good guys to be taking home a bigger piece of the cherry pie.

Your impact story is an unlock to more income, and it needs to be written as such.

B Corp without points isn’t pointless, it gives us a chance. It is a window into this new world of impact and an opportunity to get clearer, go deeper, and tell a story that is worthy of sharing - it’s always been there, it just needs the right words. 

What is your brand saying?