The big mistake PR pros make about B Corp status
B Corp certification is the start, not the finish line for forward thinking organisations.
There is something comms professionals often get wrong about B Corp status.
After the rigour of third-party verification, they think the hardest part is over the moment certification lands and the announcement goes out.
Confetti falls. LinkedIn does its thing. Everyone gives themselves a well-earned pat on the back. Then reality hits.
Because B Corp status is not the end of the journey. It is where the real work starts.
And that real work is communication. Not the glossy, polished sort. The harder task of explaining, honestly and clearly, what B Corp status actually means, what has changed, and why any of it should matter to the people you are trying to reach.
Because certification alone might not be enough to get people truly invested.
If you are going to ask customers, employees, suppliers and investors to care, you need to show something real. Not just what you say you stand for, but how that shows up in how you operate every day.
Getting B Corp communications right
There are three things businesses need to get this right.
First, show how B Corp principles are integrated into the business.
That means governance, procurement, people policies, product development and customer service. You need to demonstrate how those values shape the way the business actually runs.
And you need proof. Not slogans, but proof.
If you say you have improved something, show the numbers. If you say processes are better, show what changed. If you say impact is stronger, show the evidence.
Second, explain what this means for the customer.
Too many businesses lose the thread and start talking about mission, frameworks and journeys. All important. But customers are asking: what does this do for me?
Does it make the product better? Does it last longer? Is it easier to use? More trustworthy? Does it save time, money or waste?
That is what lands.
Third, be radically honest.
Be clear about where you have got to, and where you have not. There is a temptation to make everything sound finished and perfect. But perfection makes people suspicious.
So say what is working. Say what is not. Say what you are improving. Say what still needs attention.
Because credibility is not about sounding perfect. It is about sounding believable.
The best businesses treat B Corp status as an ongoing commitment, not a PR moment. They use it to act better, measure better and hold themselves accountable.
Certification is not the story. It is the start of the story.
John Higginson is the CEO and founder of Higginson Strategy.
Further reading
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