B-ING THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE – OUR B CORP STORY SO FAR
Since launching in 2004, as we’ve grown and evolved, we’ve always striven to use our business as a force for good. As cheesy as it sounds, we want to play our part in making the world a better place. Back in 2016, we came across B Corp and knew straight away that this was a movement we wanted to be part of.
To become a B Corp, you have to put every aspect of your business under a microscope, from your governance structure to how you treat your people and your commitments to the environment. Nothing is out of bounds! It was good to find out that the work we do – and the way we do it – measured up to the rigorous standards of B Corp certification. And we are improving steadily – our score has risen from You can find out more about our journey to certification here.
But don’t take our word for it, learn more about the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of certification in this short interview with B Leader Thomas Bourne. His social and environmental impact consulting practice, Greenheart, advises companies going through the B Corp certification process. Greenheart became a certified B Corporation in August 2017 and re-certified in June 2020 with a score of 105.4.
We caught up with Thomas as part of our internal conversation on all things B Corp for colleagues who have recently joined The Wilful group alongside the existing Gong Communications team, many of whom have been part of the movement since we originally certified in 2017. This 10 minute video is a great resource if you are curious about B Corp and want to know a bit more. Useful links that are mentioned include the B Impact Assessment (BIA) and B Corp UK.
Working the B Corp way
Being a B Corp means that we can say no to certain briefs. We cannot, in good conscience, work for companies that are big carbon emitters for instance. We go out of our way to work with for profit and not-for-profit organisations that are looking to change the world for the better – whether that’s renewable energy companies or businesses focusing on food security, ethical investing, talent development or carbon markets. We make sure that our client list is one we can be proud of. As sustainability comms specialists, we are always on the hunt for businesses that are solving the world’s biggest problems. Often, these businesses are B Corps themselves. We’ve worked with fellow B Corps Earthly, Resource Futures, Volans, unreasonable, Sustenir Agriculture, Danone, Coutts and L’Occitane to name but a few.
Our B Corp champions
We all do our B Corp bit here at Gong, led by our B Corp committee. One of the amazing things they do is ensure Gong engages with the wider B Corp community. We like to put our money where our mouth is, so in 2021 we switched insurance providers to Centor Insurance, sourced our energy from Bulb, then Octupus, offset our carbon footprint with Earthly and we work with Fluid IT – all fabulous B Corp businesses!
Our founder Narda is a B Corp Ambassador and spends her spare time spreading the word about the B Corp movement. She speaks to MBA students and at conferences and events (like #RISK) about what being a B Corp means to Gong and how other companies can get on board. Back in the office, our other B Keepers (with all credit to the team at Innocent Drinks for coining the phrase), finance director Jo and office manager Sara look after the day-to-day business of being a B Corp.
But we don’t stop there. We’re so passionate about championing the B Corp cause that we teamed up with Danone and B Lab to create B Corp 101 eLearning, which we’re busy customising for other B Corps. They can use the online platform to teach their employees about the B Corp movement and what it means for them.
Impact report
Each year we produce a report to demonstrate our impact, to show where we ‘go beyond’, give transparency where we may have fallen short and to outline our ambitions for the following year.
2023 IMPACT REPORT
Our 2023 Impact Report outlines some of the changes we’ve made over the year as we strive to be a better business. For instance, we’re working with our IT Supplier (a fellow B Corp) to calculate our own digital footprint in order to reduce it this coming year.
2022 IMPACT REPORT
We are pleased to share our 2022 impact report. In a year in which we donated 180 hours to CSR activities, spent 325 hours in training, and recycled 100% of our e-waste, we also celebrated making an impact through communications for our clients tackling urgent issues such as climate change, circular economy, global health, and education.
2021 IMPACT REPORT
As a B Corp, we are required to report on our impact. We are pleased to share our 2021 Impact Report, both in terms of the work we do and the clients we are proud to work for and also to reflect on our own activity.
2020 IMPACT REPORT
Our 2020 impact report reflects the impact we have made this year, both through our client work and through our own commitments to society, environment, our suppliers, our people, and how we operate as a business – our governance.
If your non-profit or for-profit organisation could benefit from comms and PR services, please contact our team to find out if we can support you at: info@gongcommunications.com.
