B Corp Brands that are changing our world.
PROLOGUE – WHAT BEING A B CORP MEANS TO JUSTSO
We’ve been a B Corp for a couple of years, and in that time we’ve loved seeing more brands and businesses from all over the world become part of the B Corp community.
For us, becoming a B Corp was an easy decision, although, as I’m sure many B Corps can relate, it’s no easy task.
As a content studio, we’ve always been extremely aware of the social & environmental impact our work has, and our core values aligned beautifully with the principles of B Corp Certification.
One of our core values is to do right by people and the planet. As a collective of humans we always strive to make a positive impact on the planet, our communities, and each other through showing empathy, treating the world around us with respect, and finding ways we can reduce our carbon footprint, and the footprint of the partners we work with.
As Storytellers for a Changing World, it will come as no surprise we’re completely obsessed with storytelling, and we love stories about people, brands, and businesses that are forging new paths, innovating in exciting ways, and rewriting the rule book of what can be done to have a positive impact on the world.
We wanted to highlight some of our fellow B Corp family members who we think are changing the world for the better, the inspirational stories they have, and the great ways they’re using content to connect with their audiences in a meaningful way.
CALLALY
Callaly has a fundamental goal; changing the story told by the period industry. They want to help every person with a period to feel seen, heard, and have access to a period product that’s right for them – their mission is to empower every woman and girl through movement and connection.
They’ve changed the world with an innovative, sustainable tampliner, a two-in-one tampon and liner that is “the first meaningful innovation to a tampon in 80 years”.
We love Callay’s content platform, Currents. It’s packed with a wonderful array of educational resources and drives conversations around subjects that really matter with sections dedicated to different areas such as giving teens answers to those questions they may find difficult to ask like Choosing the right period product.
Callaly donates a sizeable chunk of its profits to charities and nonprofits, working with organisations in the space including Days for Girls, Red Box Project, and Bloody Good Period.
ATHLETA
Athleta is an activewear brand known for its high-quality and stylish clothing for everything from yoga to running. The brand is designed to be inclusive, and care for people and the planet, with 65% of its styles being made from sustainable materials.
They’re known for their partnerships that drive awareness of, and access to women’s wellbeing. Two notable examples this year are Alicia Keys, and most recently seven-time Olympic gold medallist Simone Biles for a collection of activewear for girls which features hidden messages to boost wearers’ self-confidence such as; “You can do it,” The floor is yours”, and “No dream is too small or too big!.”
Athleta has a content platform, AthletaWell, a community built by women for women.
The platform is free to join and gives members access to wellness experts, an array of workouts, workshops, and classes, as well as giving women the opportunity to connect and discuss topics of interest around Athleta products, and their related fields, it’s like a Reddit for fans of the activewear brand. They’ve also partnered with obé Fitness to give members exclusive workout content, and members can earn points to redeem at their family of brands (Old Navy, Banana Republic, and GAP).
By having their own platform they’ve created, as Seth Godin would put it, a tribe that advocates the brand, whilst at the same time providing a safe space to discuss, and highlight women’s wellbeing. Athleta has taken a well-thought-out, strategic-led approach to its content that puts its audience at the heart of its brand.
PATAGONIA
Patagonia is one of the best-known B Corp brands on planet Earth that’s creating sustainable outdoor apparel.
Everything Patagonia does starts from one central belief; that all life on earth is under threat of extinction and using the resources they have, their business, their investments, voice and imaginations to do something about it!
Patagonia is a brand that acts as a conduit to connect people globally to help drive action on our environmental crisis, and the most pressing issues facing our world, supporting grassroots organisations focused on finding solutions.
What we love about Patagonia is how they put storytelling at the heart of all their content to connect with audiences and build communities that drive positive change in the world.
They’ve developed online communities around the activities their brand is associated with to communicate positive initiatives through varying types of content; from the Pisgah Paradox written story of a collaboration between anglers and mountain bikers to create healthier rivers to powerful and inspiring films such as their latest, Run to The Source, following Martin Johnson embarking on his most challenging run, as he explores the connection between Black British history and the River Thames.
What makes Patagonia’s content stand out is that it doesn’t just make content for the sake of content, they’ve taken a well thought out approach, doing the thinking before the making, and it shows. They’ve created an entire content ecosystem that ties the brand, the products, and its values all together with a nice red thread – tackling issues facing our world through the positive actions people & organisations are taking.
You can dive deeper into the world of Patagonia’s stories here.
CHEEKY PANDA
The JustSo team loves the brand name, what they do, and how they’re helping educate the world on sustainability through well-thought-out educational content.
The Cheeky Panda is the UK’s first B Corp tissue company, making all of its products from bamboo – the world’s fastest-growing plant, growing up to one metre a day and can be harvested every year, offering up a much more sustainable alternative while also absorbing 35 per cent more carbon and releasing 30 per cent more oxygen.
Cheeky Panda has created Colin the Panda, who through an animation series explains topics such as why wet wipes shouldn’t be flushed and how to make our oceans safer. Colin also appears through their blog answering questions and giving tips and tricks all geared towards sustainability education. What’s great about the content is that it’s engaging and easily digestible, demystifying questions and showing the positive impact switching to bamboo-based tissue can have on the planet.
On top of that, Cheeky Panda has created Scrapp, a totally free mobile app that enables you to scan the barcode of loo rolls and wipes galore to see how you can recycle the packaging locally, making people recycling superheroes!
If you’re looking for ways to connect with audiences on serious topics, Cheeky Panda is a great example of how to communicate in a fun and engaging that educates.
TENZING
Tenzing is named after the legendary Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, one of the first two men to scale the world’s highest mountain. It’s the world’s first carbon-negative plant-based sparkling energy drink. In fact, it’s the first energy drink to have a climate label, is rainforest alliance certified, and every one of its cans is infinitely recyclable. And, it helps fuel a fair few of us at JustSo when we’re developing ideas for our partners (thanks Team Tenzing!)
Tenzing is literally changing the game when it comes to the world of energy drinks, not only with all of its ingredients being natural, but also positioning itself as the voice leading the ‘natural energy movement’, and the facilitator of the community around it. Tenzing has even set up Tenzing Treks Nepal, a series of adventures led by Jamling Tenzing to the Himalayas’ most spectacular natural and spiritual landmarks where fans of the energy drink and go on an unforgettable journey together.
Tenzing has created content to engage, educate, and drive positive action against climate change, and with a true authenticity to enable them to appeal to audiences. They’ve developed a Clean Air Tracker, an app that you can download on your mobile to find cleaner running, cycling and walking routes in London, alongside a Carbon Footprint Calculator that helps you understand the impact you’re having, and where your impact is.
EPILOGUE
B Corps have incredible stories, from their origin to their ongoing journey, and how they’re driving positive change in our world.
We’ve shared just a few B Corp stories and how they’re using brand storytelling and content to reach, engage with, and build deeper relationships with both new and existing audiences.
The red thread that connects the approach these brands take with their content, and why we like it, is that they make relatable, relevant content that their audiences will want to engage with by leaning into their brand values, which, by default, gives a halo effect on their products, whether that’s spearheading a movement like Tenzing or challenging the taboo conversations in society like Callaly. Brand storytelling content is helping these brands appeal to their customers and communities.
To create content that appeals to target audiences you need to understand them by bringing them into the room at the start of your process. By taking an audience-first approach you can uncover what makes an audience tick – their interests, passions, where they spend their time, what content appeals to them, and so much more. From there, you’ll get a pretty solid foundation to start developing ideas on what content is going to work to drive engagement in those audiences you want to reach.