B Corp Month 2025: Why positive change is always a work in progress

B Corp Month 2025 is upon us. It’s a great time to reflect on how far we’ve come, yes, but more importantly, it’s another reminder that B Corp certification isn’t the end – it’s just the beginning. The real work lies in continuously striving for improvement, staying curious, and challenging our own assumptions.

In June 2024, we became a certified B Corp with the support of Business on Purpose. This certification was the result of months of reflection, hard work, and a strong commitment to our values. But it was never our final goal. 

Our true aim? To use our digital marketing expertise to amplify purpose-driven organisations that are making a difference in the world. That’s where the real work begins.

Since achieving certification, we’ve attended events like the Blue Earth Summit and the Better Business Summit, learning from businesses that are leading the charge. These experiences continue to shape our approach and remind us that accountability doesn’t stop at certification – it’s an ongoing journey.

We became a B Corp because we want to be held to a higher standard. We don’t just want to improve our score – we want to enhance our impact. That means constantly questioning whether our work is helping clients make a genuine difference or merely inflating their efforts. Can marketing truly be a force for good, or is it just another tool for polishing ESG credentials?

If we stop asking questions like these, we stop doing the work that matters. With that in mind, I want to explore how we’re integrating the lessons we’ve learned as a B Corp into the foundations of our business, as part of our efforts to continually improve our work and the impact we’re having on people and the planet. 

Our foundations 

At exceptional™, we’ve broken our approach down into seven core foundations: Control, Colleagues, Capability, Commercials, Clients, Community, and Climate. These foundations guide how we drive positive change within our business and beyond.

Control

We believe in ethical, transparent decision-making that aligns with our values. Businesses don’t have morals – people do. We hold ourselves accountable, ensuring every decision we make benefits all stakeholders, not just the bottom line.

Colleagues

Fair pay, real ownership, and a culture that prioritises wellbeing are non-negotiable. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. If we’re not investing in them, we’re failing at the most basic level.

Capability

We exist to create meaningful change through strategic, impactful digital marketing. Our goal is to amplify the right messages, cut through the noise, and ensure our work creates measurable change – not just superficial impressions of impact.

Commercials

Financial success isn’t an end in itself – it’s a reflection of the value we deliver. And growth should benefit everyone. At exceptional™, we ensure that our success creates value for our colleagues and clients, not just for us.

Clients

We partner with ambitious, purpose-driven organisations that see digital marketing as a tool for driving meaningful change, not just ticking a box. We ask ourselves: How can we help them not just look better, but do better?

Community

We’re committed to being a positive force in our community. That’s why we’re exploring initiatives that allow our team to dedicate time to the causes that matter most to them.

Climate

Sustainability isn’t an afterthought at exceptional™, it’s embedded in every part of our business. We’re committed to reducing our footprint, improving efficiency, and innovating to ensure we’re not just meeting, but exceeding environmental expectations.

Turning principles into practice

We understand that real change doesn’t happen in boardrooms or report calls, it happens on the ground. That’s why we’ve launched our Foundation Groups:  Dedicated teams tackling big questions within each of our seven foundations. These groups meet regularly to brainstorm, plan, and ensure we’re continually moving forward.

For example, the Community Foundation Group, comprising Charlie Stewart, Sophie Bunting, and myself, has been exploring new policies, including a match-funding initiative for team member fundraising and paid volunteering time, which allows employees to engage directly with causes in the community.

These groups represent our long-term commitment to real, meaningful action. We’re building opportunities for our team to contribute in a way that goes beyond words.

Making progress a process

B Corp Month shouldn’t just be about looking back at what we’ve done, it’s an opportunity to push forward, challenge ourselves, and deepen our commitment to meaningful change. Certification is important, but it doesn’t give us all the answers. That responsibility lies with us.

While it’s easy to tick boxes, at exceptional™, we don’t just want to improve our B Corp score, we want to make a real difference in everything we do. From the foundations that shape our business to the Foundation Groups that challenge us to be better, we are embedding impact into the heart of our work.

And we’re not stopping there. As we move through B Corp Month 2025, we’ll keep challenging ourselves to do more, and striving to ensure that positive change remains a work in progress. Real impact doesn’t come from a certification or a score, it comes from continual evolution, and doing the work that truly matters.

Feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]