The agency’s certification reflects its commitment to making a positive impact on its people, clients, SA communities and the environment
Digital CX agency Rogerwilco has become the largest marketing agency in Africa to achieve B Corp certification.
An initiative of the global nonprofit network B Lab, this is a triple bottom-line assessment that evaluates an organisation’s approach to profit, people and the planet, and confirms they meet the highest social and environmental standards.
The rigorous B Corp evaluation process, which took just under a year, would have been more daunting had Rogerwilco not already embarked on its own “Be Better” enrichment programme to redefine its purpose.
Rogerwilco CEO Charlie Stewart says: “We initiated the ‘Be Better’ initiative in late 2023 because we know that businesses with an authentic, credible purpose consistently outperform for their clients and themselves.
“This meant that by the time we started the B Corp evaluation, we’d already created a culture of self-improvement and an appetite to find ways of bettering our actions and impacts.”
“Rogerwilco scored 106.8 on the B Corp scale, putting it in the top 10% globally”
Rogerwilco scored 106.8 on the B Corp scale, putting it in the top 10% globally. This is way above the requirements: the median score is 50.9 and the global average for certified businesses in the marketing industry is 80.7.
Stewart says B Corp’s verification analysts examined the agency in detail, from governance structures to staff welfare and development, plus the way they interact with their communities. “Environmental impact is also rated, and it mattered that we don’t take on clients in destructive industries like mining, fossil fuels and gambling.”
Achieving B Corp certification has deepened the sense of togetherness and belonging inside the agency. Staff attrition dropped sharply, and Stewart says there’s a buzz in the company that he hasn’t felt since before lockdown. Clients are happier and profits are up.
He says the external validation earned from becoming a B Corp has turned Rogerwilco’s organisational purpose from words into visible action.
“This authenticity is helping us grow a powerful, unifying culture because everyone associated with the agency has found something in the B Corp status that resonates with their personal values and gives them reasons to believe in us,” says Stewart.
Some appreciate the care for their wellbeing and personal development, others value micro-community CSR initiatives, and most are proud to be part of the environmental improvement process. Stewart says there’s a lot of goodwill towards a company whose business practices align with their personal principles.
There are myriad reasons to apply for B Corp certification, including to demonstrate a commitment to the triple bottom line, to be part of a community of like-minded changemakers, and to attract staff and new business.
“For Rogerwilco, achieving B Corp certification was about providing hard evidence that we really are on a journey to improve ourselves”
Charlie Stewart, Rogerwilco CEO
“For us, it was about providing hard evidence that we really are on a journey to improve ourselves,” says Stewart.
The entire evaluation process takes anywhere from 10 to 18 months, depending on the business’s preparedness. Some assessment criteria are similar to the B-BBEE scorecard, though far more robust. Being a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor meant that some of the agency’s groundwork was already in place, but a number of policies had to be updated to meet B Corp’s more rigorous standards.
B Corps are re-evaluated every three years to ensure they continue to meet the required standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. “We’re keen to see how a more conscious approach to conducting business impacts on our score in our 2027 recertification,” says Stewart.
Article Credit: businesslive