Agency pledges free public relations consultancy services to 100 certified B Corp businesses
Bath-based Clearly PR has pledged to provide free public relations consultancy services to 100 certified B Corp businesses and brands over the next 12 months.
This is double the number it delivered in 2024 and will see the award-winning B Corp PR agency helping more than 5% of the total number of B Corps in the UK in under 18 months.
Clearly PR was one of the first PR firms in the UK to become a B Corp when it gained certification in 2021 and the second in the South West. In 2024, the business launched its free PR consultation service to support B Corp organisations struggling to generate brand awareness and media attention for their environmental and social impact stories.
The initiative welcomed 50 B Corps in under four months, which saw Clearly PR provide 150 hours of its time (21 working days) for free. Many of those who benefitted from the consultations were based in the South West, specifically Bristol – home to one of the highest number of B Corp businesses in the UK and second only to London.
They ranged from small businesses and fast-growing start-ups to large-scale national and international brands within the beauty, fashion, legal, fitness, manufacturing, drinks, food, design, events and marketing industries.
Paul MacKenzie-Cummins, managing director at Clearly PR, said: “The B Corp movement is seeing incredible growth right now both within our region and nationally, with almost 3,000 certified businesses in the UK alone. This is a six-fold increase since Clearly PR gained B Corp status in 2021.
“Yet despite its popularity and widespread attention, many B Corps report difficulties in successfully generating press interest in their ESG (environment, social and governance) related news.
“The reason for this is two-fold. First is greenwashing. The dramatic rise in the number of organisations exposed for exaggerating their environmental credentials by ‘greenwashing’ their marketing and PR has left a sour taste in the mouths of the media.
“When once media outlets couldn’t publish ESG-related stories fast enough, they are now increasingly sceptical of businesses and brands looking to promote any news that is aimed at heightening their profile as an environmentally responsible business.
“This presents a real challenge for B Corps and other ESG-led organisations who have great stories to tell. Take the example of a consultation we had with a very well-known international skincare brand.
“They confided in us a fear of talking about the great work they do to protect and restore endangered ecosystems in case they were labelled as ‘greenwashers.’ This is despite the brand’s green credentials clearly outshining most if not all of their direct competitors.
“The second reason that B Corp organisations are failing to get media coverage is down to them not understanding ‘how’ to construct their stories. Too many create press releases that are either overly self-promotional or they fail to include key details that address the questions that journalists will likely have.
“Every organisation who attends a one-on-one online PR consultation with Clearly PR gains invaluable real-world ideas that are specific to them. These in turn can be developed as news stories that – with Clearly’s guidance on ‘how’ to present and pitch them to the media – will pique the interest of journalists and increase the chances of publication.
“If we reach our target of 100 by the end of this year, which we are already on course to do, we will have supported over 150 B Corp businesses and brands in less than 18 months. That’s one in every 20 certified organisations in the UK.”
