North East Creative Agency becomes second accredited B Corporation in the region

North East Creative Agency Sail has announced today its certification as a B Corporation, joining a growing group of companies reinventing business by pursuing purpose as well as profit. Sail has been certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, as having met rigorous social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit.

The B Corp certification addresses the entirety of a business’ operations and covers five key impact areas of Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers. The certification process is rigorous, with applicants required to reach a benchmark score of over 80 while providing evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices relating to energy supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity and corporate transparency. To complete the certification, the company will legally embed their commitment to purpose beyond profit in their company articles.

Sail is now part of a community of 4,000 businesses globally who have certified as B Corps. The B Corp community in the UK, representing a broad cross section of industries and sizes, comprises over 400 companies and include well-known brands such as The Guardian, innocent, Patagonia, The Body Shop and organic food pioneers Abel & Cole.

Recent attention on the creative industry makes Sail’s B Corp certification a notable step and signals a shift towards greater accountability and transparency in the sector.

Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UK, says “We are delighted to welcome Sail to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies who are committed to changing how business operates and believe business really can be a force for good. We know that Sail are going to be a fantastic addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward”.

“We are pleased to have B Corps of all shapes and sizes as part of our community – from startups to multinationals and across many different industries. Business is a powerful force and B Corps demonstrate that you can do good in any sector. Welcoming Sail is an exciting moment because they have an opportunity to lead the way within the Creative Industry. We and the rest of the B Corp community are really pleased to support Sail in paving the way for a new way of doing things”.

“Being able to welcome Sail to the B Corp community is hugely exciting. Their commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others and really help spread the idea that we can redefine success in business to be as much about people and planet as it is about profit”.

There are currently over 400 B Corps in the UK and 4,000 worldwide. Sail leading the way in the North East, being the second in the region to gain accreditation, alongside Robson Laidler.

Mandy, Co-Director of Sail says ‘We started Sail in 2016 with two things in mind. One, the underlying belief that creativity can make real change, and two, that we wanted to run a strategic creative agency that aligned with our values. As we grew, articulated the agency and worked on more projects, those two truths became more true. It is a big turning point to have joined such a significant global movement and network of businesses for good.

It was a robust process, having to evidence Sail’s impact on our team, our clients, the environment, and, most importantly, evidence the effectiveness of our work on the community and organisations we work with. Our goal is to continue to make design and creativity a crucial method for research, user insight, engagement, and creative outputs. Design shouldn’t only look effective, it should be effective too. My aim as part of B Corp is to grow the North East Chapter, so for those looking to get involved, please get in touch.