Oliver Bolton

We have been a founding UK B Corp since 2015. Achieving B Corporation certification signals a robust commitment to sustainability, enhancing credibility & trust. It provides a structured framework to improve & measure social & environmental performance, ensuring efforts are targeted & impactful. The certification process identifies areas for improvement, enabling focused, strategic development of sustainability initiatives. Being part of the B Corp community helps knowledge sharing & collaboration with like-minded businesses, fostering continuous improvement. It also aligns your business with a globally recognised standard for sustainability & potentially helps you attract conscious consumers & partners, something we have benefitted from.

We always look to set clear, measurable goals and ensuring alignment with our overall business strategy. We use robust data management and analytics to track and communicate progress transparently to our customers. We engage stakeholders through consistent, honest communication and involve them in the initiative development and journey. We try to prioritise initiatives that have tangible impact and resonate with both internal and external stakeholders. Try to ensure initiatives are scalable and adaptable to evolving business and global contexts and regularly evaluate and refine strategies to ensure continual improvement and alignment with emerging ESG trends and standards. We are also not afraid to showcase challenges & issues we face too.

A few things spring to mind: - Clearly articulate your environmental goals and actions. - USe various channels - website, social media, press releases - to reach diverse audiences. - Employ transparent, accurate reporting of your carbon footprint and reduction strategies, adhering to recognised standards. - Engage stakeholders through regular updates, showcasing tangible progress and real-world impact. Highlight collaborations and certifications that validate your efforts. - Ensure messaging is consistent, relatable, and reflects genuine commitment, inviting public participation and feedback to foster a community around sustainability.

Best reporting practices for carbon footprint and climate change performance involve transparency, accuracy, and consistency. Use recognised standards like the Greenhouse Gas Protocol for emission calculations & SBTi. Ensure data is verifiable and relevant, providing a clear and honest picture of your emissions and reduction efforts. Engage stakeholders through clear, accessible communication, and demonstrate accountability by setting, tracking, and reporting on realistic, science-based targets. Commit to continuous improvement, regularly reviewing and refining your reporting practices to reflect organisational changes & global best practices. Always align your reporting with global initiatives and regulatory requirements!

Storytelling transcends mere selling, weaving a human tapestry that connects emotionally, turning products into experiences. It’s not just about what your product or service does, but why it matters, creating a narrative that resonates with your audience, reflecting their aspirations and dreams. People buy the stories we tell, finding in them a mirror to their own personal values. Let’s be more than just sellers, let’s be storytellers, creating something that lasts in hearts and minds, transforming products into something truly special and unique.

In my experience firstly it’s important to include the right people in a focus group. Potential target customers and a moderator that will not influence or lead the participants. It’s important to understand the groups pain points but try and achieve this in a way where they do not influence each others answers. I’ve found one of the most valuable aspects of focus groups is understanding potential customers willingness to pay for a product and different features. It provides a valuable opportunity to test different combinations of product features and pricing strategies as often providing a large feature set can overwhelm customers. Focus groups can help us avoid underselling our offering and really contribute to de-risking innovation!