This week I attended the B-Corps Handbook book launch at the offices of Hanson Bridgett in San Francisco, the law firm instrumental in lobbying California to institute the Benefit Corporation legislation.
As a marketer myself, I don’t know that I’ve ever found myself in a room with so many lawyers – and I have to say it was heartening. If lawyers in California think this topic is important, it indicates that the infrastructure for the B-Corp certification is in the early stages of hitting its stride for becoming more than just a marketing initiative, but a substantive opportunity to influence the business community it is targeting.
The B Lab – founders of the B-Corp – launched 7 years ago to critical acclaim. Critical in that the market was flooded with sustainable certification symbols such as USDA Organic, LEED and Energy Star. Acclaim in that B-Corp took a much more holistic and lasting view of business’ propensity for net-positive effect, evaluating fundamental operational standards and also putting people into the equation. It is an agnostic certification process for any business that wants to take a values-led approach to doing business differently.
Twenty-seven states have now taken note of B Corps’ lead and passed Benefit Corporation legislation. (Note: the two are separate entities, one is a certification to receive a marketing benefit and one is a legal framework aligning shareholders and management to protect a company’s mission incorporating social benefit and prioritizing revenue distribution accordingly).
The real value behind B-Corps is not simply in its exhaustive process to evaluate a business’s operational policies as they reflect mission, community, employees and environment, but the POV that becoming a B-Corps extends to prospect customers, clients, partners and the supply chain in which the business operates. As one participant thoughtfully noted “It would make me evaluate prospect clients through a whole different values lens. I have the ability to work with many clients but this would help me know I’m having an even larger effect with like-minded businesses”.
B-Corp has stated that it hopes to become irrelevant and Benefit Corporation status is one step in that direction. However, B-Corp’s work is hardly done. With only 1100 companies in 36 countries officially signed on, the evangelism has only just begun.
It’s going to be a big week in New York City. With five years left in its charter, the General Assembly of the UN will meet at The Summit on the 
On June 3, 2009, the day before their official graduation, 
requisite change 
