What the B Corp movement taught me and where we go next

Mark was there and heard insight from three panels, a full room, and a huge amount of energy. What stood out most were the simple truths, said plainly, by people who live this work every day. Here’s some of Mark’s takeaways.

This was the line of the night.

Lindsey summed up what many of us feel but rarely phrase so directly. Purpose is not a cost. It is not a compliance task. It is a growth strategy, a talent magnet and, in her words, the cheapest marketing spend you will ever make.

When you stand for something meaningful and consistent, your audience carries the message for you. For an agency like The Foundry, it is exactly why good strategy and good creativity matter. Purpose amplifies both.

Rosalind captured the moment perfectly.

Greenwashing was the era of big claims with little substance. 
Greenhushing was the backlash, where good businesses stayed quiet out of fear. 
Green shouting is where we need to go next. Clear, confident, specific communication rooted in real evidence.

Her challenge was simple. If your impact is real and measured, talk about it. Silence only benefits the loudest and least credible players. As a creative agency, that feels like a very clear brief.

Classic Channel 4 clarity.

Tom talked about representation, impact and the need for authenticity in storytelling. The message was blunt but entirely true. If you fake it, people know. If you get it right, people respond.

He also shared how accessible TV advertising can be once you look at the return on investment. With their Diversity in Advertising Award offering one million pounds of airtime, he made a strong case for why purpose brands should be far more confident in stepping into mainstream media.

The new Take10 Impact Report shows that B Corps outperform UK SMEs in the areas that matter most.

Turnover growth of 20 percent compared with 3 percent for UK SMEs.
Headcount growth of 11 percent compared with 2 percent.
Higher survival rates through the last five years.
Stronger commitments to fair pay and renewable energy.

Purpose is not a drag on performance. It supports it.

One audience question hit a nerve. Outside the B Corp community, awareness is still low. In some sectors it is almost non-existent.

If the next ten years of this movement are going to matter, then B Corps cannot only talk to each other. We need visibility in industries that have never encountered the model. We need to show up in new rooms, not just familiar ones.

For us, B Corp is not a badge. It is the lens we use for decisions, client relationships and the kind of work we want to create.

Last night reinforced three things for me:

1. We need to be more confident in telling our own story.
2. We can help purpose-led brands communicate with the clarity and boldness this moment demands.
3. The next decade of B Corp is about influence, not compliance.

If the first decade proved the model, the next decade is about scale and visibility.

And that is a journey I am proud The Foundry is part of.

If you want to hear more about The Foundry’s B Corp story, we’d love to chat.