Bohlsen Group becomes pioneer for corporate social responsibility in Indiana with B Corp certification

Bohlsen Group, an Indianapolis-based public relations and advertising agency, is proud to announce on the week of its fifth anniversary that it has become the first company incorporated in Indiana to achieve B Corp certification. The designation places it among an elite, vetted group of companies committed to being a force for good and creating value for society beyond profit alone. The certification meets a growing consumer demand as more than nine in 10 Americans look to companies to support social or environmental issues in some capacity, according to the 2013 Social Impact Study.

Called “the highest standard for socially responsible business” by Inc. magazine, B Corp certification recognizes companies who voluntarily meet standards of transparency, accountability and social impact. More than 1,200 companies across 41 countries and 121 industries are B Corp certified, including Warby Parker, Etsy, Ben & Jerry’s and Patagonia. Ninety-one percent of Americans want to see more products and services support worthy causes—up eight percentage points since 2010.

“The B Corp ethos matches the heart of our corporate culture and has challenged us to become a better company,” said Vicki Bohlsen, president and founder of Bohlsen Group. “Through these efforts, we hope to empower our employees as corporate citizens and to make an impact in the lives of our clients and their target audiences.”

Research shows that employees who work for organizations that offer corporate citizenship opportunities are significantly more engaged. Bohlsen Group encourages corporate citizenship for staff through paid volunteering hours, ongoing professional development, and incentives for health and wellness initiatives such as walking meetings and biking to work.

Bohlsen Group has also invested substantial pro bono work for local and national nonprofits, including free professional development trainings and donated or discounted public relations campaigns.

To become certified, companies must undergo and pass an assessment by B Lab that evaluates their mission, employment practices, governance structure, social impact and environmental stewardship. Pedrotti Hays, Inc., a local consulting firm specializing in B Corp certification, guided Bohlsen Group through the certification process.

“As consumers look to corporations to take the lead in making our communities better, our hope is that many other Indiana companies will follow Bohlsen Group in voluntarily following a standard of transparent, accountable business,” said Kathy Pedrotti Hays, Owner/President of Pedrotti Hays, Inc.

Bohlsen Group is a full-service public relations and advertising agency that supports organizations through public relations, advertising, design, video production and social media strategy. The types of organizations in which the company specializes include nonprofit, entertainment and events, corporate and lifestyle, and authors.

To view Bohlsen Group’s B Impact Assessment and profile, click here.

About Bohlsen Group

Bohlsen Group is a full-service public relations and advertising agency based in Indianapolis, committed to improving the lives of clients, their customers, and the community through passionate public relations and branding campaigns and a commitment to corporate social responsibility.

The agency provides creative strategy, branding, and implementation for nonprofit, corporate and entertainment and event organizations as well as authors. Bohlsen Group’s creative capabilities include media relations, social media, graphic design, website design, media buying, photography and videography for all types of clients and budgets. Learn more athttp://www.bohlsengroup.com.

About B Corporations

Certified B Corporations meet the highest standards of overall social and environmental performance, legally expand their corporate responsibilities to include consideration of stakeholder interests, and build collective voice through the power of the unifying B Corporation brand. There are more than 1,200 Certified B Corporations from over 120 industries and nearly 50 countries with 1 unifying goal – to redefine success in business. B Corporations are leaders of the global movement of People Using Business as a Force for Good.

About B Lab

B Lab is a nonprofit organization that serves a global movement of People Using Business as a Force for Good. Its vision is that one day all companies will compete to be Best for the World and as a result society enjoys a shared and durable prosperity. B Lab drives this systemic change through a number of interrelated initiatives:

1) building a community of Certified B Corporations to make it easier for all of us to tell the difference between “good companies” and good marketing;

2) promoting usage of Mission Aligned corporate structures to increase efficacy of social entrepreneurship and impact investing (more than 2,000 benefit corporations have been registered in the 27 states and District of Columbia that have passed benefit corporation laws);

3) promoting Measure What Matters campaigns to increase use of free, powerful tools for businesses to measure, compare and improve their social and environmental performance (more than 20,000 businesses use B Lab’s free B Impact Assessment).

4) developing B Analytics, a customizable platform to help investors and institutions measure, benchmark, and report on the impact of the businesses with whom they work and in whom they invest. For more information.

-PR ROCKET