Guidance for new B Corps
Welcome to the community
Congratulations on becoming a Certified B Corporation™!
This section is specially for you—the newest members of our community. If you’re unsure where to start with communicating your certification, here you’ll find a brief overview of how to use our logo, claims, and trademarks—plus some tips on making the big announcement.
Don’t forget, being a B Corp is more than just achieving certification. Use this time to make sure the B Corp mission is embedded and communicated internally, involving your employees wherever possible.
Let’s get to work!
Logo guidance at a glance
B Corp Certification is a company certification, not a product one. When you display the B Corp logo on product packaging or other materials, you must make it clear to the consumer that it relates to your company.
The B Corp logo must direct to bcorp.com, via a hyperlink or text with a URL (“Learn more at bcorp.com”), which will allow the consumer to search for your brand in the B Corp directory and learn more about your certification.
Read the full logo guidelines in the Logo application section.
Claims, names, and trademarks
| What not to say | What to say instead | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| B-Corp, BCorp | B Corp™ | This is the correct name protected by our trademark. |
| Benefit Corporation, Certified B-Corporations | Certified B Corporation™ | This is the correct name protected by our trademark. |
| Sustainable, green, good for the planet, planet-friendly | Read our full messaging section for legally approved language you can use. | These claims could be perceived as greenwashing. |
| As a B Corp, we’re meeting the highest standard of social and environmental impact. | B Corps are companies verified as meeting B Lab Standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. | B Lab has retired this language, which is comparative and not rooted in our current standards. |
| We’re the first/biggest/only company of XYZ kind/in XYZ industry/region/country to become a Certified B Corporation. | As a B Corp in XYZ industry, we’re counted among businesses that are leading a global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. | B Lab does not verify these comparative claims. B Corps are a community, with shared goals achieved through collective action. Frame your achievements this way, and ensure everything you say can be substantiated. |
| We’ve been awarded B Corp Certification, We now have B Corp status/accreditation. | We’re now a Certified B Corporation/Our business is now B Corp Certified. | B Corp Certification isn’t an award—we use “certification” only. |
| Certified B Corp products/Certified B Corp brands | Products from a Certified B Corp™/Products from Certified B Corps™ | It must be clear that B Corp Certification is a company certification and not a product one. |
A note on trademarks
Don’t forget to include the trademark symbol with the first use of these names in body copy or headlines.
B Corp™ | B Corporation™ | Certified B Corporation™ | Empresa B Certificada™ | B Lab™ | Sistema B™ | B Local™ | B Impact™
Announcing your certification
Announcing internally
Post an announcement on your internal platforms or intranet
Send an update in your company-wide email or newsletter
Speak about the journey to certification in staff meetings
Display your Declaration of Interdependence or the B Corp logo in your office or workspace, and consider B Corp-branded merchandise for your employees (see our FAQs for guidance on developing merchandise)
Host a celebration. Some B Corps like to print and display the Declaration of Interdependence and invite employees to sign it
Socializing your certification
Incorporate B Corp messaging into employee onboarding and training programs
Join your region’s community hub and/or local clubs for B Corps to connect
Invite employees follow B Lab Global and your local B Lab or Sistema B organization on social media to stay up to date with the community
Add the B Corp logo to your company’s email signature
Announcing externally
Add the B Corp logo to your website, such as the footer (don’t forget to hyperlink the logo to bcorp.com)
Update your mission and/or vision statement to reflect your status and public purpose
Write a blog post or create a landing page about your certification and journey, and link it to your B Corp directory profile for full transparency
Announce certification on your social media channels. Don’t forget to tag B Lab Global and your regional B Lab
Write a series of posts about your journey to certification, and engage with allied B Corps
Share the news with your audience and partners through a personal email or newsletter
Submit a press release to newswires or pitch a story to media contacts and trade publications. You may even wish to invite journalists, industry leaders, and other stakeholders to your launch party and plan a presentation sharing why you became a B Corp
Display a poster or window decal in any retail or customer facing locations
Looking for tips on your announcement? Connect with your local B Lab team for guidance and to join your regional B Corp community.