5th June | Nikki Thomson back

R&T Goes B Corp

It’s official. It’s happened, and we’re pretty bloomin’ proud. You read the headline right, we’re now a B Corp certified business.

So, what is B Corp?

If you haven’t already heard, B Corp UK is an independent verification that credits businesses that are meeting high standards of social and environmental performance. AKA businesses that value society and sustainability, working in the most ethical way possible. Netting a score of 114.3 – considered outstanding in B Corp terms – we’re proud to be part of the fast-growing movement of like-minded B Corp companies that believe in doing business responsibly. Doing right by the world and making a conscious, positive impact has long been in our DNA, from the campaigns we run, to the suppliers we work with and the sustainable materials we use to package everything up. And now, we’re honoured to have industry-leading recognition, meeting B Corp UK’s high standards of social and environmental practice, transparency and accountability. It’s no mean feat and the process is rightly rigorous. But as a business we fully back, live and breathe the sentiment of B Corp, which is centred around using business as a force for good.

Our agency legacy

In fact, as the first PR agency to achieve both B Corp status and 100% employee-ownership (which we pioneered back in 2019), this natural evolution adds further proof that we genuinely put our people first. But whilst our B Corp certification, and fab new wooden plaque are a welcome addition to our repertoire, that’s not the end of our sustainable journey. Far from it. As a business that’s been around since the 1930s, we’ve always been firm believers in being in it for the long run. For us, this is just another step in playing an important role in doing the best for today, to ensure we leave a better tomorrow. That means continuing to hold ourselves to the highest standards of social and environmental practice, and always leading the way in the PR industry. We’ll keep you posted on the ongoing journey. R&T joins the other 1300+ B Corp UK registered business (20 of which are PR agencies). Find out more about our score here. Want to know more about our people, our purpose and our impact, as a B Corp business? Read all about us here.

15th January | Nikki Thomson back

Banuary – Why this sends a shiver down my spine

We PR people love a good pun.  The whole year is littered with them from
Movember to Veganuary.  And we can’t deny
that they do work as a focus for communications and behaviour change.  But I’ve just been reading about Banuary.  And really? 
Isn’t it hard enough getting up in the New Year on a dark morning with
Brexit looming without having to ban things too?

Our work encouraging people to give plant-based eating a whirl has honed our knowledge on how to make the ‘nudge’ principal work.  Or rather how to encourage people to change their behaviour and do things differently without it feeling onerous or like they are being deprived.

The basic premise is to turn a negative into a
positive.  Don’t ‘ban’ something but
focus on taking up a positive habit instead. 
Negative language instils negative thoughts.  Just like the deprivation of a crash diet,
you’ll only keep it up until the next office birthday cake arrives.

People who work with us often think we obsess about our
work.  But that’s because every single word
you write, every little detail in an image, it all contributes to setting a
scene and creating an emotional reaction. 
Making sure that’s the right emotional reaction is at the heart of what
we do.  Every day.

And at a time when there is a desperate need for behaviour
change, getting this messaging right and encouraging a step in the right
direction with compelling, creative content that gets straight to the point is
something that all of us in the communications and marketing business should be
thinking about.

Finally, I like to practice what I preach. So, this month
I’m taking up meditation.  Once a week
for six weeks.  We’ll see how it
goes.  Happy New Year!