BC-based PR shop Soma achieves B Corp status
Source: Campaign Canada
Written By: Chris Powell
BC-based Soma Public Relations has joined a growing number of PR agencies around the world that have achieved B Corp status, a designation given to companies able to demonstrate that they operate for the good of society.
Soma founder and managing partner Kari Kylo (second from right, main photo) said the company has always tried to achieve harmony between its revenue and its values, and that earning B Corp status provides evidence of its commitment.
“The B Corp assessment revealed what we are made of—purpose,” she said. “Working with purpose-driven organizations has always inspired and motivated our team.”
The boutique agency achieved a B Impact Score of 107.3 points, far exceeding the 80-point threshold required for certification. The score is determined through a thorough evaluation of companies’ practices and outputs across five categories: governance, workers, community, the environment, and customers.
Soma’s clients include BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, Tire Stewardship BC, and the Ocean Legacy Foundation.
“Becoming a B Corporation is more than a certification; it is a decision-making framework for businesses that want to thrive in a rapidly changing world,” said Kylo. “We are proud to continue using our business platform to drive positive change and strengthen communities across BC and beyond.”
According to the certification organization B Lab, there are more than 9,200 B Corps spanning 162 industries in 105 countries around the world. The Canadian B Corp directory lists 19 marketing and communications agencies that have achieved B Corp status, including Public Inc., multicultural agency Barrett and Welsh, and Tux Creative.
PR companies have traditionally not figured prominently on the list, but Campaign’s sister title PR Week said that has started to change in recent years.
“[T]he hunger for PR and comms to be seen as an ethical industry persists,” it said in a year-end overview of the PR companies that achieved B Corp status last year. Annie Olivier, head of growth at B Lab UK, said that PR businesses have a crucial role to play in addressing social and environmental challenges.
“The rapid rise in B Corp-certified PR agencies over the last six months highlights the strong appetite for business to be used as a force for good in the sector,” she said.