mark-making* has just completed its first B Corp™ recertification, achieving a score of 113.2.

We were first certified in 2022 with a score of 121.3. I want to be straight about the difference. The three years between certifications weren’t straightforward ones for us. The agency market shifted quickly, economic pressures hit hard across our sector, and we went through a significant period of structural change. Our score reflects that, but it doesn’t reflect a drop in commitment. We were reassessed in full, we met the required standard, and we’re continuing to build from here.

For anyone unfamiliar with how B Corp recertification works: it’s not a rubber stamp or an automatic renewal. Every three years, you go through a full reassessment across governance, workers, community, environment and customers. It’s detailed, it’s demanding, and it requires genuine evidence, not just good intentions.

You can see our updated B Corp profile here.

What the assessment really involves

B Corp certification is way more than a badge of honour. In practice, it asks some pretty fundamental questions about how we run mark-making*:

• How are decisions made?
• Who’s accountable?
• How are our people supported?
• What evidence exists of our environmental performance?
• How does the business contribute beyond its own profit?

Answering those questions properly takes time, scrutiny, and a fair amount of documentation. Over the past three years, that’s meant continuing to invest in our team’s wellbeing and development, embedding ethical marketing and greenwashing training across the business, maintaining Cyber Essentials certification, strengthening our carbon accounting methodology, and beginning structured work around responsible AI use.

It might not be glamorous, but it matters to us.

Preparing for the next set of standards

The B Corp movement itself is evolving. B Lab has introduced updated performance requirements that will raise expectations even further. We’ll be reviewing those new standards over the coming months so that we’re properly prepared well before our next recertification.

At mark-making* we have always tried to hold a leadership position rather than following the crowd. That’s the big benefit of the B Corp framework. It encourages us to look ahead and anticipate where standards are moving, rather than scrambling to react when deadlines arrive.

Looking ahead

Recertification isn’t a finish line. For us, it’s been a useful moment to step back and take stock of where we are, what we’ve got right, and what needs more work. Let’s face it, there’s always more to be done.

We’re using this process to clarify our priorities for 2026, strengthen the quality of our environmental reporting, continue embedding responsible practice across our client work, and re-energise our structured community contribution.

The B Corp community now includes more than 10,000 companies globally. Every business approaches it differently. What we share is a commitment to accountability and to improving, not just maintaining.

I’m proud that mark-making* is still part of that group and I want to thank all our mark-makers for helping us to achieve this.