For 20 years, comma and our passionate team have been strengthening brands for diverse clients worldwide. Specifically, our strategic experts explore with our clients how they can grow sustainably and then help translate that vision holistically. Comma is unique in that we always ask how companies can grow whilst putting major focus on its people and the environment too. This effort led to an impressive achievement: comma is the first Belgian strategic marketing company ever to obtain the notoriously hard-to-get B Corporation label!
Our interactive workshops on strategy, positioning and digital marketing invariably lead to a new vision and strategy for clients. Then our creative dream team invariably works its magic as they develop and roll out a dedicated marketing and communication plan. But from the start, comma also had its heart in the right place.
More than just number
For comma, business is so much more than growing and adding up numbers. We pay lots of attention to people and the environment and work actively on corporate social responsibility. No empty words, either, as CSR is about more than installing solar panels or recycling paper (although of course we do that too 😊).
For example, our commitment to VOKA’s Sustainable Enterprise Charter ensures that the 5 Ps (people, planet, prosperity, partnership and peace) have long been firmly embedded in the company’s DNA. We created Peace for Talent, a platform on job satisfaction and talent development. We participate in many great projects that have social impact, in Belgium and abroad. We are engaged X2-ambassadors for gender equity. We consciously reduce our ecological footprint. The list just goes on.
B Corp, the international CSR reference
Because we felt we were exceptionally strong in CSR, we decided to enter the application procedure to attain the prestigious B Corp label. B Corporation is the benchmark against which many international companies emulate. Achieving its label is no mean feat as you have to meet very strict conditions and go through an extensive evaluation process. Every aspect of your sustainable and social business operations (including customer stewardship, environmental management, economic impact, diversity, career development, financial security, etc.) is questioned and has to be proved with supporting evidence. Based on that audit, candidates are given a score. Only the ones who achieve more than 80 may claim the B Corp label. (Incidentally, this score is critically reassessed every three years, urging candidates to keep scoring higher, so that B Corp companies continue to act as an example and inspiration.)
Proud of our high score
Comma went through the whole procedure and achieved the incredibly high score of 92.9! What a recognition when you consider that only 8,580 companies around the world are currently allowed to carry the B Corp label, of which only 85 are headquartered in Belgium. So Comma is terribly proud of the label, not least because it makes us the first and so far only strategic marketing company in Belgium to achieve the recognition. We spent 20 years working towards this great result! And because of going through this experience, we can now also assist clients who want to achieve the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
‘We are proud to be among that small circle of companies that are fully committed to a better world and mindful of people and the environment. Both our team and customers and our environmental and social commitment were covered in the B Corp screening.’ says co-founder Wouter Casteleyn.
‘Achieving the B Corp label definitely feels like a reward after 20 years of hard work as an entrepreneur. At comma, we constantly take into consideration people, the environment, our team and our customers. We always take the broader view and contribute where we can. We are proud to be able to convey this conviction and knowledge to others even more. This is how we have been inspiring them for 20 years with topics that really matter.’ adds co-founder Greetje Demuelenaere with a big smile.
Need help with your CSR strategy?
Does your company also want to work towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations? Our multidisciplinary team of experts will gladly guide you toward achieving more sustainable social and societal impact. Our B Corp label proves in no uncertain terms that comma knows how to get things done when it comes to people, planet, prosperity, partnership and peace.
