Sustainable marketing

Hap-B anniversary to us!

May 2024

We’ve been a B Corp for a year now, and it's been good to reflect on how far we've come in our commitment to making a positive impact on both people and planet. However, the journey has highlighted the ongoing challenges of creating meaningful change.

The old adage ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’ rings true when it comes to our journey to B Corp. We started the certification process thinking that we were already ticking several sustainability boxes, but joining a thriving B Corp community brimming with new people, and new outlooks, reminded us of the road that lies ahead - not just in a professional sense, but personally too. Essentially, the badge is only the beginning.

With that in mind, we set the cameras rolling to find out more about what the process has really been like, highlighting not just the wins, but the uncomfortable truths and long-term learnings.

What have we learnt along the way?

Rachel: “My perception of ‘B Corp’ was that it was just another ‘eco badge’, but, while it does tackle that perspective, it’s so much broader than that. For me, an important part of conducting better business (for people and planet) is driving down inequality, and providing opportunities for working mums. Being one myself, Hattrick has always been really supportive by offering flexible working hours, as well as helping me through a Women in Leadership course, which has opened my eyes to how we can continually grow in that area.”

What would we do differently?

Victoria: “To prevent the process from being so overwhelming, I would break the actions down into more manageable chunks, while thinking about daily tasks we can all easily slot into the hustle and bustle of everyday life. So, that might mean taking ten minutes out to read around climate change, making sure to focus not just on the doom and gloom, but the positive news stories too. I would also take more time to integrate with like-minded people and share ideas with others who are already working in a B Corp organisation, or those looking to embark on that journey themselves.”

What were the main challenges?

Steph: “I’d say the main challenge was getting other people to come on this sustainability journey with us. We make it really clear to our business partners and suppliers that it’s perfectly possible to run a successful, profitable commercial business, but still do better by both people and planet. We all start from somewhere, and doing something is better than nothing.”

How has it impacted us personally?

Enna: “My sustainability journey started during lockdown when I first joined Slow Fashion Movement, which is a non-profit organisation committed to bettering the fashion industry. After I joined them, I became really conscious of the clothes I was shopping for, and I committed only to shopping secondhand. After joining Hattrick, I understood that there were so many ways I could reduce my carbon footprint, rather than just pigeonholing my clothing choices. This means that not only am I thinking about what I wear to work, I’m thinking about how I get into work, and what I eat when I sit down for my lunch break.”

What are we most proud of?

Malin: “We’ve already managed to reduce our carbon footprint in just a year, which started with moving out of our previous office which was too big for the team and not very energy efficient. We’ve also won an award for the most sustainable agency, which shows that not only are we committed to helping other businesses on their sustainability journey, but that we’re also taking action ourselves, both in terms of reducing our own impact, and refusing to work with certain companies that greenwash. I’m also proud of all the partnerships we’ve made over the past year - like joining forces with others in the B Corp community, hosting panel discussions and free webinars to help other businesses combat greenwash, and launching our own independent research in collaboration with The Carbon Literacy Project.”

Just as we should be celebrating everything we’ve accomplished in such a short space of time, it’s important to remember that ‘B Corp’ isn’t an end goal. Instead, it’s a journey, a complete shift in mindset, and we’re excited for what the future holds for Hattrick.

And to find out more about how we’re breathing the B Corp ethos into every aspect of our business, keep an eye out for our Impact Report, which is currently under wraps.