Rogerwilco joins the B Corp movement: What it means for employees, clients, and the industry

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Rogerwilco achieves B Corp certification

Rogerwilco, the home-grown digital marketing agency, has joined the ranks of only 10 South African companies to achieve B Corp certification.

Rogerwilco CEO Charlie Stewart explains that the B Corp ethos aligns with his belief that companies must not only focus on profit but also their responsibility to people and the planet, sharing insights on how the certification has impacted his team and work culture.

Understanding B Corp

B Corp is a global movement that assesses organisations based on their triple bottom line: profit, people, and the planet.

Stewart describes it as the summation of purpose well executed. “The starting point is to assess an organisation’s focus on profit – and it is imperative that a business makes a profit. It also looks at the business’s impact on people – workers and the broader community – and on the planet.”

He shared insights on how the certification has impacted the agency and work culture.

Rogerwilco achieves B Corp certification

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Impact on company culture

Becoming a B Corp has added a sense of enthusiasm because employees can see that they are living their purpose while earning money in a respectful way.

“In recent years, the purpose debate has focused on one thing such as the planet or social impact. By putting profit, people, and planet together, B Corp is doing something meaningful.”

The evaluation process took just under a year, and Stewart describes it as rigorous.

“There are more than two hundred questions, and it looks at five core pillars – the way a business is governed, how it treats people, its impact on the community, its environmental footprint, and the types of organisations they work with to ensure they’re not having a degenerative impact, for example, fossil fuels or mining. These five core pillars are completely aligned with Rogerwilco’s ethos. Everyone in the company relates to at least one of them.”

Employee retention and purpose-driven work

Like many organisations, Rogerwilco experienced attrition during and after lockdown, not just because people were working from home but also because they were recruited by large US companies that recognised the high calibre of talent in South Africa.

Unhappy about losing employees, partly because of the investment made in them and partly because of the impact on clients, the agency decided that giving people something to believe in was the most effective way to create a more cohesive work environment.

Purpose as a business goal

Marketers tend to be divided on whether purpose should be a measurable business goal, but for Rogerwilco, there’s no question that organisations must show how they’re delivering on their purpose.

Stewart cites Dove and Patagonia as examples, with Dove working to reduce stereotypes through integration with their purpose and Patagonia demonstrating a commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

“Every marketer is tempted to find a shortcut to driving sales and creating a better emotional connection, but if you’re not living your purpose, it creates dissonance, which can be detrimental to the business.”

Organisations that connect with people’s beliefs foster longer-term loyalty than those that focus only on performance.

At Rogerwilco, there is no question that if a brand is to last, it has to do more than sell on rational benefits alone – it has to demonstrate that it stands for something.

A shared purpose creates a stronger sense of trust between the brand and the consumer.

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Balancing ROI and creative effectiveness

When asked how the conversation around return on investment (ROI) differs from creative effectiveness, Stewart believes marketers are starting to think more about the long term. He cites the Effie Awards, which recognise effectiveness in marketing and communication, as an example of how the industry is shifting.

“Over the last decade, the focus has been on performance marketing, but I’m a big believer in ‘bothism’ – that is, a little of this and a little of that.”

Rogerwilco understands that performance marketing yields quick short-term results, but brands need longevity.

There is a growing awareness in marketing that purpose can drive meaningful change and produce consistent results in the near, medium, and long term.

The shift towards conscious consumerism

With the shift in consumer awareness, brands must consider what they invest in. Stewart brings the conversation back to authenticity.

“You won’t survive if you’re not more conscious. People in all industries are working under pressure with longer hours and more technology. If we want to create an environment that looks after people and ensures sustainability for the long term, we must change – we must be driven by tangible actions.”

B Corp as a guiding framework

Stewart explains that this is why B Corp aligns with the way Rogerwilco operates. “It’s a framework that encourages rethinking and provides guidance to maintain focus. We’re at the start of our B Corp journey, and we’re already making improvements.”

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The role of challenger brands

As for challenger brands overtaking legacy brands that are slow to adapt, Stewart cites Liquid Death as an example.

The company sells water in cans rather than plastic, recognising that most recycling facilities send plastic to landfills, whereas aluminium is infinitely recyclable.

“They’ve opened a new product category in the FMCG industry and built sustainability into the brand. Many similar examples are emerging, shifting the conversation around ESG. The more choices people have, the less they have to compromise their values when making purchases.”

The significance of B Corp certification

For Stewart and the Rogerwilco team, B Corp certification is more than a label – it is a framework that holds the business accountable to its values while ensuring a positive impact on employees, clients, and the environment.

In a changing market, where consumers and employees increasingly expect authenticity, Rogerwilco’s commitment to the triple bottom line reflects this shift. As Stewart puts it, “Living your purpose isn’t just good for business – it’s essential for building a brand that lasts.”

The above is based on Mongezi Mtati’s podcast, The Lead Creative.