Entry video

Please find the video in this link

Supporting file

Video from The Drum with Arlo Brady, freuds CEO, which was published as part of a series highlighting the best marketing experiences 

Summary

Good News was a corner shop pop-up with the aim of driving awareness and excitement around the growing range of businesses that are B Corp certified.

As the climate crisis worsens and the UK nears its milestone of 1,000 certified B Corps, educating consumers on the movement and how they can ‘buy better’ has never been more important.

Open during B Corp Month in March, Good News was brought to life through a vibrant aesthetic, IRL activations and featured over 130 B Corp brands. Unlike other retail concepts, nothing was for sale - social media and storytelling was our currency of choice.

Not all brands in-store had tangible products - rather than cigarettes we displayed packs of ‘fresh air’ to showcase a business specialising in ‘staycations’ and outdoor holidays, a ‘payphone’ for free cause-related PR advice and a good-cause lotto with social impact and community driven prizes. We also re-imagined other service-based businesses into typical convenience store items such as magazine covers and a noticeboard, replacing the usual dog walker adverts, with businesses that off-set carbon emissions.

Every brand was given a brief description of what made them a B Corp and defined them as a ‘better’ company. QR codes allowed visitors to learn more, change their shopping habits and each business to capture data and further nurture the relationship.

The store played host to 20 events, 23 days of sampling, was visited by over 3,000 and reached 90m online. All products were then donated to local community initiatives.

Objectives

B Lab is the non-profit network transforming the global economy to benefit people, communities, and the planet. Since 2006 they’ve been harnessing the power of business, using it as a force for good. There are now over 5,000 certified B Corporations operating in over 70 countries across 150 sectors. Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are companies meeting verified high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. 

Good News was a retail pop-up activation that resembled a corner shop, filled with fresh food, ambient, chilled and frozen goods – food & drink, healthy snacks, a beauty aisle, cleaning products and more. Every brand in-store was a B Corp – and the catch? Nothing was for sale.

As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, freuds, the largest communications agency to be B Corp certified and winner of The Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development, and culture-first creative agency Proud Robinson + Partners developed the concept in partnership with B Lab UK.

Every March, the global B Corp community celebrate what it means to be a B Corp, building awareness around the movement and those using business as a force for good. This year’s theme was ‘Behind the B’, inviting everyone behind the scenes to uncover, and understand, what makes a B Corp and how consumers can play their part in ‘buying better’.

Our key objective was to amplify B Corp Month, further consumer awareness and education of the movement, bring together B Corp’s, their senior leadership and wider teams to forge connectivity and partnership. We wanted to give B Corp’s the ‘moment in the sun’ they deserve, spark conversation, secure media coverage and a platform for content creation.

Good News didn’t retail product in the traditional sense, rather tell the stories of those brands helping drive change, those that benefit people and planet, and educating consumers on how they can ‘buy better’.

Strategy

The traditional corner shop is a cultural icon in the UK. It’s featured as the backdrop for sitcoms, soaps and the subject of documentaries. It serves a universal, relatable need – and everyone knows their local.

Whilst the corner shop proved a key draw for footfall, we wanted to ensure that the space, whilst being interactive and exciting, was also educational. Making sure that the focus was very much about driving awareness, with the ingenuity of Proud Robinson + Partners, we curated a ‘Behind the B’ area where consumers could learn more about the B Corp movement. Using a typical convenience store mesh curtain, featuring the B Corp logo, the consumer physically drew it back to reveal what was ‘Behind the B’. Lining the walls were informative assets and content, to highlight key statistics and messaging, and most importantly, 5 easy steps on how to become a B Corp.

We also featured a free of charge vending machine that used social media as its currency, using #SnapForASnack, which proved a highly effective way of increasing online engagement, data capture and content and those brands within to reach new audiences.

To further encourage footfall, and increased media engagement, Good News played host to numerous special guests, such as the Deputy Mayor of London for Business, Rajesh Agrawal, high-street expert Mary Portas, chef Gordon Ramsay, Top Gear’s James May, and renowned actor and foodie Stanley Tucci who all heralded the innovative concept and were enlightened by the brands in-store.

Nothing For Sale -

This was a key USP in generating interest and coverage. It was also a great way of alleviating any pressure on the consumer. It helped us achieved our aim of having customers in-store for a extended periods of time, as opposed to simply coming in to buy product and leave. Framing the shop as an exhibition of brands encouraged people to take a long look around and familiarise themselves in the huge array in-store.

Sampling / Events -

To help drive traffic, ensure consistent, increased and engaged footfall throughout the month, whilst also reaching new audiences we hosted 23 sampling sessions, where the brands themselves came down to interact with consumers.

Events ranged from an allplants vegan supper club to a lunch discussion led by COOK and Freestar on growing social impact by providing opportunities for the underserved. Toast Ale Founder Tristram Stuart gave a talk on food waste and Tony’s Chocolonely gave their first ever ‘Tony’s talk’ in the UK. Each event drew in individuals from across the B Corp community and introduced new consumers to the store providing an excellent opportunity for brands to share their message and generate varied content for their own marketing channels. To top it off, each event served delicious cocktails, beers and healthy snacks from those brands in-store.

Giving Back -

In keeping with the concept’s values – sustainability and social impact – every part of the shop was built using sustainable, upcycled or reusable materials and post event, every item was recycled or donated. The Felix Project came weekly to collect fresh and chilled produce then all food and soft drinks. Refuge Network UK collected the personal and homecare products, ensuring they went to those that needed them most. Books, magazines, water and snacks went to a local homeless shelter on Tottenham Court Road. Finally, the store’s interiors were recycled by Event Cycle, who repurposed items giving them a new home.

Results

Overall, there was a significant appreciation from the B Corp community for both the visibility, but also the connectivity that Good News brokered. We had an overwhelming response of positive feedback from the B2B community, many of whom secured direct business on the back of the store with one independent drinks brand, Punchy, securing a nationwide listing with W H Smith.

Good News came at a time, post-pandemic, where in-person connectivity and consumer engagement had never been more important.

Consumer demand for greater sustainable, ethical and transparent businesses is at an all-time high, Good News helped educate and inform the next-generation of consumers.

Media coverage included features from The Times, The Independent and the Evening Standard, Good News also featured in The Grocer, Campaign, The Drum, Sustainability Magazine and many more.

Key Metrics:

-        Reached over 90 million online and IRL across press coverage, social media, events and out of home billboards

-        2,000 new newsletter sign-ups 

-        The most engaged B Corp LinkedIn post to date

B Corp UK social media: 

●      Audience growth: 6,428

●      Engagements: 57,462

●      Impressions: 970,657

Testimonials

B Lab UK Executive Director, Chris Turner, said “After two years in the virtual world, to see Good News brought to life in the real world was particularly exciting. This work has done a fantastic job of bringing our community together, demonstrating the diversity of sectors and products now available from businesses committing to be a force for good. Not only that, but it has also helped us reach new audiences and educate more people about the actions they can take to bring about the change our society and economy so desperately needs."