FORWARD is one of Australia’s leading consumer public relations agencies. This newly Certified B Corporation is helping lead the charge and show how communications can be used as a force for good.
Combining human insights and data to develop campaigns, stories and ideas that make strong emotional connections, they are driven by a commitment to help brands communicate with purpose and create a positive impact.
To celebrate their recent certification, we sat down with FORWARD’s Founder & Managing Director, Fergus Kibble, to learn more about what certification means to them and how they can help us tell stories that will land at the top of the news agenda.
Image: The FORWARD team
It’s great to have another PR agency in our midst. Tell us more about what your B Corp does and what makes it unique.
We are a Sydney-based multi-award-winning PR agency that delivers earned, social, influencer, and content-led campaigns for some of Australia’s leading brands and organisations.
We tell stories that make a difference to influence the conversation with compelling stories that get noticed, get shared and get results.
How? Our campaigns use logic and magic to make strong emotional connections, tell meaningful, memorable stories, and move brands forward. We know that big ideas enable us to cut through the noise and help brands to stand up and stand out.
Image: FORWARD
Tell us some areas where you have the biggest impact or some of the little changes you’ve made to make a big difference.
Our focus is on creating communications with purpose and making a positive impact in all the decisions we make — big and small. We are one of a few PR agencies in Australia that are B Corp certified, and we are already working with several purpose-led brands to help them tell their stories.
As part of the certification process, we thoroughly reviewed and upgraded many aspects of our operations, policies and procedures, including:
- Enhanced wellbeing programs and mental health support, including additional employee financial and flexible working benefits and increased commitment to training and career opportunities;
- Increased community giving and volunteering programs, such as our Pay It FORWARD Fund and pledging one per cent of net profit to support organisations in the community with an employee-matched giving component through Pledge 1%;
- Locking our mission by dedicating 25 per cent of production work to supporting talented local, independent, minority-owned and under-represented creators, producers and suppliers;
- Reviewing all internal processes and suppliers to minimise environmental impact and create a more sustainable workplace.
Lastly, our people are at the centre of our vision and reflect our agency’s values. In 2021, we were proud to be named PR Agency Team of the Year by the Public Relations Institute of Australia.
We are particularly proud of our Agency Team award, which reflects what we already knew: the team at FORWARD are an exceptional group of talented people, and together we have created an unbeatable culture.
Image: FORWARD winning the Agency Team award
What made you want to certify as a B Corp?
At FORWARD, we’ve always strived to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, whether through our clients’ campaigns, the opportunities we generate for the creators we work with or the pro-bono and low-bono support we provide to organisations who need help. But communicating purpose and sustainability isn’t just something we do for our clients; it’s something that reflects who we are as people.
We recognised that B Corp certification was a great framework and model to help us improve our performance, accountability and transparency standards.
We wanted to become more mission-driven and make a difference in the way we do business. Believing that communications can be a force for good being a B Corp helps us tangibly do this. We are thrilled and proud to be joining this global movement.
And we’re thrilled to have you here! As you know, B Corps want to help transform our economy to one that is inclusive, sustainable, and regenerative.
What business practices do you want to see become the norm in your industry and society more broadly?
Our social mission is to support Australia’s talented local, independent, minority-owned and under-represented creators, producers and event suppliers.
Small, independent, and minority businesses are the backbone of our economy, and we believe supporting them is a great way to help ensure everyone is growing together.
Where we can, we will direct proportions of production and event budgets towards these talented people — this way, we are helping them to thrive and build the overall creative ecosystem in Australia to be more inclusive and diverse.
Image: FORWARD
You don’t have to look far to find inspiration in this movement. Was there a particular B Corp that inspired you to certify, or one that you look to for inspiration?
Marque Lawyers is a Certified B Corporation. Partner Justin Cudmore generously shared with us their experience. What the certification journey was like, and their approach to providing pro-bono legal advice and employee engagement.
We also worked closely with B Consultant Alison Michalk at ffutures, who helped guide and provide us with practical help in understanding and working through the certification process, which was both motivating and inspiring.
What are three tips for aspiring B Corps about the certification process?
- Involve your entire leadership team and get early alignment on the reasons for seeking B Corp certification so there is a shared vision.
- Work together on the transformation and take your whole business on the journey. The rewards of sharing goals along the way help the entire business commit to being a B Corp not only as a business but also on a personal level.
- Take your time. We didn’t approach certification as a race but as a careful and considered review and reflection of our business and who we are as people from top to bottom. Making meaningful transformation takes time and consideration – but it is worth it!
Image: Founder & Managing Director, Fergus Kibble
And lastly, what about some tips for B Corps looking to catapult their good news stories into the headlines and shape the narrative for a better world?
Great question! Some of our best tips for sharing good news stories and shaping the narrative would be to:
- Understand your target audience: before planning the communications strategy, creative idea or key messages, it is essential to know what your audience thinks and feels to ensure your campaign, story or pitch will resonate with them.
- Tell smart stories that get people thinking: we all want to be entertained and engaged, but think about how your business can juggle the desire to create something creative and ‘edgy’ while also providing insights into your company or product. Give your audience something to think about and do!
- Diversify your content: don’t rely on just one type, but instead invest in a suite of video, imagery and written words to bring your brand or story to life in a way that inspires, engages and educates your audience.
- Focus on your news value: creativity doesn’t have to mean complex execution. You can achieve widespread reach without major events or activations if your message is newsworthy and your story is compelling within the current news agenda.
- Influencers or brand ambassadors can help you tell your story: some of the most influential voices in Australia are content creators who are experts in developing relatable, relevant and engaging content for their (and hopefully your) target audience.
- A story well told is memorable: If you are a B Corp or a social enterprise helping to change the way Australia does business, then a carefully crafted media narrative will attract attention and help you drive presence on business outcomes.
A big thank you and congratulations to FORWARD for achieving B Corp certification. To find out more about their work, visit: forward.agency
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