Shifting
Business
for Good
Responsibility Review 2023
Welcome to read our Responsibility Review from 2023!
This is a very significant year for our business, and also a year of great change. In this review, we have put together the most important developments in an easy-to-read format – as a document for ourselves and to inspire others.
We use B Impact Assessment as our management system. We are a certified Benefit Corporation, so this document also serves as an example for any company considering B Corp in terms of business design, certification and performance.
With love,
Fabrik’s people
Main Events in 2023
B Corp
certification
6
B Corp
projects
Kekäle and Mediateko
Consulting partner companies to reach B Corp
2 B Leaders
as instructors at B Lab Nordics in Stockholm & Copenhagen
Pro Bono
partnerships Terra Firma Rainwater Collective & WWF Finland
A shift in our Articles of Association to be among the first
in Finland to comply with the international B Corp community
“Our aim is to make a positive impact on society and the environment.”
“Profits should be paid for solving problems, not for creating them”
I am compiling this review after the B For Good Leaders Summit in May 2024, in which more than 1,000 B Corp leaders and sustainability developers focused on driving a more sustainable, equitable and inclusive future were in attendance.
Compared to last year, the language was clearly tougher. In many different sections it was repeated: “We have taken steps backwards. The promises of sustainability work have turned into intentions that we are not really even trying to fulfill”. The collective strength of more than 8 000 certified companies is a good starting point, but as stated: it is not enough. We need a systemic change in what we reward, what we support and how we define growth and success.
2023 has been a year of transformation for our company – we are a living example of how a green transition can change business for the better. The B Corp sustainability community, its toolkit and certification, chosen a few years ago, have been a game changer for our company.
The past year has brought partnerships in which we have been able to take steps in the right direction and from the right starting point. In line with the B Corp Declaration, we must be the change we seek in the world and strive from a product, practice and profit perspective not to harm anyone or anything and to benefit as many as possible.
As noted: willpower alone is not enough; companies need comprehensive, credible and comparable impact standards to support change in economic systems. From this perspective, we believe in the usefulness of the B Impact Assessment tool used by over 150,000 companies.
But when we talk about change, the real power is in us, the people. That’s why now and in the future, both in our own operations and in our partnerships, we are seeking answers to this question: what good does my business do for people other than its owners?
Jonna Ekroos
Communications strategist, B Leader, partner
In 2023, we achieved the third-party audited B Corporation™ certification. B Corp is one of the most prestigious international certifications for social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
We started to fill in the B Corp Development and Leadership Assessment in spring 2022. We will continue to use it to screen our entire business according to five themes: governance, people, community, environment and customers. Our Impact Business Model is based on our customer projects: our greatest positive impact comes from the change and positive impact our customers make.
B Corp Declaration of Interdependence
We envision a global economy that uses business as a force for good. This economy is comprised of a new type of corporation – the B Corporation – which is purpose driven and creates benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders. As B Corporations and leaders of this emerging company, we believe:
- That we must be the change we seek in the world.
- That all business ought to be conducted as if people and place mattered.
- That, through their products, practices, and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all.
- To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations.
15
employees
2 offices
Helsinki & Joensuu
2 teams
strategy & creative design
Impact Agency Fabrik in brief
We are a 15-person sustainability consultancy and sustainability communications agency based in Helsinki and Joensuu, with our roots in creative design. So far, we are the only agency in Finland that combines passionate creativity with sustainability work that meets international standards and B Corp expertise.
We work in two teams, one responsible for sustainability strategies and business development, the other for distinctive creative solutions and marketing communications that deliver competitive advantage. Both our teams are made up of passionate professionals dedicated to creating meaningful and impactful solutions and timeless solutions.
We help our clients to develop and grow their business from a sustainable perspective. Innovation, new business models, building trust and inspiring people to create the positive impact – these are the things that the world needs and people expect from businesses. Our expertise is trusted by many large and medium-sized companies and operators, including Abloy, Power, Kamux and VR Group.
1996
year of establishment, marketing and advertising as the main industry
2015
focus on aspirational marketing communications for brands
2022
change of ownership
2023
change of company name, consulting as the main industry
Governance
What are we doing to improve our policies and practices related to our company’s mission, ethics, accountability and transparency?
Our mission
Shifting business for good. Businesses empower people to create the regenerative world.
100 %
In 2023, the success of our decision-makers and leaders was assessed based on our social and environmental objectives.
Commitment
We treat our social and environmental impacts as a primary measure of our business success and prioritise them even when they do not necessarily increase profitability.
Code of conduct
Our website contains our Code of Conduct and a whistleblower reporting channel. These are used not only internally but also with all our partners.
Our governance
New external members were appointed to the Board in 2023, welcome Hanna and Pekka! Samuli Kuittinen, Ville Timonen and Jonna Ekroos, Fabrik’s shareholders and employees, will continue on the Board.
Pekka Usva
– an expert in strategic management and business scaling
Hanna Hiekkamies
– Valio Oy, Senior Vice President, Group Sustainability
Employees
What are we doing to promote the economic, physical, professional and social well-being of our employees?
Our mission
We published the Culture Handbook, which is used in particular for induction and recruitment.
Staff
Currently, Fabrik has 15 employees, 3 of whom identify themselves as women. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our work. We will also focus on this theme in our staff in the coming years, for example in terms of traineeships and recruitment.
Work satisfaction
We carry out staff surveys four times a year. In 2023, the average was 4/5.
Trainings in 2023
- 2 trained B Leaders (B Lab Nordics)
- Crisis communications training (Procom)
- ESG-R Sustainability Reporting Business Training (Suomen tilintarkastajat ry)
Staff changes and layoffs
In 2023, the business transformation was also reflected in the employees. In the summer, we closed the sales team, and the layoffs that started in autumn 2023 due to customer changes continued until early 2024. At the end of the year, we also decided to disband our in-house video and photography team. We recruited strategic talent: a new strategist for the creative team and a sustainability communications and service design specialist for the strategy team.
Community
What are we doing to promote the economic and social well-being of the communities in which we operate?
In 2023, we continued to work with different educational institutions from a sustainability perspective. For example, we did a larger joint project with the B Impact Lab students of the University of Jyväskylä. We also continued to participate in the Fibs Light Mentoring Programme, offering our expertise in sustainability design.
We also shaped our pro bono work to be more supportive of our strategy. The most important criterion in our partner selection is the potential of the applicant to make a real impact at national or international level. Our top priority is for national non-profit organisations working to advance goals such as climate action, access to food and clean water, equality, multiculturalism, affordable housing, justice and peace.
We donated more than 2% of our turnover (around 350 hours) as pro bono work for:
- Kataja Basket (regional partnership)
- WWF Finland (national partnership)
- Terra Firma Rainwater Collective (international partnership)
Environment
What are we doing to improve our overall environmental management?
Our own carbon footprint is small due to the nature of our services. However, every year we strive to improve our skills and effectiveness in reducing the environmental impact of our customers and their stakeholders, and in keeping our own environmental footprint low as our business grows.
- We regularly monitor and record emissions and have set reduction targets
- We use the most carbon neutral means possible for our mobility needs
- We only use zero emission energy in our offices
- In our customer work, we help to educate, measure, research and also find suitable partners to solve environmental problems
- We offset 100% of all our emissions through our credible partners
Our goals in 2025 and 2026:
- 100% of customers measure scope 1 and 2 and have set reduction targets
- 10 customers have started to calculate the loads of the whole activity chain and set targets
Customers
How can our services improve the positive impact of other companies or organisations?
We help companies understand their material impacts. We focus on increasing positive impacts and reducing negative ones. We help communicate change so that it becomes a competitive advantage for your business.
In 2023, we made extensive use of B Impact Assessment to screen a wide range of industries and outline international standards. With many clients, we were able to drive change through corporate activism. We also refined our process: we are able to help our clients effectively and reliably, from strategy to inspiring external communications and marketing.
To measure customer satisfaction, we experimented with different models in both teams. We settled on a joint survey four times a year. The next step will be to develop a better way of measuring the effectiveness of our work.
In 2023:
573
projects
737 851 € / 48 %
of our revenue comes from projects that have
social or environmental impact
74
customers
Case Kekäle
Sustainability reporting / Sustainability Communications / B Corp consulting / Corporate activism
Kekäle is a Finnish clothing retailer with more than 2 million customer encounters every year with around 200 employees working for its online store and 14 stores. We have collaborated on sustainability reports for 2022 and 2023, consulted them towards B Corp certification and launched an ongoing partnership for corporate activism.
Kekäle’s first corporate activism output was the Rakkauspuhe (Love Speech) campaign, based on the strategy and the B Corp application’s key idea: the greatest positive impact a company can have is through social responsibility, which is created through staff skills and consumer education. The mission is to make people like themselves more. Planning for the campaign began in autumn 2023, focusing on a widespread phenomenon noticed by salespeople and identified by a national survey: 67% of Finnish women talk about themselves in a disparaging or hostile way. The campaign wanted to address this, and through discussions, the Mieli ry’s Mielinauha campaign was chosen as a partner.
The provocative headline messages of the Rakkauspuhe campaign generated a lot of debate on social media in its first phase. These were anonymous excerpts from a survey in which respondents told what they thought of themselves in front of a mirror. One of them was: “Oh, I’m ugly” and another was “I’m disgustingly fat”. The campaign wanted to make the point that awful words cannot be hidden even by trendy clothes or pretty visuals. After the first few weeks, we decided to change the main message and the CEO of Kekäle apologised for the wording. The provocative lead messages got attention, but in a way we didn’t plan. Some found the word ‘fat’ offensive, and the focus was on Kekäle’s range of plus-size clothing.
In the end, the campaign allowed for a real dialogue on an important topic. We identified shortcomings in our own creative process, one of which was testing with a sufficiently diverse audience. As partners and communications professionals, we regret the main messages, which were clearly flawed. For social campaigns, we will follow the corrected process in the future. Kekäle is a great example of how brands and companies can take a stand and be proactive in changing the world for the better through their own business. The Rakkauspuhe campaign will continue in a different form in spring 2025.
Case Mediateko
Sustainability strategy / Sustainability Communication / B Corp consulting / Sustainability Reporting
Mediateko is a Finnish, fast-growing outdoor advertising company that reaches people at stations and on the roads, in the main shopping areas of major cities, and in resorts and leisure centres around the country. The company is at its best in campaigns that aim for the hearts of Finns.
Work to develop Mediateko’s social and environmental business performance started at the end of 2022. The first concrete task was to revamp Black Friday. The campaign focused on strengthening the good-doing companies.
At the beginning of 2023, media professionals wanted to confirm and ensure a positive impact. The strategic priorities created in the workshops showed direction and the roadmap provided ready-made stepping stones, but the initial good flow was in danger of fading. Based on our own experience, we could promise that aiming for B Impact Assessment and B Corp certification would give the sustainability work a rhythm and a clear structure.
Mediateko’s people took up the challenge and together we started to prepare them for certification. In addition to completing over 200 questions in the B Impact Assessment, which examines business from the perspective of management, employees, customers, the environment and society, Mediateko put many documents and operating models in order and set targets and indicators. To crown the long and rigorous assessment process, Mediateko announced its B Corp status at their sustainability event in April 2024. At the same time, Mediateko also took its first step towards sustainability reporting by publishing the first sustainability report in their history.
The journey from the first sustainability workshop discussions to Mediateko’s B Corp certification seems relatively short, but it has been a long one – not only in terms of choices, exploration and verification, but also in terms of impressive implementations. Alongside Better Friday, the ambition to strengthen good, which became clear in the early stages, was also a clear thread running through Mediateko’s Nordic Business Forum and the one-day Hyvisten Päivä (Day for the good-doing companies) that implemented the vision.
Finally: not a necessity, but an important opportunity
The strategic period that started in 2022 has progressed as planned and our business environment has evolved as expected. Of course, there have been some surprises – the sustainability system is rapidly taking shape, not only in practice but also in line with EU guidelines. The use of artificial intelligence has taken a giant leap forward in a year, and we are already able to make extensive use of it in our expertise.
Our strategy for the next two years is inspiring. More and more of our expertise is needed. Businesses need support not only to meet changing requirements, but above all to shape their own business. How can business holistically and purposefully embrace positive impact, sustainability and equity? How to make the brand more competitive on this basis? Many companies are obsessed with these themes, even though they represent very important opportunities for long-term, sustainable business development and for gaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
“Shifting Business for Good” is not just our company slogan, it is the driving force behind everything we do. Our staff have developed a level of expertise that is reflected in every project and client relationship we undertake. We are ready to meet increasingly complex and demanding challenges, providing our clients with the best possible service and expertise in the transformation towards a better business.