As part of B Corp awareness month, Vypr, the UK’s leading product intelligence platform, has released a report on consumer awareness and knowledge about the certification. The report, conducted through a survey of Vypr’s nationally representative panel of consumers from the 65,000-strong Vypr community, revealed low consumer awareness of the B Corp brand and its benefits. Most consumers cannot easily describe or define B Corp, with a stark contrast between older and younger shoppers.
69% of consumers needed to gain more awareness of B Corp. Only 13% of people buy products produced by B Corp brands, with only 4% actively seeking them. Awareness is highest among the 18-34 age group (Gen Z and Millenials), with 50% stating they knew of B Corp and 10% stating they actively sought B Corp-produced products. Despite this, Vypr’s report highlights the real lack of understanding around the definition of the certification and what it encompasses. Recognition of B Corp by older shoppers aged 65 and over was at a high of 87%. Those aged 45-54 stood at 76%.
Paying more for B Corp?
Consumers claim they would pay more for B Corp brands; 47% said if they knew a B Corp-certified organisation produced it, they’d pay the premium. However, when fully tested, it seems that, in reality, most consumers would expect to pay the same. For those aware of the B Corp brand, consumers defined the value in several ways, including knowing a brand was sustainable, was a trusted brand to do business with and had an ethical approach to social and environmental performance. A proportion stated that B Corp status means a company/product has passed tests and been investigated to ensure it has ethical and sustainable practices in its supply chain and manufacturing processes.
This limited understanding of B Corp is therefore impacting consumers’ adoption. Even with understanding the higher standard and practices a B Corp business applies, 42% of consumers expect to pay the same as a standard product. Only 18% stated they’d pay more (50-100% on a comparative non-B Corp product). When asked what was most important to shoppers purchasing products from a B Corp business, 49% said that ingredients are sourced fairly, and 48% said it was down to limiting environmental impact. Similarly, 48% said knowing that workers were paid fairly was important.
What does B Corp mean to the uninitiated?
For those unaware of B Corps, Vypr asked them to try and explain what they thought it would mean. Using qualitative statements, consumers said, “I’d say it’s a medium-sized company”, and “Is it something to do with sustainability?” Other comments were more direct, “It’s one of those modern certifications that makes little sense to real people.”
