Channel 4 Sales has revealed the 10 businesses shortlisted for its B Corp competition, which rewards five B Corp companies with a share of £600,000 of free Channel 4 advertising airtime.
The competition has returned for its second year in partnership with B Lab UK, the non-profit behind the UK B Corp movement.
B Corps are companies that meet verified standards for social and environmental business practices.
Tom Patterson, Channel 4 Sales’ sustainability lead, said: “We had an incredibly strong response to the second iteration of our B Corp competition, and it’s been great to see just how many businesses across the UK are committed to doing things differently – and keen to harness the power of TV advertising.
“The shortlisted businesses stood out for the clarity of their ideas and how thoughtfully they’d considered the role advertising could play in their wider growth plans.”
The shortlisted B Corps are Karma Drinks UK, SURI, Good Energy, Bird & Blend Tea Co., Holy Moly Dips, Spark & Bell, Klyk, Faith in Nature, Byway, and TOTM.
The businesses will take part in final stage pitches in June, where the winners will be chosen by a judging panel of expert industry leaders, including The Media Leader’s content director, James Longhurst.
The TV advertising airtime is intended to give the shortlisted businesses the opportunity to reach new audiences and grow their businesses, while also supporting positive consumer behaviour change.
Rosalind Holly, director of communications and marketing at B Lab UK, said: “The breadth and depth of this year’s shortlist is reflective of how B Corps across the UK are using creativity to accelerate their impact and engage new audiences as they grow.”
The shortlist follows the announcement earlier this week of Channel 4’s Black in Business scheme, which has returned for a third year in partnership with Lloyds and offers £200,000 worth of free advertising airtime to Black entrepreneurs.
The initiative offers four Black-owned businesses increased visibility as part of an effort to improve Black representation on-screen and in the business community.
