What you need to know:

• Melbourne-based Optimising is one of three Australian media agencies to achieve Bcorp certification.
• Co-founder James Richardson thinks ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) mandates will start to influence media and broader investment within two to three years.
• ESG mandates are therefore influencing brands choice of media partner and agencies. 
• But it cuts both ways: Richardson said the agency is now ruling out working with brands that do not align with its social and sustainability values.

Brands are increasingly seeking evidence of environmental and social credentials of media supply chain partners, according to Melbourne performance agency Optimising’s co-founder James Richardson.

The firm is one of only three media agencies to date in Australia, alongside Benedictus Media and Alchemy One, to achieve Bcorp certification, and the only SEO specialist.

Bcorp certification is independently-accredited proof that business are walking the talk on ESG. Businesses have to work through a rigorous checklist of policies across the spectrum of doing good by their employees, clients and footprints. They must also disclose the industries they work with if perceived as harmful, such as gambling, tobacco or alcohol.

Hence while the media supply chain is feeling increasing pressure to commit to demonstrable social and sustainability improvements, Richardson said it cuts both ways: Agencies with stated ESG commitments will increasingly reject opportunities to work with brands that do not align with their mandates.

“Since becoming a Bcorp, it’s made us think harder about whether brands are a good fit, whether we are happy to work with them, and whether our other clients would be happy that we are working with them,” said Richardson, with Optimising declining pitching opportunities as a result.

Meanwhile, he said more brands are interested in becoming Bcorps.

“We pushed the Bcorp status achievement out to our own clients and had three separate conversations [with different brands]. They are inquiring about the certification process, the benefits and what it can do for the way you run your organisation. People are going to look at it differently,” said Richardson. “It’s coming up in pitches, and businesses want to work with other Bcorps.”

He agrees with Alchemy One’s Joel Trethowan that robust ESG credentials will become “table stakes” in the next couple of years – and go beyond media.

I do think [it will affect where people spend]. It is akin to spend local campaigns – you want to make sure your money is going somewhere you are happy with,” said Richardson. “Two to three years is a realistic timetable.”