Our DNA

Ensuring the people in our world thrive when we thrive.

We believe in the power of business to be a force for good.

Our mission is to make good things happen for everyone in our world – the clients we serve, the people who make us, the community we love and the planet we share.

People. Purpose. Planet. It’s in our DNA.

The team helping clear a canal as part of our community project

We’re Proud to be Part of the Global B Corp Community

As a certified B CorporationTM, we’re part of a community of over 10,300 companies – more than 2,700 of which are in the UK – committed to creating a more inclusive, regenerative, equitable economy for people and planet.

We consider ESG vital to the success of our business and our world. So, to help us achieve ensure everything we aspire to, we’ve embedded it into our business, consistently incorporating social and environmental impact into our decision making:

  • Team training and inductions include social and environmental issues
  • Job roles include social and environmental performance
  • Performance reviews incorporate social and environmental objectives
  • Directors’ compensation is directly linked to the achievement of our ESG pledges
  • Environmental and social performance is reviewed, and KPIs tracked, at every board meeting

Each summer, we publish WPRogress summarising what we’ve achieved over the previous 12 months and reflecting on how we’re working towards our goals.

Our Verified B Corp Score

To be a certified B Corp, businesses need to score a minimum of 80 points. In August 2024, we scored 86.9 in our certification process. For context, the median score for non-B Corp organisations is 50.9.

  • Governance – 20.4
  • Workers – 33.9
  • Community – 18.7
  • Environment – 10.8
  • Customers – 2.9

Receiving our B Corp certification was not the end, it was just the start of our journey.

Diagram showing WPR's B Corp score 86.9 compared to the score required for B Corp certification (80) and the average for a non-B Corp business (50.9)

The certification process for B Corp highlights where we’ve already made positive changes, but also reveals where we can do more. Alongside the goals we have already set in place within our ESG pledges, we will be focusing on:

  1. Our suppliers and supply chain
  2. Helping those from disadvantaged backgrounds enter our industry
  3. Achieving our net zero goal

We are aiming for a minimum 10% score improvement when we recertify in 2027.

Our ESG
pledges

Every year we pledge:

  • 1% of net profits to initiatives that foster diversity and inclusion
  • To deliver at least 12 events at schools, colleges and universities, connecting with diverse individuals, promoting and inspiring careers in PR and removing barriers to employment
  • To share profits with the team through an industry-leading scheme
  • To maintain below average team attrition rates and be recognised locally and nationally as a leading place to work

By 2028 we aim to:

  • Have a team that is representative of our local community
  • Be sharing 10% of pre-tax profits with the team (we began doing this in 2025)

Every year we pledge:

  • To give 0.5% of net profits to charitable initiatives in deprived areas of our local community
  • And another 0.5% of net profits to a charity or charities nominated and chosen by our team

By 2028 we aim to:

  • Be a certified B Corp, committing us to do all we can to help build an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy – ensuring our business benefits all (we achieved this goal in 2024)

Every year we pledge:

  • To invest 1.5% of net profits to making WPR a greener place to work, through innovative schemes to protect the planet, ensuring we continue to be a carbon and plastic-neutral workplace
  • To continue our ban of products containing palm oil
  • To source fair-trade wherever possible

By 2028 we aim to:

  • Be net zero, ahead of government targets
  • Be working towards being a carbon positive business (deadline 2030)
  • Be water positive, cutting our own consumption and putting more water into drought prone places across the world than we use locally

Learn More About What Being a Certified B Corporation Means

Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are companies verified by B Lab – a third-party, non-profit organisation – to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. Learn more about being a B Corp in the UK.

In 2022, we created 30 positive impacts at 30, an initiative to mark our 30th anniversary and set the tone for the future direction of our agency. We wanted to make a positive difference to our world, and the more we did, the more ambitious we felt about what is possible for businesses of all shapes and sizes to accomplish.

Taking the formal step to apply for B Corp certification gave us a framework that made us look at everything we do with fresh eyes. It also allowed us to be part of a global movement, with all the associated benefits of sharing best practice and learning from other purpose-driven organisations.

This is not a quick or easy journey. Becoming B Corp certified involves serious commitment and a rigorous assessment by B Lab. Certified B Corps are required to:

  • Consider the impact of their decisions on all stakeholders
  • Be transparent about the five core impact areas: governance, workers, customers, communities and the environment
  • Answer more than 300 questions about all aspects of how they operate, including substantiating evidence
  • Achieve a minimum verified score on the B Impact Assessment
  • Recertify every three years, ensuring organisations continue to meet evolving standards and requirements of the certification.