Bees' Knees | Pinstone PR

At Pinstone, we promise to be the very best we can be. This is the golden thread that runs through our agency.

Being awarded the accolade of B Corp status in August 2023 is testimony of how we do business. It is the upshot of everything we do in striving to deliver to exceptional standards every time – or to coin a phrase – be ‘The Bees’ Knees’.

It is our mission that we live through our client work, our team ethos and our wider business commitment to our environment and society.

We're B Corp Certified

What that means

Certified B Corp companies are independently verified to show that they meet the established high standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

We were awarded B Corp status in August 2023 and joined over 1,500 businesses that are certified B Corp in the UK.

Through our investment in our B Corp journey, we have engaged all parts of the business to ensure we are having a positive impact on our employees, the community, our customers, suppliers, and the environment.

People

All of our team contribute to our ongoing B Corp journey to ensure we’re being the bees’ knees

Bee Different

We have committed to instilling inclusivity within the fabric of our business.

Reverse mentoring is being rolled out this year, starting with our senior team and in partnership with the IGD (Institute of Groceries Distribution).

We are also engaging the ‘Taylor Bennett Foundation’ a charity that exists to encourage people from a black, Asian and minority ethnic background to pursue a career in communications to explore how we can meaningfully add our support.

It has also become apparent that a woman majority-owned business is a comparatively rare thing – as is a Board comprised of a majority of women. We’re proud to be bucking that trend, evidenced by being a certified ‘Women Owned Enterprise’ that’s proof we are 51%+ female owned.

Other ways we’re supporting under-represented groups is through sponsorship of networking organisation, Meat Business Women (MBW), in support of female empowerment in this sector. MBW has been formally recognised by the United Nations for its contribution to their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Bee Brilliant

We have promised to deliver the equivalent of an hour of training per week for each and every employee.

It is an initiative we’ve branded ‘Target 52’, representing the goal of 52 hours of training per person for the full year.

This promise cements our ‘people first’ culture and our mantra; ‘be the best you can be’.

Bee Heard

We’ll be advancing the way we engage and listen to feedback from our team and will be benchmarking ourselves against others in our region and sector going forward.

It’s a step on from what we’ve always done – asking our people to score us on how we’re doing and providing forums to encourage dialogue and engagement at all levels of the business.

With 2023 survey results revealing that 100% of the team feel supported in their professional development and the top words to describe our culture coming out as ‘ambitious’ and ‘supportive’, we’ve set a high bar to start from!

Planet

One-third of crops globally are pollinated by insects and bees are fundamental to growing the food we eat daily. That’s why we’ve made the commitment to champion the humble bee.

Bee good for pollination

We have dedicated seven acres of our 40-acre orchard to pollination. It is land located only five miles from our office. We have planted wildflower meadows and installed 10 beehives.

Not only that, but we are also pledging 10% of the honey that our bees produce to our local foodbank. That is around 90 jars!

We are also supporting our beekeeper’s local micro business that will benefit from the other 90% of honey production to retail within his business.

Bee purchase smart

We have committed to using our purchase power to work with and source only from responsible suppliers who give back to the planet.

It is a small but powerful commitment to do our bit and inspire our team to follow suit at home.

We will reduce printing year-on-year by 25% and only use 100% recycled paper.

We have reviewed our energy supply and have set a target of sourcing 50% of our needs from renewables by 2030 (currently at 38%).

Bee carbon smart

We have committed to becoming net zero!

Enlisting carbon footprinting company Blue Marble, we have kicked off with a benchmarking exercise.

This will give us the metrics and inform the measures we need to take; set our carbon reduction targets and build a roadmap to achieve net zero by 2030 or sooner.

We’re also making a difference in our own, small way by recycling office confectionary packaging through Terracycle and composting our food waste.

Purpose

Using comms as a force for good is at the very heart of our culture and central to our Pinstone values.

Bee a force for good

We have made a pro-bono commitment, which is the equivalent of one of our team working for zero fees for a period of six weeks during the year. It’s 1% of our gross profit.

This means we are offering professional services, for free, to charitable or non-profit organisations who align with our values, who give back to their industry and who we are proud to work alongside as their PR agency partner.

Farming charity RABI has been a beneficiary as have the National Sheep Association and the Institute of Agricultural Management.

Bee charitable

We have promised to deliver the equivalent of an hour of training per week for each and every employee.

It is an initiative we’ve branded ‘Target 52’, representing the goal of 52 hours of training per person for the full year.

This promise cements our ‘people first’ culture and our mantra; ‘be the best you can be’.

Our
SECTORS

Pinstone works with organisations that shape the living landscape, to increase their share of voice and reputationally position them as industry thought leaders. We do this by providing consultancy and a robust strategy across the whole communications mix to deliver meaningful results.