What is brand review and how to request one

What is a Brand Review

What is the Brand Review Process

When a Brand Review is appropriate to make

How to submit a Brand Review request

Instructions for completing the Request form 

The duration of the process a Brand Review request

How to know if a Brand has been approved

What is a Brand Review

A Brand Review is a formal way to request B Lab to approve brands to use the B Corp IP. This procedure is designed to ensure that a company can inform B Lab of any not-yet approved brands which it would like to use the B Corp logo on. 

Upon review, B Lab will notify companies of eligible brands, which will then appear on the company’s public B Corp profile upon certification.

What is the Brand Review Process

The Brand Review process ensures that only brands that are part of a company’s approved scope use the B Corp intellectual property (IP) and are listed on a certified company’s directory profile.

Once a formal Brand Review request has been submitted, it is reviewed by B Lab staff. Their role is to conduct a review to determine the final outcome. Either the;

• Brand is in scope: eligible to use the B Corp IP;

• Brand is out of scope: ineligible to use the B Corp IP.

If the brand is deemed as in scope after the company has submitted to audit or once it has already achieved its certification, the assurance provider will review the materiality of the new brand’s operations to determine whether an early audit will be required outside of the existing audit schedule before the brand can use the B Corp IP. 

If no audit is required, the approved brand will be added to the company’s approved Certification Scope and directory profile. The company can then start to use the B Corp IP. 

If the new brand or product has a material impact on the company’s operations and an early audit is required, the company can only start using the B Corp IP in association with the brand once it has completed the audit and received an updated license agreement. 

When a Brand Review is appropriate to make

Companies must only use the IP on their own products, for which they control design and formulation. 

A Brand Review hence can be submitted only for a company’s own brands which they fully own and control. These include:

• Different-name brands: Brands created by the certified company are permitted to use the B Corp IP, but you must make the connection to the certified parent company clear to consumers. It must be clear that the certification relates to the company, not a product or brand.

• Global brands: Companies that have global brands and affiliates, or related entities that are not certified, can only use the B Corp IP in a country or territory if the full range under the brand in that location is covered by a certification. They may need to use a distinct qualifier when referencing the B Corp certification to differentiate Certified B Corp company from the rest of the Group.

• Franchisor brands: Certified franchisors with full (100%) control over product design and formulation are permitted to use the B Corp IP on product packaging. These certified products may be distributed and sold across all retail locations, including those operated by non-certified franchisees.

A company cannot submit a Brand Review Request for brands that are ineligible to use the B Corp IP. These include: 

• Co-branded or licensed brands: Co-branded products or services cannot use the B Corp IP if the other company involved in the co-branding is not certified. Licensed brands cannot use the B Corp IP if the licensor and licensee are not certified.

• Franchisees: Non-certified franchisees cannot use the B Corp IP. A certified franchisor cannot use the B Corp IP on the front or inside their retail stores in countries where both company-owned and independently franchised stores operate, unless at least 90% of all retail stores in that country are covered by B Corp Certification.

• Brands in ineligible industries: brands that are directly involved in ineligible industries (B Lab Standards, FR1.2)

More information on how brands can use the B Corp IP can be found in the Eligibility rules for brand IP section of B Lab’s Brand Book.

How to submit a Brand Review request

Brand reviews are managed through B Lab's designated ticketing system to ensure proper tracking and recordkeeping. Brand Reviews must be submitted via this Brand Review Request form where a ticket and tracking mechanism will be generated. All information, along with any supporting documentation, may be submitted in any of B Lab's covered languages. 

Instructions for completing the Request form 

To ensure a swift review of requests, companies must include clear and accurate information in the following fields of the designated form:

1. Company name: This may be the same as the name in B Impact for your company but can be provided as is used for the company’s branding.

2. Name of the Company as per B Impact  

   • Please indicate the name of the company as it appears in B Impact 

3. Where in the certification process your company is in: 

   • Please select whether the company is still in the Certification setup, self-assessment, Audit, Post-Audit phase or already certified. 

4. How many brands do you wish to request a Brand Review for?

5. Confirming your confirmation for the following questions:

   • Do you confirm that the certified company has complete control (100%) over the product design and formulation? (if a service company, then service design applies)

   • Do you confirm that the full range of the brand in the geography (country or territory) covered by this certification?

   • Do you confirm that the brand is NOT a licensed or co-branded product/service or a franchised brand?

   • Do you confirm that the brand is NOT directly involved in an ineligible industry?

   • Do you acknowledge that you've read and understood B Lab's Brand Book?

6. Attachment

   • Attach any supporting evidence Attachments up to 20MB can be attached to the submission form. If attachments exceed this limit or several attachments are provided, please share a link to a google drive in the description section, including relevant attachments and provide open access to users with the link. 

The duration of the process a Brand Review request

B Lab will provide an initial response within 15 working days, and aims to review all Brand Review requests within a 30 day window. If the request cannot be reviewed within the agreed upon timeline, B Lab will inform the company of the updated timeline.

How to know if a Brand has been approved? 

• B Lab will communicate outcomes of the review via email directly to the company. 

• An approved brand means that the company will see the brand listed as in certification scope in B Impact and on its directory profile if already certified or once certified.

In Summary:

The B Lab Brand Review procedure is built to ensure that only brands that meet the criteria in the B Lab Brand Book use the B Corp IP. This process provides a clear pathway for a company to register them. 

Want to start a Brand Review? Please ensure your request is submitted through the Brand Review Request form and includes all necessary supporting evidence.

Resources & Further Guidance:

B Corp Certification Requirements for B Corps, Section 4 Register Company Brands

Email brand@bcorporation.net  if you have further questions.