• What is a brand review?
• When is a brand review appropriate?
• How to request a brand review?
• How long does it take to process a brand review request?

  
  

What is a brand review?

If your company operates under multiple brands, and you wish to use the B Corp IP in association with those brands, you will need to request a brand review. A brand review is a formal way for B Lab to review your company’s brands and determine if they are eligible to use the B Corp IP

The brand review process ensures that only brands that are part of a company’s approved scope can use B Lab intellectual property (IP) and can be listed on the company’s B Corp profile. This is especially important for companies with shared brands, multiple subsidiaries, or several product lines. For more details, see “Understanding your Certification Scope in B Impact”.

Upon review, requested brands will appear on the company’s B Impact (Brands section) and consequently, the eligible ones on the company’s public B Corp profile upon certification. Only brands formally approved by B Lab will be able to use B Corp intellectual property.

When is a brand review appropriate?

Companies may only use the IP on their own products, where they fully control the design and formulation. Therefore, brand reviews can only be submitted for a company's own brands.

These include:

• Different-name brands: Brands created and controlled by the certified company which have a different-name than the main certified company name. The connection between the brand and  the certified company must be clear to consumers since the certification relates to the company, not a product or brand.
• Global brands: Companies that have global brands 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. If they have affiliates or related entities in a certain region which are not certified, this may impact their use of the B Corp IP in that region. Additionally 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 should not request a brand review 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 Lab IP if the other company involved in the co-branding is not certified. Licensed brands cannot use the B Lab IP if the licensor and licensee are not certified.
• Franchisees: Non-certified franchisees cannot use the B Lab IP. A certified franchisor cannot use the B Lab 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 request a brand review?

Brand reviews are requested through the Brands section in B Impact. This section can be found by selecting Certification from the left sided menu and the drop down option Submission. All requested brands will be listed under “brands portfolio” in the Brands Section. 

Once a brand review has been requested, it is reviewed by B Lab staff. Their role is to conduct a review to determine the final outcome. 

Either the brand:

• Is eligible to use the B Corp IP;

• Is ineligible to use the B Corp IP.

For eligible brands created or acquired after the company has submitted to audit or achieved 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 eligible brands 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. 

How long does it take to process a brand review request?

B Lab 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. A brand review does not block your submission for audit – it can be conducted simultaneously. 

Resources & Further Guidance:

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

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