Over the past two decades, BLVR has evolved from a small digital agency to a global company specializing in rebranding, new brand creation, and brand amplification for purpose-driven businesses. At the heart of the company – and as its name suggests – is belief.
To learn more about how businesses can take more responsibility for the community and the world, I sat down with Scott Hancock, BLVR’s CEO to discuss the company’s work in its home community of San Diego, and BLVR’s focus on future generations. Hancock told me how BLVR holds itself to the same standards it preaches to its brand partners – using business as a force for good. A Certified B Corporation since 2020, the agency also gives a percentage of its profit and pro bono services to organizations providing disadvantaged children and families around the globe with opportunities to thrive. Here are some key points from my Forbes article on BLVR:
Hancock and his business partners believe that the brands and leaders that make the greatest positive impact are those led by a deeper conviction. “We want to work with brands to define that conviction and help them live it out through everything they do,” he says. “But often, their business could be more active. They need to grow; their brand doesn’t reflect what they hold true, and their programs feel fragmented. That's where we do our best work to empower clients.”
From a broader perspective, Hancock says that belief is the most important thing for business leaders today. “Belief shapes our company's perspective on the world and guides our business. It has inspired our name, methodology, and purpose—to transform business, people, and the world through the power of belief,” he says. “This belief is distinct from purpose. Where belief conveys a brand’s unwavering core, purpose is all about what a brand intends to do about that belief.”
B Corp certification not only showcases BLVR’s past achievements but also supplies new insights and opportunities. “Joining B Corp in 2020 wasn't a significant shift in behavior for BLVR but a way to amplify what we were already doing,” Hancock says. “Now that we've been a B Corp for almost three years, we're learning that we still have a long way to go and are discovering more ways to improve the world beyond philanthropy.”
Being a B Corp also provides an opportunity to bond with other liked-minded businesses in the local community. “In 2021 I helped co-found B Local San Diego with three other business leaders. Over the past two years, we've worked to organize, grow membership, hold events, and share the B Corp story with the broader community,” Hancock says. “Today, we have close to 40 members participating in B Local San Diego, including companies like Classy, Dr. Bronner’s, and PuraVidato name a few.”
Consumers and the workforce play an important role in facilitating change. “when consumers support a belief-led brand, they're not just buying things. They're buying a code of ethics, a shared conviction, and a badge of personal identity,” Hancock says. “The workforce is also taking a stand and seeking employment with companies that balance their duty to drive returns with an authentic commitment to using their business to drive positive change.”
Hancock says he is optimistic about the B Corp movement and the development of responsible business. “As we continue to understand and experience the downsides of capitalism, it is forcing governments, business leaders, nonprofits, and individuals to find ways to evolve and improve,” he says, “In 10 years, I envision every state in the U.S. will recognize Public Benefit Corporations as a legal business structure.”
While purpose is important for responsible business, BLVR shows that how belief can play an important role alongside purpose, and the synergy between the two ideas can ultimately foster change.