Our journey to becoming a certified B Corporation

When The Image Shoppe started building and managing brands in 2003, we had a vision of being more than just another marketing firm in Grand Rapids. We wanted to create real, lifelong partnerships with our clients, rather than relationships with an expiration date. While branding, marketing and design services were our primary offerings, our values always went beyond creating solutions that got positive results for our clients and making a profit; we wanted to impact our community and planet as well. This philosophy is most well-associated with B Corporations.

Making it official

While we have been following the philosophy of B Corps since our initial opening, seeking an official certification was not at the top of our list of to-do's. As we have grown and matured over the years, it became more of a priority for us. It fits so well with our philosophy as brand marketers of being a trusted ally for our clients, as well as leaders in sustainability and community-building. With that, we are so excited to announce after months of dedication, TIS is now an official certified B Corp! And we're the first brand marketing agency in Michigan to do so. 

Focused on the triple bottom line

From day one, TIS has operated with the triple bottom line in mind: using business to not only benefit our employees and make a profit, but also to benefit our community and planet. With this being our priority, we made a point to stay consistently mindful of our business practices, our consumption, and proactively seek new opportunities for partnering with community members and organizations.

The triple bottom line is what unifies B Corporations across the globe. While serving in hundreds of industries, the thousands of B Corporations are all dedicated to using business as a force for good. We're proud to join our fellow leaders and friends in the Grand Rapids community, including Brewery Vivant, Bazzani, Cascade Engineering, The Gluten Free Bar, Catalyst Partners, and Local First in this mission.

What makes us B Corp-certified

From our initial opening in 2003 to where we're at today, TIS has taken several steps to being a force for good in our community. Here are just a few examples of how we pledge to “B the change” in our community:

• Implementing a rigorous recycling and composting program for proper disposal of our resources
• Serving/volunteering with various Grand Rapids organizations, such as The Cook Leadership Academy at The Hauenstein Center, Equity Drinks, WMEAC, Wellhouse, Grand Rapids for Animals, among others
• Installing a native-plant garden on our lot and creating a community green space
• Being responsible employers by paying our employees competitive, living wages not less than 50% of executive salaries
• Sourcing recycled and alternative fiber papers for print pieces
• Working with Bazzani to ensure our original office space was super energy efficient across the board

Interested in learning more about our purpose as a B Corporation or how you can become certified? Check out our B Corp profile to learn more, or send us an email for further inquiries. We'd love to share!