16 June 2022 – The marketing and communications agency Connexia, the first among the big names in its industry to become a Benefit Corporation in 2020, has published its second Benefit Impact Report and announced that it has started the process to obtain the B Corp certification, reserved for the best performers on a social and environmental level internationally. It is issued by the US non-profit organisation B Lab, following an extremely rigorous examination divided into five macro-areas: governance, workers, community, environment and customers. Only by passing the minimum score of 80 will the agency be able to obtain the coveted certification. But the basics are all there: at the B Impact Assessment (BIA), the first B Lab assessment to determine a company’s common benefit impact, Connexia scored an impressive 94 points.

“We are very pleased with this result, which is preparatory to the start of the actual process,” states Paolo d’Ammassa, CEO & Founding Partner of Connexia. “It is a journey in the making, but we want to share it now with all our stakeholders, to make them aware of our long-term commitment to creating shared value for the community. We hope that our approach can also be an inspiration to other players in the sector. And beyond.”

Another major innovation of the second Connexia Impact Report is the decision to bring all extra-business actions implemented during 2021 under 6 of the 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. These sustainable development goals were established to contribute to global development, promote human well-being and protect the environment.

In detail, the SDGs chosen by Connexia are the following:

1. Defeating poverty;
2. Quality education;
3. Gender equality;
4. Decent work and economic growth;
5. Reducing inequalities;
6. Fighting climate change.

“All the details can be found in the report, but what I would like to emphasise is the reason behind this choice: we want to give our stakeholders the tools to better ‘read’ our achievements, and give ourselves the opportunity to chart future challenges and goals using globally recognised parameters,” Paolo d’Ammassa explains. He adds, “This is a path of continuous improvement, which is first and foremost a challenge for ourselves.”

And that is precisely the point. Being a Benefit Corporation means voluntarily complying with the highest standards of responsibility and transparency, giving equal weight to economic-financial objectives and those related to social and environmental impact. Great attention is also paid to people: to their psycho-physical wellbeing, work-life balance, the professional growth of individuals and the enhancement of their talents. One figure above all must be highlighted: during 2021, as many as 100 of Connexia’s talents – or 68% of the total number – had their career plans revised (for the better!).

But the focus on sustainability also pays off in terms of business, as the key figures of the latest balance sheet show: €22.4 million in revenues at the end of 2021, with €2 million in Ebitda and a million in net profit. +27% compared to 2020, bearing in mind that, despite the complexities introduced by the pandemic, 2020 ended in line with 2019.

“At the end of 2021, Connexia became part of Retex S.p.A., with which we fully share, in terms of approach and working methods, the ethics applied to business,” concludes d’Ammassa. “And, the objectives on the table in terms of integration also include the goal of accompanying the entire Group in this transformation based on 360° sustainability – the only one that can really make a difference in the medium to long term.”

The following link will take you to the Impact Report 2021, which fulfils the non-financial reporting requirements of the Benefit Societies Act 208/2015. The analysis was conducted using an external and independent evaluation standard to Connexia: GRI-referenced claim.