RESPONSIBLE MARKETING AND PR PRINCIPLES

Essential Oxygen · Internal Policy

1. Purpose

This policy establishes Essential Oxygen's principles for responsible marketing and public relations practices. It governs how we communicate about our social and environmental performance, ensuring that all claims are accurate, transparent, and substantiated.

As a Certified B Corporation, we hold ourselves to a higher standard of transparency and accountability. These principles reflect our commitment to honest communication with all stakeholders and help us build lasting trust with the communities we serve.

2. Scope

These principles apply to all Essential Oxygen marketing and public relations activities related to environmental and social claims, including but not limited to:

Website content, product pages, and landing pages

Social media posts and advertising

Product packaging and labeling

Press releases, blog posts, and editorial content

Email marketing and newsletters

Retailer-facing materials and wholesale communications

Trade show materials and presentations

Third-party certifications and logo usage (including B Corp™)

These principles apply to all team members who create, review, or approve marketing and public relations content, as well as any external partners (freelancers, agencies, influencers) producing content on behalf of Essential Oxygen.

3. Core Principles

Essential Oxygen's marketing and public relations practices related to environmental and social claims are governed by the following three principles.

Principle 1

Essential Oxygen makes precise, verifiable, and substantiated claims based on reliable or scientific data.

All environmental and social claims must be supported by documented evidence, whether from internal data, third-party certifications, published research, or recognized standards.

Claims must be specific and avoid vague or general language. For example, we state the specific certification or data point rather than using broad terms like "eco-friendly" or "sustainable" without qualification.

Claims must be proportional to the scope of our actual impact. We do not exaggerate, overstate, or imply broader impact than what we can demonstrate.

Statistics, percentages, and data points referenced in marketing materials must be traceable to a documented source.

Third-party certification marks (B Corp™, USDA Organic, etc.) are used only in accordance with the certifying body's brand guidelines.

Principle 2

Essential Oxygen is truthful, transparent, and accountable about the social and environmental impacts of our operations, both positive and negative.

We communicate honestly about both our achievements and our challenges.

We do not omit relevant information that would give a misleading impression of our impact.

When we are working toward a goal but have not yet achieved it, we use language that accurately reflects our progress (e.g., "we are working to reduce" rather than "we have eliminated").

We acknowledge the limitations of our efforts and are open about areas where we have room to improve.

If an error is made in our communications, we correct it promptly and transparently.

We do not use imagery, graphics, or design elements that create a misleading impression of environmental or social performance.

Principle 3

Essential Oxygen follows ethical guidelines when using sensitive marketing and public relations channels and practices.

We do not use fear-based, manipulative, or misleading tactics to market our products or our social/environmental claims.

Influencer partnerships, sponsored content, and paid endorsements are clearly disclosed in accordance with FTC guidelines and platform requirements.

Testimonials and reviews are used honestly. We do not fabricate, selectively edit, or present testimonials in a way that misrepresents the customer's experience.

We do not disparage or make unsubstantiated comparative claims about competitors' environmental or social practices.

When using social media, email marketing, or other direct-to-consumer channels, we respect consumer privacy and follow applicable regulations (CAN-SPAM, CCPA, etc.).

Content involving children, health claims, or vulnerable communities is handled with particular care and reviewed for sensitivity and accuracy.

4. Practical Guidance

Claims to Avoid

The following types of language should not be used in Essential Oxygen marketing materials related to environmental or social performance:

Avoid	Use Instead
"Eco-friendly" or "green" (unqualified)	Name the specific practice or certification
"Sustainable" (as a standalone claim)	Describe the specific sustainability action or outcome
"All-natural" (without context)	List the specific natural ingredients or standards met
Superlatives: "highest," "best," "most," "exceptional"	Use factual, verifiable descriptions
"We have eliminated [X]" (if in progress)	"We are working to reduce [X]" or state the specific progress
"Seal of approval" (for certifications)	"Verified as meeting standards"
"Carbon neutral" (unless third-party verified)	Describe specific emissions reduction actions and data

B Corp Messaging

When communicating about Essential Oxygen's B Corp certification, all team members and external partners must use language approved in B Lab's Brand Messaging Library. Custom characterizations of what B Corp certification means are not permitted alongside B Corp logos or IP.

5. Responsibilities

Role	Responsibility
All Team Members	Follow these principles when creating or contributing to any marketing or PR content. Flag any content that may not align with these principles.
Content Creators	Ensure all environmental and social claims are documented and sourced before publication. Maintain a record of supporting evidence for all claims made.
Marketing Lead	Review content for alignment with these principles before publication. Maintain familiarity with B Lab's Brand Messaging Library and applicable certification guidelines.
Operations & Sustainability Manager	Provide accurate data and documentation to support environmental and social claims. Review claims related to B Corp certification and sustainability performance.
CEO	Final accountability for compliance with these principles. Annual review and approval of this policy.
External Partners	All agencies, freelancers, and influencers producing content on behalf of Essential Oxygen must receive a copy of these principles and agree to follow them.

6. Communication and Access

To ensure these principles are understood and accessible to all team members:

This policy will be shared with all current team members via email upon adoption, with acknowledgment of receipt requested.

New team members will receive this policy as part of their onboarding materials.

The policy will be stored in [company shared drive / project management system] where all team members can access it at any time.

External partners will receive a copy before beginning any work on behalf of Essential Oxygen.

The team will be notified of any updates or revisions to this policy.

7. Review and Updates

This policy will be reviewed at least annually by the CEO and the Operations & Sustainability Manager to ensure it remains current with B Lab's standards, applicable regulations, and Essential Oxygen's evolving practices. Updates will be communicated to all team members.

B Corp Compliance Reference

This policy is designed to meet the requirements of PSG4.1 under the new B Lab Standards (V2.1). The table below maps each compliance criterion to where it is addressed in this policy.

Compliance Criterion	PSG4.1 Ref	Policy Section
The company makes precise, verifiable, and substantiated claims based on reliable or scientific data	4.1.1(a)	Section 3, Principle 1
The company is truthful, transparent, and accountable about the social and environmental impacts of operations, both positive and negative	4.1.1(b)	Section 3, Principle 2
The company follows ethical guidelines when using sensitive marketing and PR channels and practices	4.1.1(c)	Section 3, Principle 3
The principles are communicated to company workers and available for them to access	4.1.2	Section 6

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