When Ethical Agencies Choose to Work Inside Flawed Systems
from The Responsible Edge Podcast Hosted by Charlie Martin, Host
Should agencies be held responsible for the harm caused by their clients? In this episode of The Responsible Edge, we examine one of the most difficult questions facing consultancies and creative agencies today. As scrutiny around greenwashing, ethics, and accountability intensifies, neutrality is no longer an easy defence. Becky Holland, founder and CEO of BH&P, has spent her career inside marketing, consultancy, and behaviour change. She works with organisations in energy, finance, and technology, sectors where impact is complex and rarely clean. Her view is grounded, pragmatic, and shaped by lived experience. “There’s a lot of damage that can be done by good people working inside bad systems,” Becky says. This conversation explores: - Whether agencies can ever be morally neutral - How to interrogate the brief behind the brief - Why refusing work is sometimes easier than doing it responsibly - The limits of standards, certifications, and absolutes - What real accountability in consultancy could look like Becky argues that most organisations operate in grey areas, and that walking away does not always reduce harm. Instead, responsibility lies in rigour, judgement, and an honest assessment of impact. This episode is essential viewing for anyone working in consulting, marketing, strategy, or sustainability who is grappling with where responsibility truly sits. #ResponsibleEdge #EthicalConsulting #AgencyAccountability #BehaviourChange #PurposeAndProfit
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