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Telecom Italia wins the annual survey of corporate websites performed by KWD Webranking (previously H&H Webranking) with an impressive 89 points, thereby pushing the Italian energy company Eni (87 points) down to second place after three consecutive years on the throne.
Winner in 2007, Telecom Italia has been in the top five of KWD’s ranking of Europe 500 companies ever since. By further developing their presence in social media channels and providing a high level of interactivity with their website visitors, Telecom Italia managed to climb past Eni and regain first position. The integrated communication project, the “avoicomunicare” blog, presents several corporate social responsibility issues and is a good example where Telecom Italia stimulated open online discussions regarding major issues regarding the environment, sustainable development, biodiversity, potential synergies between cultures.
Another recipe for success is Telecom Italia’s perceptiveness in understanding target group needs and providing a content rich corporate website. The Press- and Financial Reporting sections are particularly outstanding, both receiving top scores in the survey.
The German chemical company BASF breaks the Italian dominance in the top spots and claims third place with 83 points, one notch better than in 2010. A second energy company secures position in the top five, namely Repsol (81.75 points). The Spanish company makes an impressive leap from 10th place in 2010 to 4th. And for the first time, Swedish SCA becomes a member of the big five with 80.5 points.
Gas and Pharmaceuticals improve websites the most
When looking at the percentage change in rank of the 28 sectors* in Europe 500 compared to 2010, two sectors outshine by far: ’Gas, water & multiutilities’ and ‘Pharmaceuticals & biotechnology’.
The ’Gas, water & multiutilities’ sector makes a major leap from 4th place to 1st. Italian Snam Rete Gas, German RWE and English Centrica are the strongest in the sector. The Gas sector is especially strong in the Corporate Responsibility section of the corporate website, providing information about supply chain standards and sustainability index as well as working actively with membership and sponsorship programs, community involvement and charity. The majority of the companies also have the latest CR report online and a CR contact.
Treading on their heels, Pharmaceuticals & biotechnology goes from 9th place to 3rd. The sector’s key competence is providing enticing yet functional home pages, comprehensive and accessible general information about the company and its business principles as well as creating an attractive Career section to draw the attention of new talents. Finnish Metso and Wärtsilä as well as Swedish SKF are the best in the sector.
Worth mentioning is the ‘Electricity’ sector which has climbed 9 places, from 26th to 17th. The main improvement lies in corporate transparency, where Electricity companies have increased and provided more detailed information in corporate governance related topics. For instance management and board share transactions as well as board and committees work. Best in this sector are Finnish Fortum and the two Italian companies Enel and Terna.
The only sector without a change is ‘Large international banks’ clutching steadily on to 5th position.
Russian Bashneft – this year’s climber
Climbing with 17.75 points, The Russian oil and gas producer Bashneft has improved their score the most since 2010 in the ranking of the 500 largest companies in Europe. Since the 2010 Webranking, Bashneft has re-launched their website and now has a promising well-structured site which can easily be expanded with more information requested from the capital market and job seekers.
Read more:
* KWD Webranking’s sector categorization is based on the Industry Classification Benchmark (ICB), an industry classification taxonomy developed by Dow Jones and FTSE. The ICB uses a system of 10 industries, partitioned into 20 supersectors, which are further divided into 41 sectors. KWD Webranking has consolidated ICB’s 41 sectors into 28 sectors. ICB’s ‘Banks’ sector has been divided into two sectors in KWD Webranking (1) Large international banks and (2) Other banks.
KWD Webranking researchers have long known that there is a gap between investor desire for clearly stated corporate goals and corporate readiness to publish them. Now, it is confirmed that this is indeed true and matters. As the Financial Times reported on 14 November, super-famous investor Warren Buffett recently bought 5.5 percent of IBM. The FT quotes Buffett:
The yearly KWD Webranking research involves both a survey of demand for information by capital-market professionals and an investigation of the content of corporate websites. The research shows that investors want what Buffett liked about IBM’s communication: a clearly stated investor proposition, well-defined goals, and openness about future risks and opportunities. Buffett’s action shows that provision of this information not only gives investors what they expressly want but can actually affect major investment decisions.
Willingness by listed companies to provide this crucial information to investors has, however, always been rare. If the recently published Portuguese results are to be taken as an indication, the situation has not improved for 2011.
Stay tuned for more hard facts, as KWD Webranking 2011 results for additional countries are published in the near future.
National Express Group operates bus, coach and rail services across the UK, in Spain and in North America. Throughout the last two years the company has faced considerable change but with new management the Group is a significantly improved business with better margins and returns. The company needed a new corporate website as an authoritative centre to inform and influence key stakeholders such as investors, regulators, employees and journalists.
The main requirements were:
- to bring to life the new company strategy of ‘ earning the lifetime loyalty of customers by consistently delivering excellent value’
- to embrace corporate website best practice on content and usability
- to use an efficient and user-friendly content management system to allow the company complete control over updates
Our answer
The new site, launched on Thursday 5th May, was a clear expression of the National Express customer strategy and used customer focused imagery to reinforce their importance.
We used user analytics to understand how visitors were using the old site and what content was important to them.
The site gives ready access to information using clear labelling supported by a depth of content that supports the strategy and its implementation. In particular the investor relations site had new tools to help investors understand the company more fully. Information was broken up into shorter paragraphs and grouped together to create new perspectives such as the ’One stop guide to the Group’ and ‘ 5 things to about National Express’.
While consumer marketing begins to focus on mobile communications, corporates are still struggling to know what information to provide and how.
Talk to anyone in consumer marketing these days and they will say the next big thing is mobile. Why? The smartphone and its acceptance into everyday life have changed everything for them – fact is, right now, more people are connecting to the internet through mobile than pcs.
Balancing the needs and wants of corporate information online
But what about corporate communications, where companies are trying to be clearly understood in an increasingly complex world and not driving sales directly? At the moment the corporate website is their main digital communication, each packed with thousands of words, graphics and video to appeal to as broad an audience as possible. Sites are becoming bigger and more complex as corporates balance the information they have to give with the information they want to give.
Corporate social media becoming more important
Social media are becoming increasingly important. An increasing amount of the FTSE100 currently has a Twitter account. Social media are, in many ways, changing who is setting the agenda and so, inevitably, companies have to be part of that environment to stay close to what is being said and how it is being perceived.
Less corporate on the corporate websites
Without doubt, a company’s dotcom increasingly represents a fortress of truth in a fast moving world. But as we all become totally reliant on our digital devices to sustain our lives, so they will have to keep changing. Their language will become less corporate and less opaque as we have less time to read and analyse long and layered narratives.
Video will become vital and dominant. Sites will be less reliant on navigation-based retrieval of information and more heavily reliant on search and bringing related attention quickly to the user.
So the homepage of the future may well be very different from the homepage of today. Just a logo and an empty box in which to enter your question.
Is this the key to making corporate information retrieval on the move easier, faster and more satisfying than it is today? How does this affect the messages that companies want to get across to their target groups?
The KWD Webranking awards took place in London yesterday, on the 27th of January. Italian energy giant Eni, Deutsche Post DHL and Telecom Italia received top honors, and Bic was awarded Europe’s best climber 2010. Around 100 guests enjoyed seminars and a panel discussion regarding web management and the future development of corporate websites.
The event also celebrated the launch of KWD, a new division of King Worldwide focusing on online corporate communications.
We would like to send a warm thank you to all our attendees and speakers that made this a special day:
- Rob Challis, a recognized expert in developing and embedding CSR & Ethical policies in financial and related services, shared his insights on effective online CSR communication.
- Simon Lande, CEO of Magus, gave a tour through the regional rankings, and presented insights into how successfully – or not – companies are at maximizing their website effectiveness.
- Andrew Thomas, publisher at Communicate Magazine led the panel discussion. Panelists included representatives from energy giant Eni, aerospace and defense company EADS and Deutsche Post DHL.
Take a look at the photos on Flickr
View the speakers’ presentations on Slideshare
About KWD
We are KWD – the online corporate communications specialists. Through research, strategic advice and by being able to execute our advice, we help our clients to communicate effectively with their target groups both on their own web estate and in social media. We are based in London, Stockholm and Dubai with partners in Milan, Lisbon and New York.
The results from the 2010 KWD Webranking (previously H&H Webranking) survey shows that online corporate communication is improving in the UK. The average score for the total 104 surveyed British companies has increased with 4,31 points from 2009 to 48,82 (out of 100) in 2010. However, UK is still lagging behind several western European countries and only the winner Centrica manages to qualify at the European top 20, at 19th place.
KWD Webranking survey has evaluated European best practice and transparency in online communication since 1997. By increasing its score with a whopping 13 points, energy giant Centrica can proud itself as being this year’s top online corporate communicator in the UK. The survey, which evaluates 127 criteria divided in ten sections, shows that UK companies receives top scores in the design and technology section, and for their CSR information. The survey also reveals that British companies need to work more with communicating Financial Information online.
For the tenth consecutive year the KWD Webranking survey evaluates British corporate websites. Centrica is awarded first place with 73.75 points in the UK H&H Webranking 2010. Last year’s winner BAT is found on second place with 68.75 points closely followed by Land Securities at third place with 67 points.
“Centrica has made an impressive journey regarding their online presence for the past years. It is evident Centrica’s improvement in communicating Financial Information has been pivotal in securing the top position. Financial Information is the largest section in the H&H Webranking and Centrica has been successful in its publishing figures and facts highly sought after by the capital market”, says Marcus Eriksson, Head of H&H Webranking.
UK results
The 2010 ranking shows that British companies are Europe-leading in sustainability communication as well as in website design. For example, the surveyed companies fulfilled 80.7% of the criteria in the design and technology section in average. However, British corporate websites need to improve online financial communication in order to be European top actors. Overall winner Centrica stands out in this section where the company fulfilled 72,9%.
KWD is a new division of King Worldwide that brings together all digital expertise within the group to provide clients with advice on strategy, research and execution for online corporate communication. This includes corporate reporting, annual reports, social media, corporate website PR and media as well as corporate social responsibility, all in a digital context.
For Hallvarsson & Halvarsson, who opened their London office almost a year ago, this means that international business in online communications will be carried out in the name of KWD.
The first and most transparent ranking of corporate websites will be rebranded to KWD Webranking, previously known as H&H Webranking.
Online corporate communications consultancy, KWD, has recruited Phil Marchant for their London office.
Previously Deputy Managing Director of The Group, Phil has 14 years of experience working on online corporate communications with a wide range of FTSE100 companies.
“I am very excited to be joining KWD as we are going to be offering something different and special to the corporate digital market. It’s a time when companies want to know what their online audience really wants and to ensure the best results for their budget. We are in a position to give them that,” says Phil Marchant.
KWD is a new division of King Worldwide. KWD will focus on online corporate communications, helping companies communicate better and more effectively. KWD will advise companies on their communication strategy and execution and use unique research tools to provide evidence to help them achieve their goals and determine return on investment.
KWD currently has offices in London, Stockholm and Dubai and representatives in Milan and Lisbon.
For more information please see http://www.kw-digital.com.
About KWD
We’re KWD – the online corporate communications specialists. Through research, strategic advice and by being able to execute our advice we help our clients to communicate effectively with their target groups both on their own web estate and in social media. We are based in London, Stockholm and Dubai with partners in Milan, Lisbon and New York. Find out more about us on http://www.kw-digital.com.
You can also follow KWD on
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kwdigital
Slideshare: http://slideshare.com/kwdigital
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kwdigital
About King Worldwide
King Worldwide is the leading global Financial Communications and Stakeholder Management firm. Founded in 2007 as Sage Holdings, King Worldwide has prudently acquired companies occupying top-tier positions in their respective areas of financial communications, investor relations, proxy services, media relations, online communications and financial document processing.
Today, the King Worldwide family is comprised of Europe’s fastest-growing financial communications consultancy M:Communications, the premier international investor relations consultancy Taylor Rafferty, the top-ranked Nordic investor relations and online communications firm Hallvarsson & Halvarsson, the alternative asset investor and media relations consultancy Broadgate Consultants, the premier capital markets intelligence company Capital Precision, the leading proxy solicitation company D. F. King & Co. and bankruptcy specialist Donlin, Recano and Company. King Worldwide employs over 900 staff, serving over 1,000 clients from offices in New York, Chicago, London, Stockholm, Moscow, Dubai, Hong Kong and Taipei. http://www.king-worldwide.com
The new division of King Worldwide – KWD – will be launched to the public in the end of January, as the annual KWD Webranking Awards will be held in London.
KWD is a new division of King Worldwide that brings together all digital expertise within the group to provide our clients with advice on strategy, research and execution for online corporate communication. This includes corporate reporting, annual reports, social media, corporate website PR and media as well as corporate social responsibility, all in a digital context.
We help companies communicate better and more effectively. Based on numbers and facts we provide evidence that substantiate our advice.
As part of King Worldwide we have offices around the world, with our own people in London, Stockholm and Dubai. KWD also works together with partners in Italy, Spain and Lisbon.
KWD Webranking
KWD Webranking is one key piece of research that KW brings into KWD. It is the first and most transparent ranking of corporate websites in the world. The first rankings were made in 1997 and we have been increasing the scope of the research throughout the years.
This year the KWD Webranking Awards will be held in London, see www.kw-digital.com and www.webranking.eu for more information!
For more information
Staffan Lindgren
+44 (0)20 3286 0112
+46 (0)8 407 22 12
staffan.lindgren@kw-digital.com
About KWD
We’re KWD – the online corporate communications specialists. Through research, strategic advice and by being able to execute our advice we help our clients to communicate effectively with their target groups both on their own web estate and in social media. We are based in London, Stockholm and Dubai with partners in Milan, Lisbon and New York. Find out more about us on www.kw-digital.com.
You can also follow KWD on
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kwdigital
Slideshare: http://slideshare.com/kwdigital
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kwdigital
About King Worldwide
King Worldwide is the leading global Financial Communications and Stakeholder Management firm. Founded in 2007 as Sage Holdings, King Worldwide has prudently acquired companies occupying top-tier positions in their respective areas of financial communications, investor relations, proxy services, media relations, online communications and financial document processing.
Today, the King Worldwide family is comprised of Europe’s fastest-growing financial communications consultancy M:Communications, the premier international investor relations consultancy Taylor Rafferty, the top-ranked Nordic investor relations and online communications firm Hallvarsson & Halvarsson, the alternative asset investor and media relations consultancy Broadgate Consultants, the premier capital markets intelligence company Capital Precision, the leading proxy solicitation company D. F. King & Co. and bankruptcy specialist Donlin, Recano and Company. King Worldwide employs over 900 staff, serving over 1,000 clients from offices in New York, Chicago, London, Stockholm, Moscow, Dubai, Hong Kong and Taipei. www.king-worldwide.com
The H&H Webranking team is proud to present additional speakers to the Webranking Awards 2010 in London on January 27th.
Rob Challis, who is a recognised expert in developing and embedding CSR & Ethical policies with 20+ years global consultancy experience in Financial and related Services, will share his insights on online CSR communication.
Also, Andrew Thomas, publisher at stakeholder relations focused “Communicate Magazine” will chair the panel discussion. Panelists include representatives from energy giant Eni, aerospace and defense company EADS, Deutsche Post DHL, among others.
- KWD Webranking Forum, London
