Excellent work in corporate communications requires not only a deep understanding of a company's stakeholders, but a nimble approach, clear objectives and the ability to deal with the unexpected.

Those organisations that excel at this are able to communicate and to build and maintain their corporate reputations most effectively.

The Corporate & Financial Awards has benchmarked successful communications with the City and its influencers since 2012. Today, it announces the shortlist for the 2016 awards. The awards recognise the best in annual reporting, financial communications, media relations and sustainability communications. Winning a Corporate & Financial Award means a company has excelled at clarity of communications, strategic planning, creativity and reputation management.

In corporate reporting, the challenge of achieving these things is met through the diversity of channels now in use as well as the new formats for telling the corporate story that are becoming more pervasive. During transactions or IPOs, agility is often most valuable as these situations can lead to crisis if they are communicated poorly.

Additionally, digital channels have encouraged a shift in corporate and financial communications that has led to the integration of audiovisual communications technology, social media integration and mobile-first mentalities that have allowed businesses to reach all of their audiences.

“The Corporate & Financial Awards reflects the quality of the corporate communications industry and the growing recognition of communications as an essential tool to reputation management and to maintaining a successful brand and reputation. Congratulations to those on the shortlist, you are truly the best in class,” says Brittany Golob, editor of Communicate magazine.

The shortlist for the 2016 Awards includes companies based in Britain and beyond, small and large, private, public and not-for-profit. They are:

 

Corporate & Financial Awards 2016 shortlist

Best corporate website

FTSE 100

Anglo American and Investis

Antofagasta and Emperor

Informa PLC and Comprend

Provident Financial Group and Comprend

 

FTSE 250

Halfords PLC and Jones & Palmer

Rentokil Initial and Investis

Segro and Investis

 

AIM/Small cap

Enterprise Inns and Black Sun 

Picton Property Income Ltd and Jones & Palmer

Trifast Plc and Jones & Palmer

 

International/unlisted

EuroChem and Instinctif Partners

PIC and Emperor

 

Best printed report

 

FTSE 100

ARM and Radley Yeldar

Aviva and MerchantCantos

Experian Plc and Accrue Fulton

intu and Conran Design Group

Provident Financial Group and Radley Yeldar

Mondi and Radley Yeldar

Sage and Black Sun

WorldPay and Gather

 

FTSE 250

Berendsen and Radley Yeldar

The Go-Ahead Group

Hays and Conran Design Group

Laird and Radley Yeldar

Redrow Plc and Accrue Fulton

St. Modwen and Radley Yeldar

 

AIM/Small cap

Cambian and SampsonMay

Coats and Conran Design Group

IGas Energy and Carr Kamasa Design

McColls and MerchantCantos

Premier Foods Plc and Accrue Fulton

Skyepharma Plc and Jones and Palmer

 

International/unlisted

Cancer Research UK and Conran Design Group

Channel 4 and Emperor

De Beers and Conran Design Group

EuroChem and Instinctif Partners

SUEK and Black Sun

Temenous Group AG and Carr Kamasa Design

 

Best online report

FTSE 100

AstraZeneca & Conran Design Group

Barclays & FleishmanHillard Fishburn

Legal & General Group Plc and Addison Group

Rolls Royce & Conran Design Group

 

FTSE 250

EVRAZ plc and Zebra Corporate Communications

Halfords Group PLC and Jones & Palmer

Inchcape and Black Sun

Ocado Group PLC and Jones & Palmer

Playtech Plc and Carr Kamasa Design

Thomas Cook and Radley Yeldar

 

AIM/Small cap

Creston plc and Instinctif Partners

Flowtech Fluidpower Plc and Jones & Palmer

Henry Boots Plc and Jones & Palmer

Trifast Plc and Jones & Palmer

 

International/unlisted

AGCO and Instinctif Partners

BBVA and Comprend

China Unicom and EQS

Norilsk Nickel and Zebra Corporate Communications

Peroni and Lundquist

SUEK and Black Sun

Telecom Italia and H-ART

 

Best online corporate newsroom

LVCVA and The NewsMarket

 

Best meeting

Cisco

VTB Capital (Talk Show with Richard Quest in the framework of VTB Capital Investment Forum RUSSIA CALLING! 2015)

VTB Capital (Meeting with Investors at WEF in Davos)

 

Most innovative financial communications

VTB Capital

 

Best IPO communications

Aldermore Bank and FTI Consulting

CYBG and FTI Consulting

Metro Bank and Lansons

 

Most effective crisis communications

Direct Line Group

Government of Bermuda and Cubitt Consulting

VTB Capital

 

Best management of corporate & financial media relations

Begbies Traynor and MHP Communications

Rentokil Initial

The Co-Operative Bank and Lansons

 

Best management of investor & analyst relations

Corero Network Security and Redleaf Communications

Shawbrook Group and Instinctif Partners

VTB Capital

 

Best communication with overseas investors &/or media

BVCA and Friend Studio

Coats 

VTB Capital

 

Best sustainability campaign

Marks & Spencer and Friend Studio

Peroni and Lundquist

VTB Capital

 

Best in-house corporate & financial communications team and Best IR agency or PR consultancy will be announced on the night.

Interviews for Best IR agency or PR consultancy are ongoing.