This year has already seen the world’s biggest pharmaceuticals merger, a catastrophic crisis with a potential ripple effect across the entirety of the auto industry, a lack of trust in business among the public and a renaissance of the annual report. 

Communications teams working in these challenging environments must be adaptable, proactive and prepared for any eventuality.

Those that communicate most effectively with their audiences in the City, in the press, among investors and within the businesses themselves are recognised each year by the prestigious Corporate & Financial Awards. The awards celebrate those organisations that are able to communicate consistently and confidently with their stakeholders across a variety of different channels.

Andrew Thomas, publishing editor at Cravenhill Publishing, says, “These awards have never been more relevant. There is a growing convergence between the communications an organisation makes to the investment community and its positioning to the business press. The Corporate and Financial Awards is the only event that benchmarks this process.”

Last year, winners showed a keen understanding of the usefulness of digital communications for reaching investors, the media and the wider public. Adidas’ interactive newsroom made the brand accessible to the press and won it a gold for ‘Best online newsroom.’ While Tata Consultancy Services harnessed the power of brand ambassadors and government relations when working through an acquisition in France, winning it the gold in ‘Best M&A/other transaction communications.’

But it is still of the utmost importance to perfect traditional communications like the annual report. Reporting has undergone several changes recently due to new regulations in the UK and in the EU. New styles of reporting including narrative reporting and sustainability reporting have influenced the structure, style and content of the report and have allowed for a more flexible online annual report to become a reality.

Excellence in these areas will be recognised at the 2016 Corporate & Financial Awards. The programme is open for entry until 8 June, but entries submitted by 17 May will receive a £100 discount.

The gala dinner and awards ceremony will take place on 22 September at the London Hilton Bankside. For more information contact Brian Donnelly, or call the Cravenhill events team on +44 20 7498 7008.