The annual Corporate & Financial Awards highlighted the changes apparent in media, analyst and investor relations. Winners include some of the leading British and European public and private organisations

Traditional corporate stakeholders – investors, financial analysts, certain media outlets – have begun to grow out of a black-and-white view of business that took into account only financial issues. Over the past two decades, and particularly since 2008, stakeholders want more. They want more from a business in terms of communications and in terms of reputation and brand development. Companies, thus, in dealing with this change, have had to alter their communications strategies and practices.

The winners of the 2014 Corporate & Financial Awards represent the best in investor relations, stakeholder engagement and city comms. The awards, which have been growing since 2012, reflect the changing nature of communications and benchmark excellence in the industry. In 2014, awards were given to companies from across the spectrum of investment, including those listed on foreign exchanges, unlisted and from the AIM to the FTSE 100. Judges rewarded entries on the basis of their ability to communicate complex topics in a transparent way, to meet and surpass the requirements placed on corporate reporting and the quality of the completed work.

Thomas Churchill, a Corporate & Financial judge and IR executive at Premier Farnell plc, says, “The range of entries to the Corporate & Financial Awards demonstrated the considerable level of innovation in corporate reporting today. It was exciting to see how companies continue to find new ways to tell their stories and express their business’s culture and personality.”

The consultancy of the year prize was won by MHP Communications which also took home a gold, two silvers and a highly commended award on the night. VTB Capital, which won best in-house team was the winner of two gold awards last year for its work with the media, analysts and investors.

Andrew Thomas, founder of Cravenhill Publishing, says, “The Corporate & Financial Awards is the only awards programme to recognise the convergence of investor relations, corporate communications and financial PR and, since the event was launched in 2012. Those who will receive trophies or certificates this evening have been unstinting in their communications efforts, maintaining dialogue with investors, analysts, business journalists and the wider stakeholder community.”