IR Best Practice Online Private Investors Award
For private investors, the internet helps to level the playing field for information access. It opens a window on much more than the regular paper-based communication.
When viewing the nominated sites, the Panel will try to ensure that private investors have the same access to information as any other type of investor or potential investor.
At the same time, such features as access to share prices and share price movements plus good quality information packs are considered essential elements of any site catering for the individual investor. E-mail alerts, clear and accessible diary information, access to share registers, provision of personal online updating of share information including stock transfers and details of shareholder perks play a part as well. Access to events such as presentations, conference calls and webcasts are also considered important.
Becoming a more standard feature of any website – and one increasingly important to private investors – is the provision of information relating to corporate social responsibility and corporate governance.
The Panel will hold the view that good links to sites that provide additional information about the industry or sector in which a company operates also assist the investor to view a shareholding in a broader and more complete context.
IR Best Practice Online Professional Investors Award
In the assessment of this award, the Panel will take careful notes of whether the company has a clear statement of its strategy and objectives coupled with a comprehensive description of its business, products, services and geographical reach.
The design, content and accessibility of the home page will also be important and should provide the user with a clear concise route to information that is timely and relevant. Factual and accurate information uncluttered by promotional material will be an important element.
In judging this award, the Panel will be concerned to ensure that information on corporate governance - the combined code, Board committees, directors' biographies, for example - are readily accessible. Statements on environmental policy and social responsibility together with the ability to audit any commitments contained therein will also be considered.
Detailed financial data, including key business ratios, up-to-date information, the facility to download data onto spreadsheets, current and archived presentations, will be regarded as essential components for such sites. Archives of important news and announcements over a minimum three-year period coupled with detail on merger and acquisitions activities where appropriate should be included in nominated sites.
IR Best Practice Most Innovative use of Online Technology
The panel will be looking for a company that uses technology in a groundbreaking way to improve communication with its investors.
The technology will be judged on how effectively it enables the dissemination of information and will be expected to demonstrate a real benefit for investors e.g. the communication of investor information in a PDA-accessible format or demonstration of a strategy timeline using Flash.
The panel will award this prize to a company it believes will be a pioneer in this field.
IR Best Practice Online Annual Report Award
In the assessment of this award the panel will look for innovation. They will look to see how the annual report has been translated online and how the interactive opportunities have been utilised including the use of links to the corporate web site, downloadable data, access to both the summary review and the full financials and reporting of strategy and non-financial information.
The design and usability will be carefully considered to ensure that the navigation is intuitive and appropriate. Graphics, pictures, tables and numbers should be legible. The judges will look at the colours, shading and typography chosen. A search and/or site map function should also be available to aid the visitor in their quest for specific information. Financial information should be available as an Excel download where appropriate.
Judges will be looking for a fully accessible online annual report. This means it must be designed to allow equal access to information and services to all users, including those with visual, hearing, cognitive and motor impairments. The report should allow users to control a number of features including the size of the text, layout and navigation. A PDF version should also be available.
Judges will also look at the corporate web site to see if the company offers investors the option of opting out of receiving the hard copy of the annual report or registering for E-mail notification when the online report is published.
IR Best Practice Online Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award
In the assessment of this award, the panel will look for innovative ways of translating corporate responsibility information into the online environment. It will look for clarity in navigation across the various sections and the ease with which a novice audience can gain an understanding of the corporate responsibility issues and management. Search facilities and/or site maps will be positively credited accordingly.
The corporate responsibility section should include a good balance of qualitative and quantitative information. The panel will be looking for clear presentation of both types of information and intelligent links between the two areas. It also wants to see that the online reporting of corporate responsibility is consistent with presentation of information on other areas of a company's site. It will consider branding, colours, shading, and typography in its assessment.
The judges are not assessing the company's record on corporate responsibility or the comprehensiveness of the information provided. They will, however, want to see a detailed review of how relevant policies are linked to environmental and social performance management. The information should include a look at health & safety issues and the management of relevant risks across the company.
Judges will look at whether any corporate responsibility reporting guidelines have been used and how adherence to such guidelines is presented in an online format.
The panel will give some consideration to whether corporate responsibility information is also available in any other formats/areas – this is primarily to see the interaction with other documentation and other sections of the site. How does the online version interact/work alongside any printed documentation? Is it consistent with coverage of corporate responsibility issues in the rest of the Investor Relations web site? Does it include links to other relevant information across the Investor Relations and corporate site? The panel will also consider how the corporate responsibility section covers areas, such as corporate governance, that may be covered in other sections of the Investor Relations site.
Judges will be looking for a fully accessible online corporate responsibility section. It should be designed to allow equal access to information and services to all users, including those with visual, hearing, cognitive and motor impairments. The format should allow users to control a number of features including the size of the text, layout and navigation. A PDF version of any hard-copy corporate responsibility reports should also be made available.
IR Best Practice Website for an International Audience Award
As the Investor Relations function becomes more global, interest from overseas investors becomes greater. The panel will be looking for a corporate website that caters for this increasingly important audience. The panel will be particularly interested to see the following offering:
- Investor information in English and languages spoken by the countries where the company is listed.
- A corporate profile or key facts section available to download in languages representative of the shareholder base.
- A currency conversion tool that is tied into historical and present financial statements.
- Explanations of the companies financial reporting differences i.e. UK GAAP (IFRS) and US GAAP, etc.
- Explanation of main corporate governance differences with major markets internationally.
- Provision of webcasts and transcripts of analyst and investor presentations and conference calls.
Judges will be looking for a fully accessible website. This means it must be designed to allow equal access to information and services to all users, including those with visual, hearing, cognitive and motor impairments. The website should allow users to control a number of features including the size of the text, layout and navigation.
IR Best Practice European Website Award
This award rewards the corporate IR website that best appeals to investors wherever they may be throughout Europe. The criteria that are applied to all IRBP websites apply equally to the European award, but this category puts special attention on the following:
- key investor information being displayed in (at least) two languages.
- the site must demonstrate the company's commitment to the highest standard of disclosure across European markets.
- the investor should be able easily to find geographical information about the company.
- share price information should be displayed for all exchanges on which shares in the company are traded.
- where applicable allowance is to be made for the regulatory requirements of different markets, e.g. for US provisions on promotion.
- for this category, companies will need to show an even greater commitment to providing all investors with equal access to events such as presentations and conference calls.
IR Best Practice Website Smaller Quoted Company,
IR Best Practice Website FTSE 250, and
IR Best Practice Website FTSE 100 Awards
For these awards, the judges will pay particular consideration to the following:
- Usability - can the investor find the site and investor information quickly and easily?
- Timeliness and navigation - is the information up to date; was getting around the site intuitive?
- Technology and interactivity - did the technology help, not hinder the user; could the investor easily reach the investor; was there access to webcasts, conference calls and presentations?
- Content - was it relevant; did it provide all the necessary financial, news and shareholder information; was its approach to corporate governance readily accessible and comprehensive?
