This year, Black Sun Global’s Digital Index 2025 shares some of the major shifts we are seeing in digital communications, and takes an in-depth look at corporate websites across the STi 30, including some of the key changes and examples of best practice and how they stack up to global companies such as the FTSE 100, offering unique insights into regional and global best practices in corporate websites and digital engagement.
Our theme, “New Direction, New Realities”, reflects the need for companies to reimagine their digital presence, meet rising stakeholder expectations, and harness the full potential of digital transformation.
Now in its tenth year, the Digital Index assesses how well companies are communicating with and engaging their stakeholders online.
Our analysis investigates how companies are rising to the challenge of digital communications, assessing both the content and the drive for engagement, to help our clients understand how they can better leverage their channels to deepen stakeholder engagement.
The analysis we do is grounded in our deep understanding of stakeholder needs drawn from our own experience and from expert organisations that represent these stakeholder groups.
The result is a powerful tool to create enriching digital experiences that will deepen stakeholder engagement and improve the performance of your digital communications.
We analyse nearly 200 variables across websites and social media, focusing on three performance areas. This year’s research covers leading global companies, including the FTSE 100 and STI 30.
Whether it's investors assessing performance, future employees evaluating culture, or stakeholders scrutinising ESG commitments—corporate websites and digital channels remain the most powerful owned platforms for engagement.
Amid these shifts, companies must deliver a digital experience that is engaging, accessible, and future-ready. At Black Sun Global, we help organisations do exactly that.
Against a backdrop of declining trust, there are 4 key trends that are impacting the future shape of digital communications and websites in particular.
These trends are fundamentally altering how digital channels are structured, used, and measured.
Analysts say a poor website can dampen investment decisions
Say websites can be persuasive on investment decisions
Say websites are used to assess stock
Investors use LinkedIn weekly
Management of ESG important in investment decision making
Workforce expect their employer to be a force for good
Employees look for company values aligned to their own
Workforce expect their employer to be a force for good
We assess narratives across four dimensions: purpose, corporate story, value creation, and governance. Our key findings emphasise the need for connected narratives that build investor confidence, demonstrate material sustainability, and highlight the role of people and culture. We also observe a widening gap between leaders and laggards.
Purpose led narrative
Share stakeholder engagment content
While purpose-led narratives are now common, more work is required to effectively connect these stories to specific stakeholder groups and audiences.
Anchor sustainability from purpose
Purpose led job seeker narrative
Our assessment of investor relations focusses on six key areas: narrative, investment proposition, performance, events, ESG, and shareholder information.
Globally, companies are placing greater emphasis on articulating their investment case and communicating broader corporate narratives.
More narrative introduction
Provide an investment case
Introduce sustainability
introduce sustainability
Publish an online report
By comparison, STI30 companies lag behind these global trends.
More narrative introduction
Provide an investment case
Introduce sustainability
introduce sustainability
Publish an online report
However STi 30 companies perform strongly on ESG disclosure, and reporting financial KPIs, on par with global companies.
Publish financial highlights/KPIs
Share ESG information
Provide ESG data/metrics
introduce sustainability
Give ratings information
We assess sustainability across narrative, focus areas, governance, reporting, and impact. Most companies clearly articulate their approach, focus areas, and governance, only few link activities to material issues and outcomes, showing room for improvement.
Explain focus areas
Provide objectives
Explain sustainability governance
introduce sustainability
Detailing materiality is improving, but more progress is needed to clearly link sustainability activities to material issues and outcomes.
State material issues
Introduce materiality process
Companies are making efforts to evidence performace and outcomes.
Share performance data or summary
Share case studies (+7% on last year)
Publish sustainability specific news
introduce sustainability
We assess people and culture content across narrative, attracting talent, working life, opportunities, and application. Companies are increasingly focussed on employer branding, with Career pages promoting global opportunities, career progression, internships, and application guidance, reinforcing a strong culture and talent proposition.
Explain 'why work here'
Share culture & values
Share people profiles
introduce sustainability
Deliver audience specific content
A widening gap exists between leaders, who excel in content, narratives, and engagement , and laggards, who have minimal content and outdated designs:
LinkedIn continues to dominate as the primary corporate channel, with YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram also playing strong supporting roles. Engagement on X remains limited.
If you are interested in finding out more or in receiving a benchmark get in touch
Contact: Beryl Leong
Email: BLeong@blacksun-global.com
About Black Sun
Black Sun Global is a stakeholder advisory and engagement agency that's been driving transformation and positive change for ambitious brands for more than 20 years. With deep expertise in disclosure and reporting, ESG, sustainability, and digital engagement, we reshape how organisations connect with customers, investors, employees, and the wider world.
We are trusted partners to some of the most influential global organisations, sparking innovation and sustainable performance through our strategic insights, partnerships, and proprietary technologies.
As founders of the Positive Change Group, we are on a mission to create a new kind of stakeholder relations partner. Our world-class specialists work closely with executive leadership teams to protect reputations, inspire trust, and promote responsible business practices - building resilience and long-term value in a rapidly changing world.
For more information, please visit: www.blacksun-global.com
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