Black Sun Digital Index 2024  Communicating with Impact


By Richard Dixon


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Today’s business environment is a demanding one. Regulations and voluntary disclosure frameworks are increasing pressures on companies to share more and better quality data. The next wave of technological innovation is disrupting markets and business processes. There is a proliferation of channels giving stakeholders a voice and placing ever-increasing pressures on companies to communicate and to ensure their voice is heard.

Those who harness the digital transformation will be better empowered to deliver engaging and authentic content, to own their corporate story and protect their reputation.

We have been analysing the digital landscape for nine years, understanding 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 assess three groups: a select number of global companies, the FTSE100, the STI30. 

For our analysis of websites, we analyse each of the key stakeholder groups’ content needs – investors, employees, customers and job seekers, the media and society at large – along with the overall corporate narrative. 

We also assess the commitment to drive engagement and for social media, we have analysed the different social channels used, and the primary content shared through the channels.

2024 theme: Communicating with impact

Every year, based on the research results, we develop themes to communicate the shift in company priorities. 

This also provides an insight into the changing landscape. 

This year the theme ‘Communicating with impact’ reflects, in our view, the desire for companies to better communicate their impact and positive outcomes to their different stakeholder groups. To go beyond strategy and narrative, and evidence their wider stakeholder value creation, build their reputation and earn a licence to operate.

There is a growing gap between those companies actively embracing their digital channels to better communicate their corporate story, actively engaging with their stakeholders and leveraging channels to reach and engage with their audiences.

Whilst we recognise that every company’s position is unique, and that different channels or stakeholder focuses vary, it is striking that there is now a 52% gap between the top and bottom scores in our analysis.

Find out more about the research and the key trends for 2024 - and why not find out from us how you stack up?

 


About Black Sun

Black Sun is a global group of strategic advisors, consultants and stakeholder engagement specialists. We help global brands transform their stakeholder relations, fuel innovation, and drive more sustainable business practices.

We partner with visionary companies to define and communicate their purpose, strategy, performance and culture and to bring to life their value creation story. Our services and solutions directly address the business-critical concerns of today;  best-practice disclosure and reporting; effective communication of their long-term sustainability story; building trust and deepening engagement through digital communications.

 





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