Lundquist CSR Online Awards Finds Centrica, Deutsche Post, Telecom Italia Have Best Online CSR Communications In Europe

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) October 24, 2011 - Lundquist has today published the results of the CSR Online Awards Europe 2011, showing how Europe’s biggest companies fail to transform non-financial reporting into effective and dynamic online communications, missing the chance to build credibility and engage stakeholders on the web.

The research assessed the corporate websites of Europe’s 100 largest listed companies using a protocol of 79 criteria. The evaluation protocol was developed through a survey of more than 310 CSR professionals, sustainability experts and stakeholder representatives in 37 countries. The new European ranking is part of the CSR Online Awards series, which includes separate studies for the largest companies in Austria, Germany, Italy, the Nordic region, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Now in its fourth year, the CSR Online Awards covered 220 companies in 2011.   UK utility Centrica emerged as the top ranked company in the European list, scoring 84 out of a total of 100, an increase of 15.5 points from 2010 (when the company was part of the CSR Online Awards UK list). It was followed in second place by German mail and logistics company Deutsche Post DHL on 82.5 points (+16) and Italian phone company Telecom Italia in third with 82 (+13).   While reporting of environmental and social information has become standard practice for Europe’s top 100 firms, the study shows many are failing to build trust in online audiences because they don’t use the web to communicate critical and compelling evidence behind their commitments to responsibility or sustainability. Although websites are elegant and efficient, companies are missing the opportunity to build relationships through interactivity, ongoing engagement and effective use of social media.   “Companies are doing a decent job of inserting into their corporate websites a range of social and environmental content, mostly derived from their reports,” said James Osborne, head of CSR communications at Lundquist. “But in an environment of deep suspicion about claims to corporate responsibility or sustainability, companies need to build a dynamic and interactive relationship with online audiences – even in social media – by providing a more candid, credible and engaging account of their activities, updated on a regular basis.”   Top 10 in Europe in 2011 1. Centrica (84 points) 2. Deutsche Post DHL (82.5) 3. Telecom Italia (82) 4. Eni (79) 5= Nestlé (74.5) 5= UniCredit (74.5) 7. Enel (74) 8= E.ON (71.5) 8= Intesa Sanpaolo (71.5) 10. Siemens (68.5)   A 12-page executive summary is available from the Lundquist website.