Why is company history important on
a corporate website?


Richard Dixon


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According to our analysis, companies that effectively share their corporate history on their website benefit from strong readership and good engagement. Our Digital Index research shows that 85% of companies talk about their history, but few do it well. So why is it that so few companies do a great job of telling their story on their website?

Why is this important content?

  1. It appeals to so many stakeholders.
    • Prospective employees engage with this content because it gives a strong backdrop to the company, its origins and gives an insight into its heritage, culture and values
    • Customers engage because it builds trust and confidence in the brand. It sets out the heritage, track record and proven pedigree in meeting customer needs and being a sustainable business
    • Investors view this content as reinforcing investment decisions. A company with a proven track record of success, demonstrating longevity and value creation over time, strengthens investor confidence in its future
    • Wider society can see the long term value an organisation has delivered, and if done right, can reinforce its sustainability credibility and strenghten its licence to operate
  2. Provides the opportunity to communicate your value creation narrative – through the lens of people, brands, commitment and impact on society and reinforce belief in future prospects
  3. An opportunity to provide enriching content that will extend dwell times, deepen engagement and build trust and understanding

So what does good look like?


Commemorating 50 years

I love this example from Temasek who are celebrating 50 years in operation. The content reinforces their purpose by weaving stories across their history. Staff, alumni, and beneficiaries bring these stories to life, creating a rich narrative. An interactive timeline lets you explore highlights, key events, and their societal contributions. It's a truly absorbing account of their journey.

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A celebration of brands

ABF takes a different approach, sharing its history not only through key events, but also through the lens of its brands. As a group it has an incredible range and portfolio of household brands and tells the story of the organisation through some of these brands. It gives a really good feel of the company and its incredible pedigree over the years

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A corporate timeline

Compass Group adopts a strategy of telling its corporate history through the different phases of its evolution. With video and imagery it communicates how the company has evolved and changed over the years and celebrates key moments in its story, bringing it up to the modern day. This timeline evidences its incredible track record, key achievements and highlights how it has contributed to wider society through an easily navigable timeline.

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History of icons

Burberry, as perhaps you’d expect, has a gloriously rich timeline in its corporate site, leveraging rich and powerful imagery. Not only does it tell the story of the company from its origins in 1856; but it also shares the story behind some of its most iconic designs such as the trenchcoat, the check and the equestrian device. What better way to engage with your diverse stakeholder groups than to bring to life this rich heritage?

View


So what’s the secret behind a good corporate history?

It sounds simple, but there are, in my view a number of key factors.

  1. Reinforce your purpose and key differentiators – good timelines are anchored from your purpose, and provide a way to bring to life what differentiates your company, whether it be the brands, the contribution to society, key technologies, or your people.
  2. Deliver engaging content – those that work best provide a mix of media, whether it be photography from the archives, video and animations or the stories of people behind the brand.
  3. Make it easy to navigate – by providing easy scrolls, quick links to key periods, filterable by category of content. All of which enable users to absorb the content they are most interested in
  4. Don’t overdo it – we all know attention spans are short, readership of content is light, so deliver your message in quick easy to digest nuggets not a long form style of content. It will give users the opportunity to scan and understand your story more quickly
  5. Make it campaignable – it takes time to develop the content and functionality so make sure that the content is usable in other channels, be it social media, internal communications or video channels. Multi use of content extends reach and drives greater engagement

If you are looking to develop or improve the corporate history content on your website why not get in touch and have a chat with our digital and content experts. Email our Head of Business Development, Naomi Hawkins, to book in a time. 

 


About Black Sun

Black Sun is a global group of strategic advisors, consultants and stakeholder engagement specialists. We believe that brands and businesses can have a big impact on our society  – they can shape more ethical practices, build more inclusive communities and deliver more sustainable performance. Ultimately, they can spark positive change in the world.

We partner with visionary companies to define and communicate their purpose, strategy and culture and bring to life their value creation story. Our services and solutions directly address the business-critical concerns of today;  best-practice disclosure and accountability through reporting;  protecting reputation and building trust with digital communications and helping businesses to effectively communicate their long-term responsibility and sustainability story.

 





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