2. The power of corporate reporting: how to create stakeholder trust and build brand loyalty

Part 2 – Comparability and Consistency

A strong approach to corporate reporting is key, but how is this best implemented?

Brands need to deliver consistent, comparable and transparent data in their corporate reporting. This builds credibility and confidence among stakeholders. Reliable and standardised information helps them to make informed, data-driven decisions and assess long-term growth.   

From financial disclosures to sustainability metrics, we can sustain trust through the comparability and regularity of corporate reporting and communications. Transparency reassures investors and strengthens brand reputation.

As noted in the Integrated Reporting Framework (IFRS):

For stakeholders to make informed decisions, data needs to be comparable, reliable, and consistent. Comparability allows stakeholders to benchmark performance, understand trends, and hold organisations accountable.

In this blog, I will explore in more detail the importance of consistency and comparability in guiding the process of corporate reporting, and to help inspire brand trust.

Comparability

Standardised metrics and formats across reporting periods enable comparison over time and against industry benchmarks.

It’s vital to prioritise consistency when presenting financial and non-financial data as it makes it easier for readers to assess trends, spot issues or identify areas of growth. For instance, using the same KPIs to report on environmental sustainability (eg, carbon footprint per product) means investors can see progress or regression year-on-year.

Regulators including the FRC and IFRS set the standards and codes of conduct to ensure this. The CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) requires disclosure on performance against standardised targets.

And reporting frameworks such as GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) and SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board) support in providing a holistic view of material impact.

SASB, in particular, enables the company to report comparatively against its peers. This affords investors and other stakeholders the opportunity to analyse like-for-like reporting to make informed decisions.

Consistency

Regular corporate reporting is essential for keeping stakeholders engaged and informed. Frequent updates signal commitment to open lines of communication, enabling stakeholders to track progress.

Interim updates, investor calls and regular engagement such as employee ‘town halls’ or investor ‘capital markets days’ further solidify commitment to regular communication.

Adding online content regularly such as live data, performance metrics or changes to policy shows consistency too. A dedicated online investor hub or a primary page on a company website is a great way to do this. And driving traffic through a strategic social media campaign adds to the regular stakeholder dialogue.

Summary

Comparability and consistency are fundamental for keeping stakeholders informed and empowering them to make key decisions about the company. They also build  trust, which adds to a brand’s value and inspires long-term loyalty.