Many FTSE 100 companies lacking online innovation

Many large companies are behind the times when it comes to engaging with audiences as a third of FTSE 100 companies don't appear to have any web video on their corporate sites, according to a recent report from web TV agency BroadView.

Furthermore, of the 68 per cent who do feature videos online, most content was standard webcasting of investor briefings.

"This research shows that most large British companies are behind the curve in digital communications," said Stuart Maister, managing director of BroadView.

"Investor webcasts are often box-ticking exercises, fulfilling regulations about giving all investors access to information. Companies can use the medium to achieve so much more, bringing to life their stories, strategies and people for investors and other audiences."

According to BroadView, nearly six out of 10 (59 per cent) of the web videos featured on sites were aimed at investors while only 23 per cent were for more general corporate communications.

Furthermore, one fifth required a subscription to access them, furthermore hindering communication with customers.

"Even recruitment web videos only accounted for 15 per cent in our research, " added Maister.

"That really is missing a trick since this content is often aimed at the Web 2.0 generation who expect much more than text-heavy pages."

The report also highlighted research from TNS in the US, which concluded that US companies are ahead of the UK and Europe when it comes to embracing social media.

BroadView reckons that people absorb more and are inherently more trusting of visual content than just text or audio and as a result many companies are doing themselves a disservice by not embracing web video.

"It's time the FTSE 100 companies sat up and took note, otherwise we'll find ourselves trailing behind other countries that have already moved into the 21st century," concluded Maister.