Market share and competitors – the case for and against transparency

Some of the most requested information from corporate stakeholders concerns market shares and competitors. Unfortunately, companies perform badly in this part of the Webranking, making it one of the ranking’s largest gaps between stakeholder demands and the content provided by corporate websites. Why?

Our case for transparency…

We believe that companies should show a high degree of transparency in their communication since this generally has positive effects on the perception of a company. Total transparency is not always an option when it comes to some aspects of corporate communications, but we recommend that companies publish information about market shares and competitors since it shows that the company understands its position and possibilities.

The information about market shares and competitors will make it easier for investors to analyse your company, journalists to write more accurate articles, and potential employees to understand your market position in their local country.

…and others’ case against

Many companies are hesitant towards sharing information about their market shares and competitors on their corporate websites since it is regarded as sensitive information. They are often anxious about potentially losing business or employees to their competitors.

“This type of information, especially concerning competitors, can be hard to find on other sources so the companies sometimes have the power to choose if the information should exist at all, which is quite unusual in today’s information society,” says Elisabeth Jagevik, Client Manager at Comprend.