Tamarindo Communications, a leading strategic communications advisory for the renewable energy industry, has launched the first edition of its Renewables Reputation Index. The Index is a comprehensive overview of the market profile and reputation of consultants, service providers and suppliers to the renewable energy industry, enabling a close look at the effectiveness of their communications in influencing industry opinions and securing commercial contracts.

By auditing the industry reputation of individual firms, Tamarindo aims to precisely uncover not only correlations between active communications strategies and commercial success, but also to understand the missing pieces in individual company messaging that directly affect wider industry opinion and standing.

To compile the index, Tamarindo started with 3,000 companies working in the renewable energy sector, based on membership of leading industry associations. The research team then excluded non-commercial organisations and Tamarindo's own clients before trimming the list down to a final 100 of those companies with a consistent and visible industry profile. These 100 firms were then ranked according to 3 core profiles; online and search, news media, and social media. The top 30 companies were subsequently subjected to a process of peer validation via a panel of key industry operators and their perception of the top ranked businesses.

Topping the Renewables Reputation Index is Danish investment firm, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), owing to strong results in peer validation and 'news media'. As a key industry financier, CIP has been able to leverage its position as a lynchpin to drive coverage of its successful investments and dominates the supply chain news agenda in the wind energy industry.

Notably, however, a leading position in the top 20, isn't necessarily contingent on company size, with a number of smaller firms also ranking highly - ranging from consultancies to emerging digital technology businesses, which have begun to enter the sector.

Adam Barber, Managing Director of the Tamarindo Group, said, "In the rapidly growing global renewable energy industry, where there is often little time for project partners to get to know each other, reputation really is everything. Building that reputation takes time and investment in effective communications, but once secured, that hard-won reputation becomes a significant commercial driver."

"As the industry matures, businesses striving for success will need to employ multiple communications strategies, beyond a focus on owned channels to improve their engagement with news media. While many of the businesses in the index have achieved their positions thanks to well-balanced communications approaches, the opportunity remains for bold companies to take advantage of the news media to secure endorsement for their views stories and ways of working."

Richard Heap, Editor-in-Chief of A Word About Wind, a news, information and networking service for wind industry financiers and investors that forms part of the Tamarindo Group, said, "Wind is a small industry, in which reputation matters. If you are churning out repetitive, mundane press releases instead of tailoring your message and watching your results, you will miss out on positive media attention. If you set yourself up as a go-to industry expert, however, you can create a virtuous circle of coverage and reputation-boosting that helps both your business and the industry as a whole."

Tamarindo Communications | www.tamarindocomms.com