Frequently asked

questions

Here are the answers to the questions we are asked most frequently about the Britain’s Most Admired Companies study.

Why should I take part?

We invite everyone who receives a survey to take part and share their views on which companies are most admired in Britain today. By adding your voice, you'll help us shine a light on what makes the best British companies succeed.

How can my company take part? Does it cost anything?

The study is based on a list of the top companies in each of the 28 sectors based on key factors such as FTSE categorisation and market capitalisation, along with number of UK employees.

The list is reviewed each year. If you are interested in finding out how your company could take part in future, please do contact us.

Why have I been selected to take part?

We personally invite the CEO and all C-suite directors (or equivalent) from the nominated companies to take part, along with a set of financial analysts and city commentators who follow the sector and the companies in question.

We aim to secure a broad range of views from within a company across all the major functional areas so encourage all colleagues who have received the survey invitation to particpate. Do contact us if you have a colleague(s) who would like to take part.

How do I complete the survey?

You will be invited to participate by email which will contain a link to an online survey. The survey takes 10-15 minutes to complete. You will be asked to rate the performance of your company and your sector peers, to nominate an outstanding leader (from any sector) and to share your views on the challenges facing Britain’s businesses today. 

If you have problems accessing the survey link then please do contact us.

Why do we rate our direct competitors?

Peers and competitors watch and know each other better than most. Asking for professional opinion across the C-suite within the sector gives us a ‘high validity sample’. If you aren’t aware of certain companies and/or their relative strengths, you can leave those questions blank. Interestingly, we find that company executives' ratings closely align with those of financial analysts.

When does the research take place?

The research takes place from July to September each year and has been running annually since 1990.

How do I access the results for my company?

If you complete the survey, you will receive a complimentary summary of your sector as a thank you for your contribution. The report will show how each company in your sector was rated on each dimension. 

Please see our services to find out how to access tailored insights about your company.

What does a deeper dive of the results give me?

The Britain’s Most Admired Companies deep dive report outlines in circa 40 charts the following:

• Background: How it works, introduction, participants by role, sectors ranked, criteria, recent winners
• Your organisation in perspective: Overall sector KPIs, individual company scores/ranking in the sector
• Market trend: Your performance vs relevant FTSE indexes
• Best in class benchmarks: Five year trend for each of the 13 criteria: You vs Sector average vs Best in class. Highlighting areas of strength
• Reputation SWOT analysis and next steps

Is it possible to understand where we sit in the full ranking?

Further details and tracking over time are available from the team at Echo Research.

If we receive no score in one criteria, will that impact the average used for positioning?

No, it will have no impact. We specifically request that where respondents don’t know the answer, they leave it blank rather than guess. The totals are then rebased according to the number of criteria that have been scored so no one is penalised for this.

Can we use the Britain's Most Admired Companies logo?

Companies who place gold, silver or bronze by criteria or sector can purchase a licence for the Britain's Most Admired Companies winners logo. Please contact us for more information.

Can we issue a press release, post on our website and amplify through our social media channels?

Yes, please do. For reference our X handle is @MostAdmiredUK. This year's hashtag will be #BritainsMostAdmired2025.