Recognition Use Guide
Formal guidance for the accurate, limited, and authorized use of Ranking News distinctions
Ranking News publishes sector-specific rankings, reviews, and institutional recognition lists across capital markets, advisory services, healthcare, private wealth, and related professional industries. Institutions included in a Ranking News list may wish to reference their recognition in corporate communications, websites, investor materials, media announcements, client presentations, or internal display materials. This guide explains how recognized institutions may use Ranking News distinctions in a clear, accurate, and proportionate manner.
Recognition by Ranking News reflects inclusion in a defined editorial review cycle and category. It does not constitute a financial rating, product endorsement, regulatory approval, certification, or permanent guarantee of institutional quality. Licensing, where applicable, grants formal authorization to use the relevant designation, badge, certificate, or recognition language under defined brand and usage standards. The purpose of this guide is to preserve consistency, prevent misleading representation, and ensure that each recognition is communicated in a manner consistent with the published ranking.
Authorized Recognition Language
Institutions may reference a Ranking News distinction only in relation to the specific ranking, category, year, and desk in which they were recognized. Approved language should preserve the original meaning of the published recognition and avoid broader claims that exceed the scope of inclusion. References should clearly identify the relevant category, such as “Top 20 Crisis & Security Advisory 2026” or “recognized in the Advisory Ranking series.”
Recognized institutions should not describe themselves as generally “certified,” “approved,” “endorsed,” or “rated” by Ranking News unless such wording is expressly provided in the authorized materials. The recognition should be presented as inclusion in a sector-specific editorial ranking, not as a universal assessment of all firm activities. Accurate wording protects both the recognized institution and the integrity of the Ranking News review framework.
Use of Badges, Certificates, and Recognition Materials
Licensed institutions may use official Ranking News badges, certificates, or display materials produced under Ranking News brand specifications. These materials may be used on corporate websites, award pages, social media announcements, pitch decks, investor presentations, office displays, and other approved communication channels. Use should remain tied to the specific recognition cycle, category, and year for which authorization has been granted.
Recognition materials may not be altered, redesigned, recolored, cropped, distorted, or combined with other marks in a way that changes their meaning or visual integrity. Institutions should not create unofficial badges or derivative award graphics that imply broader recognition than the published listing. Where multiple recognitions are referenced together, each should remain clearly identifiable by category and year. Consistent presentation helps preserve the comparability and credibility of Ranking News distinctions across sectors.
Commercial Separation and Editorial Independence
Ranking News rankings are determined independently of licensing decisions, sponsorship arrangements, advertising relationships, or commercial participation. Inclusion in a ranking is based on editorial evaluation within the relevant sector framework and is finalized before licensing communication occurs. Institutions are not required to purchase a license, badge, certificate, or display material in order to remain listed in a published ranking.
Licensing provides authorization for formal use of the recognition; it does not influence ranking position, future eligibility, category inclusion, or editorial treatment. Declining to license a recognition does not remove an institution from a published list. This separation between editorial review and commercial usage rights is central to Ranking News governance. It allows recognized institutions to communicate inclusion while ensuring that the ranking framework remains independent, selective, and methodologically consistent.
Review Cycle, Renewal, and Misuse
Ranking News recognitions apply to a defined publication year or review cycle. Because institutional quality, ownership, governance, market position, regulatory exposure, and strategic relevance may change over time, recognition should not be presented as indefinite. Continued use beyond the authorized period may require renewal, updated confirmation, or continued inclusion in a subsequent review cycle.
Ranking News may request correction, suspension, or removal of recognition references that are inaccurate, outdated, visually modified, or presented in a misleading context. Misuse may include implying endorsement beyond the published category, using expired recognition materials without renewal, altering official badge files, or suggesting that licensing affects ranking status. These standards are designed to protect recognized institutions, readers, and market participants by ensuring that every public reference remains accurate, current, and aligned with the original published recognition.
