Recognition License Structure
Official recognition. Consistent presentation. Clear usage rights.
A published distinction from The Economy Rankings may be presented through a range of official recognition formats, from digital badges to professional communications and institutional display. Each license applies to a specific ranking designation, desk, category, and review year. Recognition is determined independently of licensing, and no commercial arrangement is required for inclusion in a published ranking.
Four license options distinguish between official digital display, professional communications, network-supported recognition circulation, and institutional display. Institutions may select the scope appropriate to their intended use. Licensing arrangements and applicable fees are confirmed individually; the published distinction remains available for accurate factual citation without a license.
- License use policy: The Economy Rankings License Policy
- License use guide: Recognition Use Guide | The Economy Rankings
Recognition License Options
| License Option | Intended Use | Included Scope | Not Included |
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| Digital Badge License | Official badge display on institution-controlled digital channels, including websites and organic social media |
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| Professional Communications License | Broader licensed use in professional communications, proposals, recruitment, press releases, and other institutional marketing materials |
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| Network Recognition License | Professional communications use with additional recognition visibility across relevant The Economy Rankings and The Economy Network channels |
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| Institutional Visibility License | Full recognition package for firms seeking both external communication rights and internal institutional display |
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The following sections explain the scope, included recognition formats, and relevant usage boundaries of each option. Ordinary factual announcements—such as a company stating its published ranking tier and linking to the original article—do not require a license. Official badges, The Economy Rankings-branded graphics, approved extended promotional wording, and other recognition assets require the appropriate license, whether they appear on a website or a corporate social media account.
Digital Badge License
The Digital Badge License enables a recognized institution to display its published distinction using official The Economy Rankings marks on institution-controlled digital channels. Authorized placements include the institution’s website, awards or recognition page, email signatures, LinkedIn page, and organic (unpaid) posts on corporate social media accounts, including Facebook and Instagram. This license covers display of the approved official assets; it is not required for a simple factual announcement that accurately names the ranking and links to the published article without reproducing branded recognition materials.
This license includes the official digital box badge and strip badge for the relevant ranking designation, together with standard recognition wording and basic usage guidance. It does not include the trophy badge, press release use, proposal or pitch deck use, recruitment campaigns, paid advertising, The Economy Network recognition coverage, or physical display materials.
This license covers the approved badge and standard recognition wording on the institution’s own digital channels, including public-facing organic posts. It does not authorize reproduction of the full ranking article, paid promotional campaigns, or distribution of recognition graphics to third parties for independent promotional use.
Professional Communications License
The Professional Communications License presents the published distinction across a wider range of professional and institutional communications, using approved artwork and language that is consistent with the original ranking. It extends the Digital Badge License to professional materials beyond ordinary website display and organic social media posts.
This license includes the box badge, strip badge, digital trophy badge, standard recognition wording, approved website and LinkedIn announcement copy, and proposal-safe recognition language. Authorized use may include the institution’s website, organic social media, email signatures, pitch decks, client proposals, RFP responses, brochures, recruitment materials, partner or executive biographies, internal newsletters, conference materials, and press releases. Paid advertising and sponsored social campaigns require separate written authorization.
This license extends beyond basic digital badge display to the listed professional communications uses. It does not grant rights to paid advertising or sponsored social campaigns unless separately authorized in writing. A factual announcement with a link to the published ranking remains permissible without a license; licensed artwork and prepared promotional materials remain subject to the applicable license.
Network Recognition License
The Network Recognition License combines professional communications rights with opportunities for appropriate recognition-related circulation across relevant The Economy Rankings and The Economy Network channels. It includes the rights and materials provided under the Professional Communications License, with additional recognition circulation subject to channel suitability and editorial discretion.
Where appropriate, network-level circulation may include factual recognition references through relevant The Economy Rankings desks, The Economy News, The Economy Markets, The Economy Review, The Economy Wiki, The Economy Intelligence, and related network channels where appropriate. Such circulation is discretionary and does not guarantee separate articles, editorial coverage, prominence, or endorsement. It cannot influence the published ranking or any future editorial assessment.
Institutional Visibility License
The Institutional Visibility License is the most comprehensive presentation option for institutions wishing to display their published distinction both externally and within their own premises. It includes the rights, materials, and network-supported recognition circulation provided under the Network Recognition License.
This license also includes the boardroom plaque, a restricted physical recognition item produced in accordance with The Economy Rankings brand and usage standards. The plaque is reserved for institutions participating under the Institutional Visibility License and is intended for office, boardroom, reception-area, meeting-room, or internal institutional display. Additional plaques may be requested by Institutional Visibility licensees subject to production and delivery terms.
Boardroom Plaque / Recognition Display
The Boardroom Plaque is a physical presentation of the published recognition based on The Economy Rankings trophy badge format. It is not available as a standalone license or an add-on to lower-tier licenses. It is reserved for institutions participating under the Institutional Visibility License.
The plaque is not a separate ranking product and does not affect the institution’s ranking status, placement, or future eligibility. It is a physical display version of the licensed recognition mark and is produced in accordance with The Economy Rankings brand and usage standards. Production, customization, shipping, duties, and applicable taxes may be handled separately.
Badge and Recognition Material Standards
The Economy Rankings provides a coordinated family of official recognition formats, each suited to a defined presentation context. The box badge is a compact official recognition mark suitable for website, directory, and digital-profile placement. The strip badge is designed for broader website, LinkedIn, email signature, and announcement use.
The digital trophy badge is a formal recognition format reserved for broader professional and institutional communications licenses. The boardroom plaque is the physical display version of the trophy badge and is restricted to the Institutional Visibility License. Licensed institutions should not alter badge design, modify ranking language, expand the recognition beyond the specific category or review year, or imply broader endorsement than the published designation permits.
Coverage Boundaries
Recognition in a The Economy Rankings list is editorially determined and remains independent of licensing. Institutions may accurately cite their published inclusion and link to the original article without a license. Licensing grants authorization to use official recognition marks, approved extended wording, related promotional materials, and, where applicable, network-supported recognition circulation. A link or factual statement must not imply that The Economy Rankings has authorized a branded campaign or endorsed the institution beyond the published distinction.
Licensing decisions do not affect ranking inclusion, position, future eligibility, or editorial treatment. No license provides ranking placement, category modification, guaranteed future inclusion, or editorial influence. Each license applies only to the specific ranking title, category, desk, and review year for which authorization has been granted.