 |
Strategies for Successful Investor Relations Communication
May 2012 | Volume 10 Issue 5
Today’s competitive business environment and the increased speed of communication make it critical for organizations to develop a comprehensive program for communicating with investors. A successful investor relations strategy requires clear communication to accurately reflect a company’s performance, reputation, goals and strategies. In this issue of CW Bulletin, our experts look at current trends in investor relations communication, and offer tools and strategies that are essential for success, including how to leverage social media and tips for creating effective corporate reports.
Natasha Nicholson
Executive Editor
Amanda Aiello Beck
Managing Editor |
Features
INVESTOR RELATIONS COMMUNICATION
by Maryellen Thielen, ABC
Working in different silos and reporting to different senior executives, IR and communication staff must exert extra effort to avoid mixed messages and unpleasant surprises. Even if you don’t work for a public company, you can probably name firms with effective IR/PR coordination, as well as those that allow communication miscues to cost the organization time, money and reputational value. However, fully integrated communication is also challenging because IR and communication professionals have different views of the world.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND INVESTOR COMMUNICATION
by Jeff Corbin
There is no question that social media are now mainstream. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and other sites have hundreds of millions of users, and some of these companies are raising (or are on the brink of raising) hundreds of millions of dollars through IPOs.
Many companies are using social media very effectively from a business-to-consumer perspective—and social media are starting to affect the investor relations efforts of public companies as well.
CORPORATE REPORTING
by Barbara Koontz
For decades, organizations have used corporate reporting to communicate successes and failures to stakeholders, gain credibility, build reputations, and acknowledge the dedication and work of employees, shareholders, volunteers and donors.
Today, the corporate report may be the only document produced by your company that speaks not only about all of the various parts of the company, but to its culture as well. It should, therefore, be created as a hybrid document that acts as an annual/marketing/recruiting/community report.
M&A COMMUNICATION
by Karen Vahouny, ABC
Mergers and acquisitions have been a top growth strategy for companies for the past 35 years. Consider the fact that last year, the dollar value of corporate mergers and acquisitions reached US$2.8 trillion. M&A communication planning is an essential element of an IR program. Investor relations pros need to be proactive, from monitoring M&A developments in their industry sector to responding to investor queries about potential deals.
Columns
Getting Your Program Off the Ground
by Ed Kamrin
Editor's note: This is the second installment in a three-part series that looks at how to create and implement an employee volunteer program.
If you have articulated a business case for volunteerism, recruited an executive sponsor, and lined up resources, congratulations! Gaining organizational buy-in is a critical step toward building a sustainable employee volunteer program.
It’s important to be equally thorough in implementing and communicating the program. By carefully thinking through the initial program stage, you further your odds of a successful launch—and making a lasting impact in both the workplace and the community.
Lessons from Goldman Sachs: When will the "internal communication machine” match the “PR machine”?
by David Grossman, ABC, APR
If employees were to write an op-ed about your organization, what might they say? How might their assessment affect your reputation and market value?
In March, Goldman Sachs found out the hard way that employee disengagement carries major financial implications. The company’s shares dropped 3.4 percent, or US$2.15 billion in market value, when a senior-level manager alleged poor, and also possibly negligent, client management at the renowned financial institution in a New York Times op-ed heard ‘round the world, “Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs.”
- "A New YMCA Vision for a Great Future," YMCA of Greater Toronto
- "CPSA 2009 Annual Report," College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta
- "DuluxGroup Demerger Communications Project," Transform Consulting, DuluxGroup
- "2009 Annual Report: Operation H2O," San Diego County Water Authority
Communication in the News
Related Resources provides additional articles and resources for understanding this month's topic of investor relations communication. You can also find some of these links alongside each corresponding feature article for quick reference. Links include:
- "Does Social Media Have a Place in Investor Communications?," by James Houston
- "3 Tips for Simplifying Your Annual Report," by Richard Ketchen
|
This issue sponsored by:
|
|
Featured Resource 
