Is the annual report enough: once-a-year or an on-going engagement?

Let’s face it. The Annual Report is less than a shadow of its former self. But have we really adapted to the real opportunities that this has opened up?

There are many ways that we can re-allocate the money saved in annual report production – and re-allocate it we should. The opportunities to reinvest in more effective communications are manifold.

Instead of a “big bang” annual report, these days we should move to a number of communications with shareholders spread throughout the year. For us at Insight, that’s one of the real opportunities to come out of the opt-in environment: the shift to continuing dialogue.

In future issues:

• Is an online presence enough?
• Pushing and pulling: the new communications dynamic
• What makes a good shareholder review?
• Pitched just right: checking the tone
• One-way communication – or a dialogue?
• Is your IR website good enough?
• The rise & rise of social media. You can run, but you cannot hide
• Starting the dialogue: Investor blogs and their cousins
• Yes, but is it an Investor Brand?
• The megatrend of CSR

Previous issues:

• The great delivery debate
• More on HTML Annual Reports – the new best practice
• Communicating with those who don’t opt in

Building a Trust-based Relationship

We have always believed that listed companies have the absolute right to ensure they are understood by their shareholders. Doing that effectively absolutely requires an atmosphere of trust. Relationships of any meaning don’t evolve from once a year interaction.

That’s why we recommend that, wherever possible, you look to engage with shareholders in multiple ways throughout the year. We recommend a quarterly communication – in the form of a combination of printed newsletters, email newsletters, email updates, an interim report and/or your annual shareholder review/report.

Take a Multi-Media Approach

• Do as much as possible online, because it’s more cost effective, more adaptable, can build greater audience relevancy and allow for interactive or illustrative components more effectively than offline media. And if you don’t have email addresses, then print and mail to ensure that the ongoing engagement happens.

• Whatever the medium, ‘push’ communication to your shareholders, because you can’t rely on ‘pulling’ them to your website to bridge the communication gulf (see future issue on the necessary combination of push and pull communication). This is a really important point, as it's very easy to assume that shareholders are making the effort to go to your IR website when the data suggests that they are not.

• Look for ways to converse with investors to strengthen the bonds and trust - perhaps by starting a corporate investor blog or having a live Q&A chat site, maybe a Facebook page or a Twitter account. We can talk about the actual channels later (and we'll talk about the encroaching inevitability of social media on IR as part of that). The important thing for now is the commitment to a constant engagement.

How often are you communicating with your shareholder base?

Time’s up.

Mike Tisdall
Investor Communications specialist and Managing Director – Insight Communications

Next Issue: Can you rely on your online presence to do the job?

Always happy to talk

We’ve been in the Investor Communications and Branding business for over 30 years, helping a blue chip list of Australasian companies retain engaged and loyal shareholders.

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Australia: 1300 367 639 New Zealand: 09 919 6000

Transform your investor brand at
www.insightir.com

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