Insight's newsletter on IR communication trends

Before you write yourself an arbitrary wish-list, here’s some feedback to ponder.

At Insight, we talk about a successful investor brand conveying three things consistently: Strengths, Strategy and Position. That approach mirrors findings from Ernst & Young research that tell us that the non financial value metrics that market constituencies value most (in order of value) are:

• Strategy Execution
• Management credibility
• Quality of strategy
• Innovativeness
• Ability to attract talented people
• Market share
• Management experience
• Quality of executive compensation
• Quality of major process
• Research leadership

Here’s what’s least important:

• Compensation ratios
• Use of employee teams
• Process quality awards
• Product quality awards
• Social policies
• Quality of customer service organisation
• Number of customer complaints

This is what we do here at Insight:

1. Workshop desired perceptions based on value metrics such as those above. For example, we sometimes score current perceptions based on recent feedback and then set target scores.
2. Develop a Shift Plan to systematically move your brand from how you are valued now to your goal position, together with time frames and measurable steps for the journey.
3. Define the IR Brand messages required to help “pull” your brand towards the desired perceptions. We base these on Strengths, Strategy and Position.
4. Prepare an IR Comms package that considers all touchpoints and media, and is underpinned by key messages that are consistent and repetitive. Two priorities that we tend to push are: the clear and evident strengths that are factored into your strategy and that put distance between you and your competitors; and evidence of strong, confident and experienced leadership capable of making the strategy happen.
5. Launch and track. We do this using our IR Landscape programme which provides a multi-channel, audience-specific way of communicating your key messages, and monitoring effectiveness, both externally in terms of changing value associations and internally in terms of confidence.

Mike Tisdall
Investor Communications specialist and Managing Director – Insight Communications

Copyright © Insight Creative Communications 2011 You're welcome to share this newsletter with others either by emailing it to them or by printing it. You are also welcome to share and socialise the ideas contained in IR Insights. All we ask is that you provide an appropriate attribution.

Privacy: You're receiving this IR Insights newsletter because you are a client or contact of Insight and/or because you attended an AIRA conference or event at which we were a sponsor.

We respect and protect your privacy. We will not rent or sell your name and contact details to anyone at any time.