IROs gathered in New York to discuss the changing face of investor communications
On March 26, more than 100 IR professionals gathered in New York for the IR Think Tank, brought to you by BofA Securities and IR Impact.
The event offered the IR community the chance to take stock following two months of frenetic policy action by the new US administration.
It featured a series of panel discussions covering key issues, such as how to communicate amid macro uncertainty, best practices for investor targeting, real-world use cases for AI and much more.
The day also included roundtable discussions, allowing attendees to discuss candidly with peers the challenges they face at their own companies. Below, we’ve gathered a few of the many takeaways from the day.
Don’t own the macro: With so much uncertainty in the market, the audience was advised to focus on what they can control in their communications. For example, if you have put in place a lot of initiatives over the last five years that have strengthened the company, put them in your earnings presentation.
Have an open relationship with your investor base: Right now we’re in a time when a lot isn’t going right for companies or markets more generally. To retain credibility, you need to be open with investors and be able to talk about decisions that didn’t go well.
Go beyond earnings: Look out for areas to get involved in beyond regular tasks such as quarterly earnings. That could be working on innovative investor content, supporting the company through a crisis situation, or another initiative. By taking on new responsibilities, you elevate your personal profile and the role of IR within the organization.
Every little helps: For companies that aren’t as well known, investor targeting is all about going the extra mile. Can you do events with non-covering analysts? What can IR do alone when management is not available? Are you still using virtual to expand your reach? Grab your megaphone and shout to everyone and anyone who may be interested.
Your analyst is your finfluencer: Make sure you’re giving analysts everything they need to be able to go out and tell your story. One way to help build their profile is to get them to appear on a video earnings call.
The future is customized content: Marketing professionals today offer incredibly specialized products to their customers. IR teams should be able to do something similar with digital content, for example by creating customized presentation decks designed for individual investors.
Make your own podcast: With AI research tools, such as Google NotebookLM, users can add source documents and then create a podcast briefing to listen to on your commute. Try it with the latest SEC regulation or your competitors’ sustainability reports.
Let people find their AI passion: If you are a team leader, help people get over their hesitancy with AI tools. You’ll find they get a real passion for discovering what they can achieve and will make use of them in a variety of innovative ways.
