When it comes to investor relations (IR), it is always a debatable topic
if it is a profession that is science or art-centric. Given the amount of
financial figures our consultants crunch during the quarterly earnings season,
it is hardly fair to disregard our flair for art as we craft investment thesis
and carefully establish the right corporate positioning for our clients.
The financial market of Singapore remains largely sceptical about the
importance of IR and how it can truly value add one’s company and help unlock
shareholder value. That being said, the onus should fall on IR professionals as
we consistently seek to reinvent yardsticks of success.
Let us explore the five “Ss” which have led to some of my client's success in enhancing their market value:
1)
Substance
· Understanding our clients’
business ecosystem and comprehensive suite of offerings
· Going beyond basic messaging to
shape the substance of our clients’ businesses
2)
Science
· Carry out detailed and extensive
analysis of our clients’ financial performance
· Generate financial models
supplemented by research algorithms and automated analysis methods
3)
Story
· Extracting the relevant information
that would appeal to our target audience of analysts, investors and media
· Assembling the right mix of data
and refining the investment story to make it compelling
4)
Simplicity
· Keeping our messages simple but
succinct to deliver only the essence of information
· Complexity compromises speed so
keep communication understandable by the laymen
5)
Speed
· Staying adjacent to the pace of
our clients’ industry developments with our sector-focused practice
· Real time responsiveness to crisis
situations and stakeholders’ queries
These five “Ss” form the basic parameters for some of our IR consultants
who have achieved success in enhancing shareholder value for their clients. We
however believe in staying dynamic to consistently revolve ourselves and
adopting the best IR practices to customise the framework relevant to each and
every of our client.
