Embracing the Collaborative Web as a Tool for Maximum Capital Markets Communication Impact
We Can Expect 2011 to be the Year When the Corporate Website Finally Comes Into its Own as an Investor Relations Tool
FTI Consulting
February 17, 2011
Andreas Panayi
Senior Managing Director, Strategic Communications
Many financial analysts already rely heavily on websites – both to access in-depth, historical performance data and to monitor up-to-date information on corporate happenings that may not merit a press release or lend themselves to the traditional news cycle.
And with 70% of investors telling us they want to see video on websites and 94% telling us they access corporate websites more than once a week, it’s clear that many more companies should consider following the lead of international standouts like BASF, GE and HSBC, who have made IR websites a centerpiece for their investor communications efforts.
Perhaps the greatest benefit to the IR function, however, will come from the collaborative web’s ability to repackage content ...
However, robust corporate information is not the only way in which corporate websites will see upgrades in functionality and impact. In keeping with the collaborative nature of today’s Web, the next-generation website upgrades we’ll see in 2011 will focus more robustly and comprehensively on meeting the needs of the investor. They will take advantage of advanced Web-based delivery tools to bring corporate and other strategic content across multiple digital destinations - such as websites, microsites and intranets - to the investor audience.
The emerging “collaborative web” approach will permit this content to achieve maximum reach and engagement with a wide array of corporate stakeholders. Tomorrow’s corporate websites will be created based on broad-based corporate messaging that reflects the company’s marketplace stance, strategic vision and stakeholder commitments, as well as its investment merits. Perhaps the greatest benefit to the IR function, however, will come from the collaborative web’s ability to repackage content from a wide assortment of communications channels for the benefit of the investor.