ir website best practices - april 30, 2009
DESCRIPTION
IR Website Best Practices presentation learn five common barriers to effective Investor Relations Website communications.TRANSCRIPT
IR WEB SITE BEST PRACTICES WEBINAR April 30, 2009
Manage your disclosure faster, easier and with less compliance risk.
Presenter: Catherine Crofton, VP Sales & MarketingModerator: Sheryl Joyce, Director, Marketing Communications
Q4 Web Systems – Introduction
Software to help public companies manage online disclosure Faster, easier & with less compliance
risk
Solutions for the corporate/investor web site Experience provides insights into
challenges that issuers face
Catherine Crofton VP Sales & Marketing
Methodology
CICA Corporate Reporting Awards experience
Annually audit 50+ sites Selected from Fortune 500, ROB 1000 – all sectors
Input from: IR Leaders Third-party surveys Webinars, conferences & industry sources Regulatory guidelines
Importance of IR Web Site:
75% of portfolio managers use weekly if not daily
47% of investment professionals rate as very or extremely important
45% of US portfolio managers say their perceptions are substantially impacted by a company’s corporate site
Daily32%
Weekly 43%
Monthly14%
Yearly8%
Never3%
Source: Rivel Research
BARRIER #1:Information not geared to various investor audiences
User Motivations Introduction
Who, what, why, how? Market position. Investment proposition. Should I recommend/invest with you?
Assurance What’s new? Why does it matter? Did I make the right decision/recommendation? What’s next?
Reference Where can I find it? Access data quickly and easily To stay informed and source new information
Entry Points for all Users
http://www.nexeninc.com/
Example of a fairly standard best practice approach to a home page with investor content integrated.
Multiple entry points to Investor section & content– directly from the home page.
Intro to company in centre panel provides content to the new user (should link to more) because that’s the route they’re going to take.
Latest news, reports, results, stock quotes all available off the home page for all users.
Longer-term user will likely go straight to IR section.
BARRIER #2:Key information not easily accessible
Difficult to Access Key Content Navigational structure is not standard or consistent
Home/investor index lack quick entry points to key content
No navigational aids - ‘You are here’
Lack of quick links to bring information forward
Information location is not intuitive
No helpful aids to sort/search information
Homepage
Tag cloud is a helpful aid to
search information. It automatically
updates page with prioritization of most frequently
accessed content for next visit.
http://www.shell.com/
Boxes in middle provide quick
links to bring key information
forward.
Homepage Integration of Investor Content
http://www.potashcorp.com/
Clean, uncluttered home page.
New Investor:Pull down – Why
invest?
Long-term investor:Quick entry and exit –
What’s new? (RSS prompt right from here).
Mobile access –easy way for all investors to stay
informed.
Pull downs provide
immediate access to
key content.
Recent investor:News
Latest financialsUpcoming events.
Flash panel highlights upcoming events/key messages.
IR Index Page
Comprehensive sub-navigation gets
all users into content quickly.
Plain language URL– easy to
maintain bookmark
Latest news releases.
Immediate access to ‘Why Invest?’
Centre panel keeps investors updated on new IR information and upcoming events/presentations – great for long-term user.
Ability to print or email page, sign up for
RSS feeds.
Stock price information.
Quick Links & pull down for frequently
accessed information.
Explanations for things like icons & quick
troubleshooting for file access problems
demonstrate intent to make easy for users.
http://www.potashcorp.com/investor_relations/
IR Index Page
http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/investor/resources.jsp
Comprehensive sub-navigation provides
entry into great supporting info re:
investment proposition.
Tabbed pages allows users to choose info of
interest right off the index page
– defaults to News ‘At a
Glance’.
Great use of feature boxes to highlight priority
content.
Executive perspectives help
you ‘know’ the people. Also has
Customer stories & product reviews.
IR Index Page
http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/investor/resources.jsp
Lower part of Sun’s investor
index “Highlights” provides quick entry into all
other frequently accessed content.
News Releases
http://www.cadburyinvestors.com/cadbury_ir/press_releases/?pr=1&yearall=&categories=fin_corp&image.x=11&image.y=7
Great feature to enable user to look up press
releases by year, subject & keyword.
News
http://www.potashcorp.com/investor_relations/news_and_events/news/news_releases
Segments news in one area. Offers
ability to search right off tab to go into
Library where you can search all
segments at once by year. Can sign up for RSS on any of them
or all news.
Quarterly Results
http://www.nexeninc.com/Investors/President_Update/Update1.asp
Great summary of information for Q3 results – a picture and quotation from the CEO, financial highlights followed by key bullets and
then the entire document, with
links to all relevant info/formats at the top of the page.
Quarterly Reports
http://h30261.www3.hp.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=71087&p=irol-reportsOther2008
Great annual view with archives immediately
available.
Segments quarterly information under “item”.
BARRIER #3:Content does not convey or summarize a compelling investment proposition
Why Invest? – Requirements Company background
Market data
Unique strengths & why they’re important
Mission
Strategic objectives
Leadership
Past performance
Define Your Story
http://www.potashcorp.com/microsite/annual_report/2008/our_story/
“More per acre” encapsulates vision statement. The problem and the need are intertwined
throughout all of the Company’s communications. It directly
connects to their vision statement.
Vision Statement: “Play a key role in the global food solution while building long-term value for all our stakeholders.”
Uses interactive online annual report to aid in
defining their story.
Why Invest?
http://www.potashcorp.com/investor_relations/why_invest/six_keys/
Potash provides top level information on the global
market opportunity for their product ‘potash ‘and how their company is poised to
capitalize on this.
Embedded links pop out charts and graphs to illustrate problem &
opportunity.
Why Invest? Why Invest linked to in-depth information on all aspects of their business including global trends & statistics that really illustrate their market opportunity & investment proposition.
See “Global Development” pull down for details.
http://www.potashcorp.com/investor_relations/industry_overview/2008/our_business/global_development/
Pull down: have downloadable ‘Business
Overview’. This entire section on Global
Development plays as a slide show. Have also included a glossary of
terms.
Why Invest?
http://www.potashcorp.com/investor_relations/why_invest/six_keys/
Intertwine the six keys to understanding their business in repurposed sections from their online report – use some flash but mostly static pages with embedded links, lots of charts providing market data. And they repeat this story –
‘Helping Produce More Per Acre’.
Company
http://www.potashcorp.com/investor_relations/company_profile/#strategy
History includes a pull down for each
year with performance overview and
stories on achievements in
ESR.
The Strategy is also highlighted on
this page.
“About Us” – Answers question of “Who we are. What we do. Where we’re going. How we’re going to get there.
Addresses leadership and accountability.
UK survey by Real World indicates that 91% of investors said they wanted more background on a company and its
competitors.
Markets Information
The “Markets Information” section provides extensive information on the
markets as well as the ability to sign up for
email alerts and RSS feeds for changes in market conditions.
http://www.potashcorp.com/investor_relations/markets_information/market_analysis_reports/
Management Views
This page adds value as it provides insights related to management expertise such as: impact of climate change, safety, customer relations, workplace skills,
competitive landscape, risk management.
Available as MP3 with transcripts.
http://www.potashcorp.com/investor_relations/management_views/interviews/
BARRIER #4:Key content is missing, in wrong format or just not engaging
Common Mistakes
Content is missing
Too much information in PDF format
Overuse of dark background with knockout type
Long monotonous scrolls
Amateur photography
Little/no use of multi-media
Snapshot Info/Relational Links
http://www.danisco.com/cms/connect/corporate/about%20danisco/danisco%20in%20brief/danisco_in_brief_en.htm
Often we see Fast Facts in the right rail along with Quick Links as
a way of highlighting key information from the centre panel. Most companies underutilize this.
They use the right rail for relational links – as a way of bringing information forward & moving users deeper into the
site.
Danisco uses the centre panel to provide
fast facts on their company.
Imagery Provides Visual Break
http://www.potashcorp.com/microsite/annual_report/2008/our_story/
= $12
+
+
+
Smaller companies have indicated they
typically don’t have big budgets for visuals.
To illustrate how inexpensive, we found the same images on
istock for $12.
Without imagery, this page wouldn’t be nearly
as inviting. Images prompt a user to dig
further.
Beyond the PDF – Communicating Board Skills
http://www.nexeninc.com/Governance/Board/Board_Bios.asp
Nexen does a great job on this page - spell out areas of expertise and puts
this information in a matrix. The matrix describes how the expertise of
their directors combine to help execute the company’s strategy and
ensure appropriate oversight.
Many companies normally include Board and officer bios, but usually
only include a reverse chronology of the positions they’ve held with no
emphasis on expertise.
Beyond the PDF
http://www.nexeninc.com/Governance/Board/AreasofExpertise.asp http://www.nexeninc.com/Governance/Board/performance_evaluations.asp
Detailed shot of Nexen matrix below. It provides the combined skills of their directors. They also
provide their process for evaluating the performance of their board.
Scorecards Provide Quick Snapshot
http://www.potashcorp.com/governance/goals_performance/
Details performance against annual governance goals and targets. Allows
user to call up performance records for previous three
years.
The use of score cards is a growing trend. It is useful for showing investors how
they measure their performance against goals
and then update their progress.
Beyond the PDF – Communicates Transparency
http://www.petro-canada.ca/en/corpgov/895.aspx
This section summarizes information pertaining to each Board member. The
notes link to an explanation of terms.
One area not covered in this chart is compensation – which is covered in detail
in a different section. Would be even better if
they included it all in one spot.
Offering Multiple Formats
http://www.shell.com/home/content/responsible_energy/sustainability_reports/dir_shell_sustainability_reports.html
Information is provided in a variety of formats – a
complete PDF report, a summary report, an online version and a print version.
BARRIER #5:Lack of methods/tools to aid relationship/brand building
Communicating Accessibility
http://www.investor.bayer.com/en/funktionsnavigation/kontakt/ir-team/
A lot of companies miss the opportunity to make it easy for investors to call and ask questions. Instead
of providing a contact name and their information they use a generic address such as info@investors.
Making IRO’s (and their teams) easily accessible gives a
company credibility. In
addition to providing full
contact information, Bayer even puts a face to the person – a very good way of engaging current
and potential investors.
Communicating Accessibility
https://www.petro-canada.ca/en/corpgov/763.aspx
Ability to contact the Board varies by company, from anonymous email forms (Petro Canada) to mail
/email specific titles such as Chair, Audit Committee, Ombudsmen (Potash & GE
– which also provides a phone number) to providing a specific contact name, as
Nexen has done.
http://www.potashcorp.com/about_potashcorp/management_and_bod/contact_board/
http://www.nexeninc.com/Governance/Contact_Information.asp
Communicating AccessibilityCoca-Cola details exactly how mail is handled and
indicates that the majority of information actually makes it to the board.
http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/investors/contact_board.html
Customization – 'My Page' Aviva has a “design your own information” page – very simple
to set up; you just check off items you want or choose a
profile from a pull down menu.
http://www.aviva.com/index.asp?pageid=3
Customization – Investor Briefcase
http://ir.healthstream.com/briefcase.cfm
The term “Investor Briefcase” means many different things – here it offers ‘wish list’ functionality that let’s you
choose items as you move through the site and view them in a summary area.
Frequently Sought Information – Investor Briefcase
http://www.cameco.com/investors/briefcase/
Cameco also uses an “Investor Briefcase” which allows users to consolidate the most sought after
information.
Staying in Touch – Newsletters
http://www.stockholders-newsletter-q1-09.bayer.com/en/homepage.aspx
Companies of all sizes offer regular newsletters to provide greater insight into operations etc. This helps
keep investors up-to-date and engaged.
Staying in Touch – Segmented Email Alerts
http://www.aviva.com/index.asp?pageid=933&tools=alerts
We surmise that approximately 90% of companies offer email alerts. More and more are now using segmented email alerts. Aviva maximizes this tool through the various types of information they allow users to download on the right-hand panel – i.e. news, earnings releases, presentation, reports.
Staying in Touch – Segmented RSS Feeds
http://www.ge.com/news/newsfeeds/index.html
RSS feeds are one of the best aids to address the SEC’s new disclosure guidance under Reg FD. Unlike email, which can be blocked in spam filters, RSS feeds can distribute timely information to your users as soon
as that information becomes available.
Leading companies such as GE
are now offering
segmented RSS feeds – which again, allow users to
select information of their choice.
Social Media IntegrationHere we look at a web site that integrates ‘sharing’ through social media, one way of gaining a greater exposure online.
http://www.agnico-eagle.com/English/GrowthProjects/Strategy/default.aspx
Conclusion – Ask Yourself These Questions
Am I addressing all user motivations?
Am I getting people into key content quickly?
Am I connecting the dots on our investment proposition?
Am I engaging my users?
Do I have tactics/tools to aid relationship building?
IR WEB SITE BEST PRACTICES
Manage your disclosure faster, easier and with less compliance risk.
www.q4websystems.com