With another year’s AGM and proxy season over with, your corporate access team has officially entered the off-season. But don’t let its name fool you — it’s a busy time of the year for your team.
The 2022 off-season is especially important for your ongoing investor strategy, as it coincides with a historic market downturn. Between tightening regulations and runaway inflation, many IROs are combatting poor market sentiment and performance. Worse yet, economists hint that the year’s biggest losses may be on their way, with a possible recession looming.
It’s a lot to grapple with on your own. That’s why these off-season engagement tips can help give your investor relations strategy a vital leg-up.
What Are the Benefits of Off-Season Engagement Activities?
Any time you can create a dialogue with investors is a win for your team. These discussions provide your tech with invaluable data, especially if you invest in the latest engagement analytics and CRM for investor relations. You’ll gain a greater understanding of your shareholder base and the motivations behind investors’ decision-making.
Feeding extra data into your IR tech means you’ll hone your ability to target the right investors and spot activist campaigns in the future.
Another advantage of off-season communication is more central to your CRM strategy. You’ll foster better relationships by reaching out to investors. That can prime your team for your next proxy season, as goodwill can encourage investors to support your company in a proxy vote.
Tips for Engaging Investors During the Off-Season
Off-season engagement is all about touching base with your investors. While many IRO teams do this by committing to an aggressive roadshow schedule, your time may be better utilized by digitizing these events.
The latest webcasting tools make it easy to host virtual roadshow events and shareholder meetings. Once you have this IR tech in your arsenal, you’ll deliver personalized content and a branded environment for all future capital markets events.
Considering this past proxy season’s focus on ESG, it’s important you place your ESG IR narrative front and center—both in virtual events and your IR website. Make sure to revisit your investment proposition with this focus across all channels. That includes other engagement activities, from general newsletters and surveys to more direct one-on-ones and meetings.
Timing will always be an issue for your team, so it may be tempting to focus most of your energy on major shareholders. However, it’s a good idea to refer to your IR tech (engagement analytics and IR CRM apps) to help you create an informed shortlist of key investors you should broach during the off-season.
Don’t Be the Only One without an Off-Season Plan
According to IR Magazine’s latest Off-Season Governance Report, two-thirds of investor relations teams focus on engagement activities outside of the typical proxy season. More importantly, the report’s key findings reveal three-quarters of investors believe these engagements strengthen relationships.
With investors interested in off-season communication, you can’t afford to be the only company cooling your heels. Use these tips as a springboard for your investor relations strategy.