Time for an upgrade
Fortune favors the tech-adventurous
Human interaction is – and most likely will remain – the bread and butter of IR. After all, ‘nothing beats a good phone call or face-to-face meeting’ hums the eternal refrain of IR Magazine research survey verbatim comments. But it’s hard to ignore the wave of high- tech tools that have come the IRO’s way, be it in the form of artificial intelligence, telepresence or robo-reporting.
So how can investor relations and technology work hand in hand? This special themed issue, which includes an exclusive research report on tech spending and the tech preferences of IR teams, explores which tools and strategies modern IROs can embrace to boost their performance.
When Spotify decided to go public in an unusual direct listing, for example, it had to find a different way to get its message to investors without the aid of underwriters. It turned instead to live-streaming, offering a public view into its messaging and plans that lays down a marker for others following in its footsteps.
With news organizations developing tech solutions for earnings reporting, Ben Ashwell looks at the intricacies of the automated story production – spoiler alert: there are humans involved – and what this means for IROs (see Robo-reporting the earnings release). And Andrew Holt discovers that innovative IROs have opted for online chat rooms, animations and video clips to enhance their investor communications (see Becoming multimedia-savvy).
Elsewhere, Garnet Roach reveals that there technically is such a thing as a free lunch with a list of free tools, including an IR website toolbox, a smart travel app for roadshows, and a polling and feedback instrument.
Elsewhere, we speak to Allianz Global Investors about governance improvements in Asia and how companies are becoming more open to dialogue around board independence. And because it’s that time of the year again, we look ahead to what will be happening in Vegas and Toronto at this year’s NIRI and CIRI conferences. See you there!
Summer 2018 features:
COVER STORY
Spotify’s direct listing raised eyebrows for how it differs from usual IPOs – for one thing, by reaching investors via live-stream. Ben Maiden reports
Audio article available
TECHNOLOGY & IR SPECIAL SECTION
Garnet Roach looks at how intelligent robots and algorithms are affecting the profession, and what IROs can expect to see from the technology down the line
Audio article available
The number of earnings releases covered by news outlets has recently increased from hundreds to thousands, with news agencies aided by robo-reporters. Ben Ashwell investigates the pros and cons for IR
Audio article available
IR teams haven’t always taken advantage of multimedia technology – but their days as tech agnostics may be running out, as Andrew Holt discovers
Audio article available
Online tools can help IROs to keep investors better informed or reach out to shareholders. Garnet Roach looks at making the IR budget go further with free services
From corporate access platforms to shareholder ID surveillance, technology is there to help IR teams improve their productivity – and free up time for more value-added activities. Andrew Holt reports
Audio article available
RESEARCH
How IR teams are using technology budgets, where they plan to focus resources and how happy they are with the tools they have
REGIONAL FOCUS: NORTH AMERICA
More than 60 IR professionals braved the snow in early February to gather for the IR Magazine Forum – Canada
Audio article available
In Palo Alto, some of the world’s most innovative companies are preparing for a slate of new IR challenges. Ben Ashwell listened in on their discussions at the IR Magazine Think Tank – West Coast
Audio article available
REGIONAL FOCUS: EUROPE
Candice de Monts-Petit examines the EU’s Market Abuse Regulation, which requires companies to produce up-to-date insider lists and disclose director share transactions, among other things
Audio article available
REGIONAL FOCUS: ASIA
Governance and board independence in Asia have long been brought into question, but one major investor is pushing to make boards in Hong Kong truly independent. Andrew Holt and Garnet Roach report
Audio article available
AWARDS
Highlights from the IR Magazine Awards – US 2018
Highlights from the IR Magazine Awards – Canada 2018
William Galligan and Greg Secord won this year’s lifetime achievement gongs at IR Magazine’s US Awards and Canada Awards, respectively. They reflect on their careers with Ben Ashwell
CONFERENCES
CIRI kicks off the North American conference season with plenty on the agenda, as Candice de Monts-Petit discovers
Candice de Monts-Petit previews the annual NIRI event
BUY SIDE
Kempen’s Sustainable Value Creation Fund looks beyond fair value in search of long-term growth stories around innovation, people and planet, uncovers Gill Newton
Regulars:
CAREERS
With men still taking up nearly two thirds of top IR jobs, it seems no meaningful crack appeared in IR’s glass ceiling in 2017, finds Candice de Monts-Petit
Hays’ former head of IR shares his thoughts about his debut at British Land. Candice de Monts-Petit reports
Based in San Francisco, Ian Lee is vice president of investor relations at Nasdaq-listed Australian tech firm Atlassian
TECH TALK
The rise of social media has made the potential impact of rumors and fake news an issue that can easily spin out of control. Garnet Roach reports
SPECULATOR
This bubble is expanding faster than the Big Bang at the start of the universe, warns Ian Williams
ADVICE
Scott Payton explores lessons the world’s best online corporate communications teams can teach about effective use of digital channels
IR PAPERS
A roundup of academic research from the world of IR studies, as seen by Jeff Cossette
LAST WORD
Here’s the top 10 list of the best IR songs in the world, ever. You probably had no idea they were about IR, but they are, as Clare Harrison explains
