Investor Relations

Investing for the Future

Investors are the owners of any public company. It is extremely important for an organization to keep a transparent line of communication open with their stakeholders. Through the years, a list of investor relations objectives have been defined. Companies must strive to explain their vision and strategy, ensure the expectations of the company's stock and work to reduce stock price volatility. All of these in concert will help the company to continually and consistently compete for capital.

There are two types of investors. Institutional investors hold large chunks of stock and trade actively while individual investors use company stock to benefit their own short and long term financial goals. Investors of all kinds learn about various options through intermediaries. Three types of such intermediaries are the media, which covers businesses and effect their stock, sell-side analysts who work either with financial firms or buy-side analysts who provide stock analysis to financial firms and ratings agencies, which determine "creditworthiness" of specified organizations.

It is important for organizations to create an investor relations program. Investor relations can work from inside an organization or from an outsourced agency. These programs are decided upon based on the size of a firm and its objectives for investor relations. Many companies in today's business climate have investor relations pages on their corporate websites. As we learned through the in-class assignment, all potential avenues of investor interest, from financial reports to investor contacts are available to help fully define the organization's objectives.

How I See it

After reading a glowing recommendation in Kiplinger magazine, I recently purchased my first stock. While my investment was not much, I was very impressed with the company's communication. From the outside looking in (as a non-investor), I sometimes forgot that shareholders of a company are the owners of the organization. After buying in, my inbox is periodically pinged with company updates, invites to shareholder seminars and long-term strategies. It is a welcome bit of personal confidence in an otherwise anonymous world that a company goes lengths to update even its smallest shareholders on the company's goals.

A friend of mine is an aforementioned buy-side analyst. While his knowledge of finance far exceeds my competence, it is interesting to speak with him about investing, especially in this time of financial crisis. He often tells stories of his meetings with clients and their personal concerns in regards to their investments. And, at the same time, I like hearing about the stocks I should "definitely" buy or ones I should "avoid at all costs," even though I do not have an extra cent to budget towards investing. Maybe one day, right?

Links

This link discusses the impending lawsuits that will be filed against Lehman Brothers for disseminating false information before the company's collapse. While the result will likely bring more shame to the Lehman name, times like these show the importance of an IR department.

The following video features Ken Brause, executive VP of investor relations of his company, CIT, discussing CIT's strategy of using new media such as podcasts to communicate with investors:

Intercultural Communication

Differing Values

In today's high-tech, global marketplace, forming business relationships is not relegated domestically. Organizations partner and do business with others from all across the globe. Now, more than ever, business people must be sure to pay close attention and adhere to cultural values of those not next door, down the street or across state, but throughout the world.

The intercultural project gave me great insight as to the differences between an American and a Frenchman. Dining habits, risk aversion and attitudes during meetings are all vastly different between the two cultures. As a young professional, this research and knowledge prepares me for a future that will no doubt present situations where I come in contact with those from another culture.

The CCAI assignment detailed exactly how prepared I currently am to face the challenges of doing business across culture. While my ER, FO, PAC and PA scores were better than I would have imagined, I realize there is always room to improve. For instance, my Personal Autonomy score could use some attention, but there is a sense of hesitation, because to focus solely on one trait would be to undermine the goal of increasing my effectiveness across all levels.

Intercultural Experience

"Are you married?" I asked Christian. He gave me a dumb look and said yes while flashing his jewelry-adorned right ring finger. "Oh, so in Germany you wear wedding rings on the right hand?" I said. "That's correct." Sure, I felt stupid. Fortunately, this interaction took place with a coworker of mine during an internship and not with a potential client across seas. While my mistake is likely common, the bit of embarrassment I felt taught me to always be observant and sensitive to the culture of others. Since that day, any time I meet someone from another culture, I am cautious to not ask the dumb question that could potentially have negative consequences on our relationship.

I traveled to my company's branch location in Los Angeles, California approximately six months ago. As expected, there were many employees at this location of Hispanic descent. Granted, the majority of them spoke fluent English, but to help form a relationship with people I rarely see in person I used the knowledge gained from my eight years in Spanish class. Despite being quite rusty, they were much appreciative of my attempts and to this day, whether on the phone or via e-mail, much of our correspondence is done in (albeit broken) Spanish. Our relationships have grown with each talk and we are in the position to be effective coworkers for some time.

Real Examples

The following link combines various aspects of our semester's topics. It has been reported that within minutes of last week's terrorist attacks in India, users of Twitter and Flickr were updating their sites with up to the minute information. This is an example that while there are countless differences between cultures and how to communicate across them, there are too some similarities.

As of this summer, there weren't many brands as American as Budweiser. Americans were stunned to hear that Anheuser-Busch was purchased by the foreign InBev. InBev's acquisition goes to show that no matter how seated you might be in a particular culture, there is always a possibility that you might be required to do business with an organization of a new culture and different values.

Crisis Communication

Dealing with Crisis

At some point in a company's life, a crisis is bound to happen. Whether Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson or Perrier, our text and class assignments presented many different types of crises and their eventual outcome. Some of the companies survived while others perished. And in each case, how different companies communicated their respective crises to constituents played a large part in the fate of the organizations.

To effectively handle a crisis, an organization must have taken precautionary measures prior to when the crisis occurs. By assessing the various risks, organizations can outline a plan and discover which constituents will be most damaged by a crisis. A formal plan including strategies for notifying employees and the media, as well as identifying a crisis headquarters must be documented.

Companies must gain control of the situation at the outset. A discovery process must take place followed by an educated public statement from the company's communication professional. Business must continue during crisis situations, so managers should be careful not to stray. Finally, the organization must learn from the crisis and make strides as to avoid a recurrence at some point in the future.

Avoid the Past

Roughly fifteen years ago, a major competitor of my company implemented a new business system. The system crashed within minutes of going live. The company had no contingency plan in place and millions of sales dollars and a huge lump of market share went out the door to other competitors. The organization was nearly ruined and struggled for a decade to regain business. Fifteen years later, my organization is about to implement a similar change. We, however, are prepared. "Plan B," "Plan C," and "Plan D" are all in place in the event of a catastrophe. We have learned from the mistakes of others and have taken great strides to prevent such an occurrence. But in the event something does happen, crisis teams and plans have been created.

A few years ago I had an internship with a grocery retailer. During a new store-opening the electronic food stamp reader malfunctioned. It was discovered that an administrative representative had failed to properly communicate when the system should be turned on. The other intern and I were placed in charge of handling the large groups of irate customers. Fourteen hours later the store closed for the evening and the crisis subsided. There had been no planning for such an event and the two of us were thrown into a hypothetical fire and were expected to put it out. While such an experience gave me knowledge for the future, it is an event that I would hope not to repeat in my professional career.

Links for Example

This link details the resignation of former FEMA head Mike Brown after the federal government's mishandling of Hurricane Katrina. It is a cruel irony that the head of an emergency relief organization was forced to resign after a catastrophe of such magnitude, but this example proves without a doubt the importance of sound crisis management.

The following video is a brief clip of Tony Shelton, President of Shelton and Caudle Crisis Communication Training offering tips on handling an organizational crisis:

Internal Communications

Communicating Within

Today's business offers a bevy of communication options. Whether it is e-mail, instant message, text message, video conference, audio conference, web conference, oh, and I cannot forget the telephone, employees are inundated with communication. While the aforementioned methods do benefit our organizations by making communication easier, managers must be careful to not solely rely on them. Face to face communication still does more to encourage and empower employees than any list of toys ever could.

Common issues arise in regards to internal communications. It is important to define these problems and make efforts to correct them. Many times the wrong people are in a certain "loop" while the right people are left out. This not only leads to misinformed employees, but could potentially alienate those who feel their opinions were devalued. Another issue is message misinterpretation. Each person processes information differently. If a communication is not conveyed explicitly in terms that the audience can understand, the message is lost. Noise always affects messages. Communication audits by an outside agency provide great insight to a company and their communication habits. This outside source brings objectivity to an otherwise subjective topic. An audit can help members on each side of a communication breakdown learn to improve and better prepare them for the future.

To effectively manage internal communications, organizations should make sure to do the following: Communicate upward and downward. This tactic will let employees know that someone is listening to them and not always just talking down to them. Face to face meetings remain invaluable to the morale of an organization. Exchanging feedback during these sessions helps each person feel more involved. And finally, company intranets and employee publications help employees stay in touch with their organization and help them feel a sense of belonging. Each of these factors can help companies engage and enlighten their employees, which does nothing but help internal communications.

The way I see it

An unfortunate reality of my company is that effective upward and downward communication is not present. The employee handbook says there is an "open door policy," but that is just fluff. There is no sense of communication other than a rigid, up-the-ladder approach. Not surprisingly, communication at my company is strained. There are instances of not being included in meetings of which I serve as a central information source. This lack of communication hurts the ability to successfully complete projects and move forward.

In a much different example, I cite my internship with Aldi Foods in 2006. The position was District Manager intern and the major focus was to shadow a District Manager's day to day responsibilities. Communication was upward and downward. DM's would easily communicate to store managers, assistant managers and store clerks. Clerks were encouraged to openly communicate with the DM's regarding any topic, serious or light. Employee morale across the organization was high and this welcomed communication played a large role.

Prime examples

This article shows an unfortunately true example of what happens when different departments in an IT company do not communicate well internally. Skewed perceptions between the different functions magnify the problem further.

The following video is a take-off of the Mac v. PC commercials. It features "Paper" and "Electronic" going back and forth about the use of technology to increase internal communication. In this case, "Electronic" has the upper hand, but it does highlight traits of each method.

Media Relations

Success with the Media

An organization having a positive relationship with the media is of utmost importance to its success. Not only is the media the channel for a company's message, but it is also a constituency that much be respected. An effective balance or, "give and take" with a media source will evoke respect and mutual understanding from both parties involved. Communication professionals from within the organization must be involved in company strategy in order to provide a transparent view from any media source that comes in contact with the company.

Media coverage of companies has certainly grown in the past generation. Whether the medium is television, radio, print or Internet, there is a constant stream of media reaction and opinion to the daily functions of the business world. This is where a communications team becomes so important. The team becomes the face of an organization, and without diligence, relationships with the media can become strained.

To maintain and foster a relationship with the various sources of media, companies need to first identify the proper outlets for their messages. Researching the "angle" of an upcoming story is important in order to craft a message for the proper audience. When the media calls on a company, the company should be willing to give the outlet the proper time and preparation as to not alienate the contact. Preparation is a key factor in the success of any media relationship. An executive should be familiar with a reporter's previous works and should by all means do a complete rehearsal of the interview before it occurs. This way, the executive will appear more confident and clear while delivering his or her messages.

Jennifer Miele did an excellent job of discussing the importance of a two-way relationship between an organization and a media representative. Her first-hand knowledge of how a relationship fostered in an afternoon can last and be mutually beneficial in the future displayed the necessity of an effective media relations initiative.

First-hand Experience

During our quarterly goals meeting last week, my department discussed an impending article in a trade magazine that will detail one of our new facilities. In the meeting we brainstormed ideas and topics for our executive to discuss with the reporter. This was the first step in what will be an intense preparation for our executive. He will be briefed on all important statistics and how this new facility has increased production and, in turn, customer service.

Our competition has been critical in the past of our business structure and we feel it is important for our executive to go on the record and lay these claims to rest. By the time the interview takes place in December, he will have been prepped with all of the ammunition he needs to effectively display our company's image.

The success that will come (and has come) of this interview is because our marketing department has the knowledge and ability to effectively communicate with the media personnel. Granted, our sole specialties are not in media relations, but each of us carry enough understanding of the process that a solid piece will be constructed.

Each month, the Communications Director at my company sends press releases to roughly ten different publications that print about the steel industry. In the process of receiving a promotion recently, I was contacted by a representative from the magazine who asked a few questions about my history and future plans. This give and take relationship between a publication and my organization is very effective and helps foster future relationships.

In the News

It has been a hard few months for our nation's banks. In this time of crisis, it is important that banks under new ownership provide their customers with knowledge and insight. Here, JPMorgan Chase lets its customers know that their money is safe.

And finally, here is a video from Jennings Public Relations & Advertising discussing the benefits of a "viral" Media Relations campaign:

Corporate Advertising

Making a point

Football is a great sport. In my opinion, it is the true American past-time. With each passing season, however, the games become more and more difficult to watch. A player steps out of bounds. "Well, let's go to a commercial break." Football players are known as sixty-minute men. Perhaps if the amount of commercial breaks were cut in half, they could have a chance to live up to their billing. For instance, CBS charged $2.6 million for a thirty-second spot during the Super Bowl last year.

This cornucopia of advertising is welcomed by the NFL and the networks hosting the games. Millions of dollars are made each year on thirty-second spots for Edge shave gel and Geico Caveman ads. Corporate advertising is an integral part of successful organizations.

The Ways

There are two types of advertising, corporate and product. Corporate advertisements are paid for either by the corporate communication department or directly from the CEO's budget. These corporate ads are designed to enhance the company's image. A good example of such advertising is Chevron's latest initiative. Called "Energyville," the plan is to make consumers aware that Chevron is more than just another big oil company. "Energyville" is a game that lets its players choose different means of powering a city for twenty years. Players are encouraged to share their results and compete with others. This way, consumers are able to take part in a hands-on experiment as opposed to just reading or seeing a static advertisement that may or may not be true.

Product advertising comes from the marketing department. In this day and age, smart phones like the Blackberry and iPhone are all the rage. Therefore, many advertisements are geared towards these types of products. My company sells steel pipe and tube. The majority of our advertisements are of the product persuasion. While some skew the line a bit, they are more product than corporate. Here is a recent advertisement for a new, centrally located facility to make our customers' supply chains more effective:


I am in disagreement with my company's approach to advertising. We have a positive image and reputation in our industry, but we very much lack effective advertising. As a young gun in the marketing department, I realize the importance of a headstrong advertising initiative but the older-hat executives believe customer care and in-depth selling are the most vital keys to success. While they are certainly correct about the keys to our success, I feel we could do more to project our identity to some uninformed potential customers. Trade magazines abound and our failure to advertise in them could hurt our market share going into a recession.

Sending a message

Advertising has been known to effectively convey statements or messages that organizations may believe in. These "advocacy" advertisements could be Microsoft writing a letter to promote the necessity of computers in a classroom or a celebrity like George Clooney holding benefits to stop the genocide in Darfur. Messages of this nature must be fully embraced and explained by organizations as to not alienate their constituencies.

Organizations use advertising for a few reasons. The first, like my company and their product ads, to increase sales. Through the years, executives have focused more on seeing a return-on-investment from their advertising campaigns. This, I believe, is why my company tends to stray from advertising. Not to offend the accountants of the world, but while my organization is sales-based, it is known as an accounting firm (off the record of course) within the company. Without concrete numbers to bear example, they do not believe an in-depth advertising campaign is worth the cost.

Advertising can help to create and reinforce a company's reputation. In the case of the aforementioned Microsoft, their decision to advocate computer literacy to a young generation lets consumers know they [Microsoft] care about our country's future instead of just the millions in revenue.

A strong reputation goes a long way to assisting the next audience for advertising: new employees. The ability to advertise a solid reputation helps companies find and keep the best people and top performers in their respective industries. Employee turnover is a huge cost to organizations, so to build a strong and satisfied employee base leads to years of a successful enterprise.

In short, advertising is how companies display their image to the public. The various means are tailored to each particular industry, but there is no denying that effective advertising can help organizations succeed.

Identity, Image and Reputation

Branding Life

Looking back, I believe it was my seventh grade Reading teacher, Ms. Duckstein (actual name), who one day mentioned a survey she had recently read. The topic of the survey was something along the lines of "Most Recognizable Silhouette". Michael Jordan's was the hands down winner. This was not a national, or even North American, survey. The poll in question reached those across the world. Number 23 was the winner.

At the time, my middle school basketball-crazy brain thought nothing more than, "Yeah, that sounds about right. Jordan is really great." Little did I know that Jordan had parlayed his basketball successes to a burgeoning empire of endorsements and businesses. One of the most famous brands in the world evolved during my adolescence.

When I think about Jordan, Nike, McDonalds, or any other high-profile symbol or brand it is amazing to me the time and calculation these entities have dedicated to their identities, images, and reputations.

Pieces of the Pie

Our textbook defines identity as "the visual manifestation of the company's reality as conveyed through the organization's name, logo, motto, products, services, buildings, stationery, uniforms, and all other tangible pieces of evidence created by the organization and communicated to a variety of constituencies." I look no further than my company to see the benefits of an identity. Whether it is our big blue trucks hauling material down the interstate, high-quality material, or our newly instituted motto, "It's fast. It's easy. It's convenient. It's Marmon/Keystone." I have the utmost confidence we know what we are doing when it comes to identity.

The image we deliver is based off the identity. Our constituencies know who we are. They see the blue trucks and appreciate our quality material and friendly service. When I started a new position recently one of my objectives was to create a survey and gauge our customers' perception of the organization. The results delivered. Respondents gushed over the high level of customer service they receive and at the same time, were always happy with the quality of our material.

These factors go a long way towards shaping our reputation. Whenever a Lexus hums past me on 279, I may not be able to see inside the vehicle, but there is little doubt the cuff-link clad driver is surrounded by smooth leather and heated seats. To me, that is Lexus' reputation. My company's reputation is of good people, good material, and great service. That is why we were able to celebrate our 100th anniversary in 2007.

Staying Consistent

A brand can only work if the organization works diligently in the background. As we saw in the Muzak case, the company's identity was stagnant. They were known for one thing: elevator music. It did not help that each franchisee was selling the brand under their own accord. There was no consistency to the brand. The company saw gains when a central focus was developed. FedEx noticed a shift in their constituents' perceptions. They adapted to this changing environment (thank you chapters 1 and 2!)and it made their customers happy.

To remain consistent, an organization must adhere to a number of steps. First they must conduct an identity audit. Who are they and what do their identities project? Many of us who decided to enroll in the EMBA program conducted somewhat of an identity audit. I know I asked myself "What do I want to become?" and "How will this next step help me in the future?"

The next step is to set identity objectives. The challenge in this step is for internal constituents to acknowledge what could be a lack of recognition outside the organization. Change happens from the inside out. The text's KFC example was pertinent. To adapt to health conscious consumers, the fried chicken outfit shortened their name to an acronym that projected a less unhealthy menu. Whether or not that is the case can be disputed, but from the outside looking in, a positive change had taken place.

KFC developed a new design and a new name for their brand. With years of success to fall back on, it was most likely hard for executives to launch this type of campaign. New signage and advertisements were required. It is at that point the organization needed a multitude of different viewpoints. Is this really where they wanted to go? Some may have had a closed mind but when an organization is inspired to change/improve, the majority of witnesses will voice their opinions.

Once a new brand has been decided upon, it is of utmost importance to communicate this launch to the audience. In this case, the first audience should be the organization's employees. As stated before, change must come from the inside out. If employees do not believe in the transition, how are they to sell a customer on the change? Other constituents will see right through the smoke and mirrors of a poorly conceived re-branding effort.

Implementing the new brand is not an in and out task. It can take months or years to successfully re-brand. Along the way, the new reputation must be measured and managed to ensure the original directives and concepts are being implemented correctly.

A Lasting Image

The number of steel distribution centers in the United States is in the hundreds. Many carry like products, many more carry the exact same products. If it was not for Marmon/Keystone's consistent identity, image and reputation, I doubt 2007 would have seen us reach the $1 billion sales mark. I doubt even further that Berkshire-Hathaway would have acquired 60% of our parent company.

Here is a link to an article about the re-branding of Martha Stewart. Martha has been through some difficult times, and a new identity could suit her well.

Political opinions aside, one of our presidential candidates has recently re-branded: