Welcome to Investor Relations: The Bottom Line, where we unpack the strategies for attracting and retaining investors.

In this episode, our marketing and strategy director Amit Anil explores key investor trends shaping the industry, from the importance of clear communication to the rise of renewable energy as a sought-after sector. 

Stick around for valuable insights on crafting a compelling message, leveraging communication channels, and engaging investors for long-term success. It's all about staying ahead of the curve in the world of investor relations. 

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Amit Anil: Welcome to Investor Relations - the bottom line, where my team and I provide insights on how you can attract and retain great investors.  

Donna Warner: Welcome Amit. So considering it's a new year, what are some of the investor trends currently shaping the industry?  

Amit Anil: The key trend I've been noticing, and you can't really call it a trend, I think it's a movement. It's almost a revolution, so to speak. And that's global. And that comes down to ESG. Investors of all levels are very curious about what is this company doing when it comes to sustainability. Are they actually changing and updating their policies and their processes? And I think that has a lot to do with the bigger picture, the more macro movement moving towards renewable energy. We're moving towards cleaner energy.

I mean, everything about, at least with what I'm consuming is talking about what's happening with EVs, how the world's moving towards hydrogen. But I think overall where it's safe to say that we know investors and people at large are very much concerned about our planet and looking after it, you know, and this is where I think in the past few years, especially past COVID, it's really pushing everyone to think more and more about what impact, what environmental impact does my investment have.

So I think that's the key aspect. Now, the second key aspect.  And again, I'm not going to call it a trend, but it is a trend that investors are becoming more vocal about the lack of communication from companies they've invested in or from companies they're thinking about investing in. And you know, after all these years, communication is still a huge factor, you know, it makes and breaks civilisation.

I'm definitely noticing companies of all sizes are making more of an effort to communicate with potential and existing investors, keep them updated and communicate how they are addressing the market and what's going on globally, not just in the local markets, but also globally; how that impacts them and their industries and how they're thinking about overcoming challenges posed by macro factors. 

Donna Warner: So how do you think companies can stay ahead of the game and align with these investor trends?  

Amit Anil: I think the key aspects companies need to remember, acknowledge, and integrate into their investor relations strategies is that investors are cautious. They're cautious about what they're going to invest in, how that's going to impact, you know, the community, their portfolio, the planet as large as we spoke about, usually that all comes down to clarity.  

So attracting potential investors and retaining current investors in your company boils down to clear communication, regular communication and transparency. I think to a certain degree, I understand, you know, not everything can be laid out there. But clear, transparent communication, I would say is by far, the key aspect and the key trend movement that companies really need to adapt and bring to the centre of their investor relations approach.  

Donna Warner: Okay, thanks Amit. So what are some of the potential benefits of aligning with these investor trends?  

Amit Anil: One of the key benefits is access to more capital. The more investors you attract and the more investors you retain, there's more capital that you potentially can tap into as a company that's growing and wanting to expand. 

The next benefit is helping current and potential investors understand how you're aligned with where the world's going when it comes to ESG, when it comes to sustainability and what impact you're having not just on the investors and the stakeholders, but also on the local areas in the communities that your companies exist in,

And what this does is that it builds a good, robust, genuine brand reputation. It's very easy, I think, in the past 5 to 10 years to see brands and hear about brands popping up overnight and what seems to be becoming successful overnight, but more often than not, when robust sticky investors looking at an investment, they're thinking 5 years, 10 years down the track.

And it does take time to build a genuine and positive brand. And when I say positive brand, I'm not just saying, I don't just mean that people are talking positively about your brand, but a brand that aligns and connects with people at an emotional level with their values, what they stand for and who they are.

I mean, that's what brands are all about. If it's done well, you know, you will attract the target market that you're aiming for. I mean, take when it comes down to simply put the brands that people choose for cars, for clothes, for, um, you know, that even these suburbs that people live in are technically a brand that they choose. And the suburb then attracts those specific people to that area to come and live there.

So, Companies and brands aren't much different. You know, it comes down to really genuinely sticking to those brand values that you have come up with, um, updating your brand vision as you need, but more often than not embedding your key brand messages into your investor relations strategy.

Because at the end of the day, it is people who are investing in you because they believe in you, your management, your team, your services, your products, and the greater good that you'll be achieving as a company. 

And the third aspect, which is the most important, is that with this genuinely robust brand reputation that you're building on a regular basis because the brand building is a never-ending story, right? It's a constant thing that you have to build on, you have to work on, and you have to grow.

I mean, a great case is Coca-Cola, right? Like they've been around forever, but you still see them building their brands. You still see them Communicating their message and their value. So it's the same thing when it comes to companies, regardless of what industry they stay in. Brand building is where it's at and investor relations is a strong part of it.  

The result of everything I've just said is you're attracting a new generation. You're attracting a new mindset, a new way of thinking, which is the future of our nation, so to speak.  

Donna Warner: Ok. So overall, Amit, what are the top three things that companies should focus on for investor engagement? 

Amit Anil: The first thing would be developing a clear message, um, and embedding that through all the different brand channels that a company may have. And that starts firstly on your website, right? That's the epicentre for your brand. Um, and that's where everyone goes. So having a, um, not just having a great website, but also having a really well thought out user experience and then make sure that you do have an investor centre, an investor corner, a page, a portal for investors that delivers the key numbers and the information they need to evaluate their investment in your company on a regular basis, but also communicates messages. Also share stories about how your brand is making an impact on people's lives, on the planet, on the environment and on their bottom line.

Um, so an investor centre or an investor portal is very important. It's not just to deliver your announcements or your share price or your recent appointments of directors, but it's also to connect with investors on a level where it goes beyond just "I like this company", or "I like the brand". It should be: "I really believe in this team" and "I really believe in the management and their vision of why they show up to work every day". So it is a deeper level of connection that you have to build with investors.

So clear messaging, embed it across all your channels, your websites, your social media, your investor webinars, your investor days and investor updates. All of these are brand touchpoints for companies, for you, to be able to build really strong relationships with your current investors. And those really well-built relationships with current investors then give away for word-of-mouth, which is still by far the strongest marketing tool there and they will attract more.

And that's usually, you know, how most of our humans work. Hey, I really like this. I think they're brilliant. You should check them out. And I think it's hard to measure, which makes it an underrated tool to tap into.

For a company. I think it's also important for companies to have a good finger on the pulse, when it comes to investor sentiment. Not just for the investors that are invested in the company, but in that space that investors exist in.

Um, what is the market sentiment? What is the investor sentiment? This is where your stakeholders involved can be... as a company, you should be tapping into all these different channels for you to be able to understand or the management to be able to understand how the market sees the company.

That's because regardless of everything you do and everything you say, the perception of the market of your company, of your management, of your brand is also important to acknowledge and leverage.

Overall, if companies are ticking off all these boxes, then the investors will show, the investors will come. Because the existing investors are going to be out there saying, man, this company is great.
The management is really awesome. I believe in them, and they're very transparent, and I feel like I truly am a shareholder in the company. And to achieve that outcome, I think is the ultimate, ultimate paramount goal of every investor relations strategy and every company that wants to attract and retain robust investors. 

Donna Warner: Well, thanks Amit for today. These answers are very insightful. We look forward to getting you back soon.  

Amit Anil: Thanks Donna. I'll definitely be back. Now, I've covered a lot. And if you're thinking this is a lot to soak in,  that's exactly what my team and I are here for. So reach out to us. Let's start the conversation and let's make driving investor confidence the key theme for 2024.

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