The ICR Westwicke Blog is designed to deliver information and insights into the ever-changing world of healthcare communications.
I remember when reporters answered their phones because they were always at their desks, and only the very wealthy had cell phones. I remember sending materials via overnight mail, because that was the way reporters in Washington, D.C. wanted to be pitched. Then came dial-up internet and the common chime: “You’ve got mail.”
When your company issues a press release, it shouldn’t catch anyone in your company by surprise. If it does, your leaders won’t be able to properly prepare for incoming analyst questions — and that could be disastrous. That’s why it’s essential to have an established internal process for issuing public information. If you don’t have a process — or find that it often breaks down and becomes ineffective — here are five strategies to implement.
Any company that finds Wall Street analyst estimates out of line with its own financial projections faces a potentially risky perception problem. How management handles the situation can determine whether they reassure investors or lose credibility with the Street.
Comprised of former buy- and sell-side professionals, Westwicke’s managing directors can attest to how notoriously difficult financial markets are to predict. One area where there is at least some degree of certainty is the heightened challenge of executing a financing in the midst of an election year, where initial public offering (IPO) activity and appetite for risk tend to diminish, particularly in a politically-charged vertical such as healthcare.
The relationships you build with investors are crucial to your overall business strategy. But as you develop a strong investor relations (IR) plan, consider the following core elements that will help you build a credible reputation with the right audience. From fine-tuning your messaging to nurturing shareholder relationships to selecting the right partner, the investments you make now, will pay off over the long-term.
Scan the pages of the news and you’ll likely see stories of failed IPOs. Despite fast growth, some companies that go public are plagued by poor preparation and questionable business models. But completing an initial public offering (IPO) is a significant decision for your healthcare company and will transform the way you do business. As the largest healthcare-focused investor & public relations firm in the U.S., our team has handled countless healthcare IPOs. As a result, we’ve witnessed wins and successes as well as IPO mistakes companies make in their quest to go public. If you’re running a company that’s growing fast, avoid these big mistakes as you look to go public.
Drawing investor attention can pose a challenge, even for companies with groundbreaking, new science. In a space teeming with competition, it’s vital that emerging biophama companies developing innovative therapies also establish strong messaging to reach and intrigue potential investors.
Your earnings calls are more than just numbers – they present an important opportunity to make a favorable impression and add context to your financials while establishing expectations for investors. Prepare your team and set yourself up for a successful earnings call with these eight, simple best practices.
“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”
— Thomas Jefferson
Just as honesty fuels wisdom on life’s great matters, candid thoughts from outsiders can prove invaluable for corporate executives seeking to learn how key market participants view their company. A perception study can play a vital role in gathering these opinions.
At Westwicke, an ICR Company, we know what constitutes investor relations (IR) best practices for one important reason: as former investors, bankers, analysts, and salespeople, we have the experience to understand information flow dynamics on Wall Street and the proven strategies. We have discussed specific best practices of a good IR strategy at length – sometimes in broad strokes and other times in greater detail. Every once in a while, however, it is important to pick your head up out of the trees and view the forest to get a sense of the prevailing buy-side perspective on IR and confirm that your intuition is in fact correct. I recently came across a global buy-side survey conducted by Rivel Research Group that underscores our qualitative expertise on IR strategy with quantitative measures. It is important for management teams of publicly traded companies to consider these buy-side perspectives as they approach IR.
