Provides a broad set of perspectives, lessons, and the best practices that prove communicating a clear, concise, meaningful message to the investment community is critical.
With the fast pace of communications and change in today's global marketplace, investing in equities has become increasingly complex. Communicating a clear, concise, meaningful message to investors is critical. Dr. Higgins and his contributing authors provide a broad set of perspectives, lessons learned, and best practices in global investor relations. They examine the fundamentals of investor relations from a theoretical and practical perspective. They explore individual company strategies and challenges for investor relations in unique and meaningful situations—all from their own vantages and experiences at six topflight corporations with world-class investor relations organizations: AT&T, Schering-Plough, BASF, Reuters, Sony, and Toyota. Readers will get detailed pragmatic insights into the way IR is done in these important, highly visible corporations, plus the results of a unique five-year study of global strategy communications, complete with ideas and concepts they can use immediately in developing and influencing investor relations in their own organizations.
But Higgins' book is more than a collection of company studies. Impinging upon the strategic and financial communications of virtually every global corporation are institutional, market, and technological forces that are shaping the current practice of investor relations. The book examines these forces and their impact on strategic financial communications. It also explores the theoretical and empirical foundations underlying the practice of investor relations and presents a conceptual model—a strategic perspective—for viewing and analyzing best practices. In addition, the book presents the results of a recent survey of global investor relations practices in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, and Japan, plus two new studies of the latest communication technologies in U.S. companies.
Foreword by Mark W. Begor
Preface
Introduction
Conceptual, Institutional and Technological Foundations of this Book
Strategic Credibility
Current State of Investor Relations: Theory and Practice
Global Strategy Communications
The Use of Technology in Corporate Financial Communications
Cases in Global Strategic/Financial Communications: United States, Europe and Japan
AT&T: Communication in the Midst of Change by Connie Weaver
Investor Relations at Schering Plough Corporation: When Less is More by Geraldine U. Foster and Stephen K. Galpin, Jr.
The Strategic Role of Corporate Financial Communications/Investor Relations at BASF by Klaus D. Jessen
Reuters PLC: A Global Information Wholesaler to the Financial Community by Peter Gregson and Geoffrey Wicks
SONY: The Story of a Unique Management Style and Financial Communications with Investors by Yoshiko Sato
Toyota Motors: Strategic/Financial Communications During Difficult Times by Yoshiko Sato and Toru Yoshikawa
Lessons to be Learned from Leading Strategic/Financial Communications Companies
Key Success Factors in Global Strategic/Financial Communications
Selected Bibliography
Index
Endorsements
Dick Higgins goes right after the questions that are always on an IR officer's mind. By using a series of examples, he manages to weave a very practical but also a very interesting and readable guide to what makes an IR function great.... There's something for everyone in this book. I believe even seasoned IR officers will find food for thought and several practical tips that they will want to use in their own programs. I know I did.—Margaret Moore^LSenior Vice President and Treasurer^LThe Pepsi Bottling Group
Read this book to get a comprehensive view of investor relations by the companies that do it best, all around the world. Dynamic technological changes are transforming IR and Dick Higgins gives you a lively, up-to-the minute report.—Marty Fridson^LChief High Yield Strategist^LMerrill Lynch
Provides vital insight, through the use of case studies, into the means and methods for strategically communicating a company's goals and strategy to the investment community. Through globalization, we are finding in the investor relations practice many common threads across national boundaries, particularly with respect to strategic positioning of corporations....It's a must read.—Louis M. Thompson, Jr.^LPresident and CEO^LNational Investor Relations Institute^L
Provides a broad perspective, lessons learned, and best practices on global investor relations....A must read for both new and seasoned IR professionals interested in expanding and broadening their perspectives on investor communications.—Mark W. Begor^LExecutive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer NBC (From the Foreword of ^IBest Practices in Global Investor Relations)^R
