As with every form of communication, the medium of investor relations is a never-ending battle between form and content. Changing trends mean that the emphasis vacillates between one side and the other but a balanced mix of actual information and slick presentation is crucial to educate the audience and keep it interested.
With a bit of soul-searching, all IR professionals can probably identify more with one side than the other but that doesn’t mean that either element should be neglected. Don’t believe us? Try presenting a batch of impressive and comprehensive accounts to shareholders scribbled in biro on the back of a beer-stained napkin. On the other hand, see how impressed investors are after you’ve dazzled them with a glitzy Powerpoint presentation (with pumping soundtrack) that outlines next year’s strategy as ‘Do well and make money’.
Maybe, in the real world, form is taking precedence over content at the moment. A quick glance toward Anglo-American politics is enough to confirm that policies have taken a back seat as elections turn into a contest of who has the biggest smile or who can fit the most balloons into a room. We live in an age where MTV is king, where sound bites supplant substance and where attention spans are so short that most people can’t be bothered to read all the way to the end of the…
As a result, glamour, panache and pizzazz are starting to outweigh matter that engages the intellectual part of the brain. But investors, believe it or not, aren’t necessarily brain-dead consumers. They can be smart cookies who aren’t so easily sucked in by style. And that’s why investor relations is no picnic. Unlike politicians and marketeers, those in the IR industry know that sexy-looking annual reports, 21st century branding and whizz-bang web sites that double as sensory-annihilation devices demand attention but fall flat unless backed up by nitty-gritty data and hard facts.
As the only magazine to comprehensively cover global IR, Investor Relations magazine knows that. That’s why the style overhaul that you’ll notice in this issue shouldn’t be cause for concern. The standard of news coverage, topical features and in-depth guides that you’re accustomed to won’t slip, but should look a little more modern and user-friendly. Why change at all, you might ask? Well, having reached a century we felt that Issue 101 (which sounds a little too Orwellian to be endearing) should kick off with a brand new look.
We’ve taken on board the suggestions and criticisms of our readers and welcome your views on the new design. And although we toyed with the idea of pop-up features and hologramatic illustrations, you’ll be pleased to know we decided on something a little more subtle.
