IR Impact Awards – Canada

Finding new ways to collaborate with investors and other buy-side participants is a core part of every IR program. In this category, we’re looking for examples of how teams have found new routes to reach and work alongside the buy side, whether that’s through providing an innovative corporate access opportunity, creating new communications materials or introducing a new event format.

The letter from the chief executive is both an important force for communicating key messages and tone, and an area ripe for innovation. From video to AI to a new style that better captures the investment story, we want to hear how you’ve been elevating the CEO letter. Tell us about your thought process, how you implemented change, where tech is supporting your efforts and how this vital segment of the annual report has been received. 

Judges are looking for IR teams who have had to think out of the box in the past 12-18 months to update their shareholder communications campaign and keep up with the evolving needs and wants of the investor community. We’re looking for that tiny little spark of innovation that sets your company apart!

Did you hold a capital markets day, site visit or other investor event that made your company stand out from the crowd? Tell us how you came up with an original initiative, the way you managed its organization, and how your audience’s expectations were met; audience feedback is also welcome. Both virtual and in-person events can be considered for this award. Market cap breakdown: Micro-cap = below C$300 mn / Small cap = between C$300 mn – C$2 bn / Mid-cap  = between C$2 bn – C$10 bn / Large cap = C$10 bn and over

Have you gone above and beyond to reach new investors and tell your company story? Have you recently changed your targeting strategy to reach new prospects, adapt to adversarial circumstances, or get a better return from your investor engagements? We want to hear from you.

Our judges will look for innovative use of data and analysis to optimize your marketing schedule and provide better returns on your IR department and management’s time on the road and at conferences.

How did your IR team go above and beyond to support a recent corporate transaction? Let us know the details. We’ll be looking at the IR team’s involvement in crafting/releasing the messaging for the financial markets and how it organized outreach and dialogue to gain approval from key shareholders.

Tell us about a time in the past 18 months where IR made a significant difference to your company. This could be an unusual capital raise, navigating a tricky situation or finally landing that investor you’ve been courting. In your entry you should show exactly how the work of the IR team drove success and detail what that success looked like – and what it meant for the company.

The IR website is the first point of contact for an IRO’s audience. We want to hear from companies that have developed a best-in-class website displaying top-notch customer experience, engaging content that meets analysts’ and investors’ needs, and multiplatform access.

IR teams have recently started to pay attention to and service the traditional blind spot in their shareholder base – the retail investor block. In this category, we’re looking for IR campaigns that include a retail shareholder communication strategy, how it differed from the usual program and the results of these efforts.

Working closely with analysts is a core part of many IR programs, but it can pose a challenge when thinking about how to prioritize your time and focus on your company’s sell-side followers. In this category we are looking for teams that have implemented new strategies for keeping up with the sell side, working with analysts and deriving the most from their relationships to best serve their corporate strategies.

Companies face growing demands to inform investors about the risk and opportunities they face on a range of sustainability issues. Describe how your company was able to meet the demands of shareholders looking for substance, details and performance through your communication and disclosure on corporate sustainability. Market cap breakdown: Small cap = below US$1 bn / Mid-cap = between US$1 bn – US$7.49 bn / Large cap = US$7.5 bn and over

Have your IR teams increased visibility and engagement digitally through the use of different communication channels?

Describe the innovative ways you have incorporated video, audio, infographics or webcasts into your IR program. Judges will be looking for evidence of the quality of output, use of creativity and heightened investor and analyst engagement via these channels.

Have you harnessed cutting-edge technology like AI to enhance your IR efforts?

In this new category, we want to hear about how you have used tools to overcome IR challenges, create efficiencies, enhance intelligence or improve the quality of your IR activities. Judges want to hear about the tools you have used in your IR efforts, how you used them and the measures implemented to ensure safe and responsible use of technology.

This award seeks to honor individuals who bring fresh thinking and a unique approach to the profession. This category is open to anyone who has been working in IR for less than 10 years and has less than 15 years of professional experience.