Analyst Relations Strategy

Drilling down from corporate strategy and, thus, corporate communications strategy, below are the basic steps of an analyst relations strategy.

Having a strategic approach to analyst relations will not only help to ensure that your corporate goals are met, but a logical approach (ie giving analysts the right – rather than wrong – information at the right time in the right way) will strengthen relations with analysts.

Step 1: The analyst database

To determine which industry analysts could be interested in your company.

Step 2: Perception Audit

To undertake a Perception Audit. An Audit will determine how your company is perceived by industry analysts. And, if conducted annually (which is recommended), a Perception Audit would show how, over the intervening year, analysts’ perception of your company has changed.

Step 3: Messaging

Bearing in mind the results of the Perception Audit, to understand where there are information gaps with industry analysts. And, bearing this in mind, to craft compelling communication to be used when briefing analysts.

Step 4: Analyst-friendly web design

To evaluate your company’s website to ensure that it is analyst-friendly.

Step 5: Analyst relations training

To train analyst-facing folk in analyst relations and how to communicate with this important group of people.

Step 6: Briefings

To brief industry analysts.

In a briefing, the flow of information is mainly from the company spokespeople to the industry analyst.

As the majority of analysts are interested in a company overall and its strategic intent, then drilling down to its portfolio of offerings, it is recommended that an analyst relations strategy dovetails into a company’s financial year (eg Apr-Mar) or part thereof. So, for example, industry analysts could be briefed at the beginning of a company’s financial year (eg in Apr). Then, 6 months later, the analysts are briefed in Oct. And so on.

Briefings can be conducted face to face, via teleconference or, if there are sufficient numbers of analysts interested in a company, then an analyst event could be organised.

And, post-briefing, to follow up with these analysts.

Step 7: Forthcoming analyst publications

To check which forthcoming research industry analysts will be undertaking. So communicating with the right analyst at the right time with the right messaging, increases the chance of being written and spoken about by analysts.

Step 8: Analyst newsletters

To issue a monthly / bi-monthly / or quarterly analyst newsletter. Analyst-friendly newsletters can be a gentle reminder of a brand.

A good analyst newsletter should contain information that industry analysts crave, such as up-to-date corporate information, thought leadership, new announcements, etc.

Step 9: More briefings

Every 6 months, to brief analysts.

And so on…