Objective

To develop a key SRI contacts register for the company

Activity

This project would include developing a ‘Register of SRI interest’ including key contacts at buy-side asset managers, sell-side brokers and SRI agencies.

It would use as sources:

  • Sector & stock interest as indicated on SRI-CONNECT
  • Information held by the company on its current ratings, index inclusions, sell-side views, buy-side evaluations etc

Costs and benefits

  • Est. cost = 0.5 days = £500
  • Est. time saving for the company = No direct saving but much greater confidence in the market and its needs should enable much more efficient communication in future
  • Est. quality / reach improvement = As above, no direct improvement, but enables better prioritisation in the year ahead

‘10 steps’ link

Corresponds to Step 3 (Create an SRI register) in the 10 steps process for Taking Control of SRI Communications

Objective

To develop a comprehensive SRI communications strategy for a company with tangible action points

Activity

This project would include the development of a 2-3 page action plan with time & cost-efficient proposals for:

  • Face-to-face communications with key UK-based buy-side analysts
  • Teleconf communications with ex-UK buy-side analysts
  • Communications with sell-side analysts
  • Communications with SRI agencies
  • Communications with SRI indices

Costs and benefits

  • Est. cost = 0.5 days = £500
  • Est. time saving for the company = No direct saving but much greater confidence in the market and its needs should enable much more efficient communication in future
  • Est. quality / reach improvement = As above, no direct improvement, but enables better prioritisation in the year ahead

10 steps link

Corresponds to Step 5 (Develop a plan) in the 10 steps process for Taking Control of SRI Communications

The key to efficiency in SRI investor communications is an effective understanding of the priorities and information needs of the various different SRI analysts and portfolio managers that the company comes into contact with.

Sustainable Investor services

Sustainable Investor helps companies to:

  • Categorise their SRI investor base according to relevance, investment potential and levels of influence within the SRI market
  • Determine the information needs and analytical priorities of SRI investor groups and subgroups

 

Companies spend a great deal of time preparing the messages that they communicate to ‘mainstream’ investors.

They spend considerably less time preparing the messages that they communicate to ‘SRI’ investors. Indeed, companies often travel to see investors with no clearer idea of what they want to communicate than “we are a responsible company”.

A lack of control over messaging brings inefficiency and hinders companies in their attempts to engage ‘mainstream investors’ with sustainability messages.

Objective

To help the company develop the sustainability messages that meets its own needs and those of its SRI & mainstream investor audiences

Activity

This component would include:

  • Evaluating the opinions and sustainability information needs of:
    • leading sell-side analysts (SRI & mainstream)
    • leading buy-side analysts (SRI & mainstream)
    • SRI agencies
  • Facilitation of meeting between the company representatives (IR & SustDev) to explore overlap between corporate priorities, mainstream analyst needs and SRI investor needs
  • Recommendations on message development & focus

Costs and benefits

  • Est cost = 4 days = £4,000
  • Est time saving for the company = None
  • Est quality / reach improvement:
    • Enables the company to reach beyond SRI audiences and address ‘mainstream’ investor interest in sustainable development while controlling the potential risks of doing so

‘10 steps’ link

Corresponds to Step 6 (Shape the messages) in the 10 steps process for Taking Control of SRI Communications

Page 2 of 3