Casting far & wide

The value of webcasting in a post-MiFID II world

With the consequences of MiFID II including cutbacks in sell-side analyst coverage, particularly of small and mid-cap stocks, Louise Coen, Client Director at EQS Group, a leading international expert of regulatory technology, explains the benefits of webcasting in telling a company’s equity story.

Post MiFID II, Investor Relations Officers (IROs) need to become more proactive than ever, bridging the gap left by the lack of analyst coverage and broker support and looking at the different digital distribution channels that can help enhance their investor engagement.

Companies need to think about how to utilise resources and solutions to attract investor attention and how to better communicate with the investment community, making it easier for both the sell side and the buy side to follow them.

One key for IROs is understanding how best to leverage digital solutions to enhance their IR activities and picking the right tools to get their equity story across without breaking the bank. Webcasting technology is ideal for this.

Let your voice be heard

One of the most cost-effective ways to provide engaging content is by webcasting your financial events. An audio webcast can provide a good opportunity to test this technology. It is simple in terms of set-up and achieves wider reach for your financial results, adding an extra layer of interactivity for investors, who are able to join live or listen later to an on-demand version.

Your webcast player can be customised to align with your company branding, acting as another useful platform via which to showcase your company’s developments. What’s more, user statistics can be gathered via a registration page, giving you valuable insights into those listening to your message. 

For participants, they have the opportunity to ask the management questions, as at any other live event, either via the webcast Q&A facility, or a conference call, giving them an important and instant method of engaging with your business. 

Video webcasts

A video webcast adds another level of interactivity. Live streaming speakers giving their presentations allows the board to personally address its investors – regardless of where they are. Viewers also have the opportunity to participate by asking questions and making comments just as if they were in the room. As a result, webcasts offer an excellent and user-friendly way of keeping in direct touch with your investor community while giving its members the opportunity to interact with your company and management. 

Capital markets and investor days

Investor/capital markets days provide a great opportunity for investors to gain a much deeper understanding of your company and your strategic goals. Webcasting your investor/capital markets days provides an effective way to reach a broader audience, providing simultaneous access to information without geographical limitations. Utilising the latest technology brings your event to life, with live video content and synchronised slides via one easy to use interface.

The Luminous view

At Luminous, we are strong advocates of using multiple channels to get your message across. A lot of work goes into preparing a company’s annual report and accounts, for example, and every opportunity should be taken to disseminate the publication’s messages. Its immediacy and accessibility mean that a webcast may well strike home with a busy audience who may then be enticed to reach for the full written report. And as different audiences respond to different media, using a full suite of communications channels will help to ensure that you reach the broadest audience possible.

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