Communications - including investor communications - is a simple process:

• Determine who your audience is
• Know what you need to tell them
• Understand how to reach them

In respect of sustainable investment, the number and diversity of apparent audiences appears to be multiplying.  So, to ensure efficiency, companies need to map, prioritise and focus on the most relevant audiences as follows:

Steps to take

When targeting investors and analysts interested in sustainability, companies should first divide their audience into two constituencies:

• Portfolio managers and analysts at investment firms
• Analysts at research providers

The first group can be further divided into:

• Current holders of the company's shares
• Potential investors in the company's shares

… and also into:

• Specialist sustainability investors and
• Mainstream investors with an interest in sustainability

Research providers equally need to be subdivided into their six types: ESG agencies, sell-side brokers, credit rating agency, data providers, engagement service providers and 'for impact' or 'grant-funded' research provider.

Factors to consider

Companies do not communicate with investment institutions.  People at companies communicate with people at investment institutions.

So, when undertaking investor and analyst targeting, companies should not stop at identifying the firms that may be interested, they should pursue their searching to identify the individual analysts and fund managers.

To help with this, a wide spectrum of options are available including:

• DIY (searching investor website and existing contact lists) - hard work but free
• Using SRI-Connect's Directory - much easier and also free

Commissioning specialist investor targeting services found via this Directory of Support & Services