Comments on: Who Reads This Stuff? http://blogs.hillandknowlton.com/anildilawri/2009/05/06/who-reads-this-stuff/ Taking Investor Relations to the Next Level Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:36:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Anil Dilawri http://blogs.hillandknowlton.com/anildilawri/2009/05/06/who-reads-this-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-123 Anil Dilawri Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:48:54 +0000 http://blogs.hillandknowlton.com/anildilawri/?p=116#comment-123 Good point, Francis. Makes one wonder if the AR should remain the IR department's responsibility (and within the IR department's budget)... Good point, Francis.

Makes one wonder if the AR should remain the IR department’s responsibility (and within the IR department’s budget)…

]]> By: Francis Moran http://blogs.hillandknowlton.com/anildilawri/2009/05/06/who-reads-this-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-120 Francis Moran Thu, 07 May 2009 14:05:21 +0000 http://blogs.hillandknowlton.com/anildilawri/?p=116#comment-120 As someone who writes a fair number of annual reports, I always struggle with how to make them more readable. But I don't see the sell-side guys as my target. In fact, I'm gob-smacked that as many as two-thirds of your respondents suggested they look at ARs at all. As you note, Anil, if they've been doing their jobs, there's nothing in an AR that they don't already know. They've had the financials in hand for months, and they've heard the MD&A in one form or another probably countless times if they're following the company. I approach an AR as an important IR vehicle, certainly, but also as an important marketing, sales, recruitment and corporate communications vehicle. That puts a premium on sparkling story-telling, which would probably be lost on the sell-side guys anyway. -Francis. As someone who writes a fair number of annual reports, I always struggle with how to make them more readable.

But I don’t see the sell-side guys as my target. In fact, I’m gob-smacked that as many as two-thirds of your respondents suggested they look at ARs at all.

As you note, Anil, if they’ve been doing their jobs, there’s nothing in an AR that they don’t already know. They’ve had the financials in hand for months, and they’ve heard the MD&A in one form or another probably countless times if they’re following the company.

I approach an AR as an important IR vehicle, certainly, but also as an important marketing, sales, recruitment and corporate communications vehicle. That puts a premium on sparkling story-telling, which would probably be lost on the sell-side guys anyway.

-Francis.

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