The Podium: An Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Blog

Make a plan for ESG!

December 21, 2018 Dora Gonzalez Leave a comment

(to the tune of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer")

You know earnings and roadshows and bus tours are needed

And a conference list full of one-on-one meetings

But have you realized…

What investors now have top of mind?

This year’s main theme in IR

Are three letters we all know

And if you dare ignore them

Shareholders will say “Oh no!”

Environmental issues

Social cause proposals too

Good governance required

ESG is here for good!

Then when you go out to sell

Your company stock

You’ll be in great shape to show

The bottom line will surely grow!

So now you know for next year

Aim for sustainability

And to attract investors

Make a plan for ESG!

Dora Gonzalez is a Senior Associate at Sharon Merrill. She has extensive communications experience and works with clients on investor relations and public relations issues, including analyst and investor targeting, conference and investor day planning, internal communications, media relations planning and execution, digital communications, social media campaign strategies and corporate messaging.

Holiday, Investor Relations, IR Trends, ESG

Holly Jolly Market

December 13, 2016 Sharon Merrill Associates Leave a comment

Holiday, Investor Relations

It's the Most Opportune Time of the Year

December 17, 2015 Sharon Merrill Associates Leave a comment

(to the tune of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”)

It’s the most opportune time of the year

With the calendar limping

Valuations dipping

Investors still hear

It’s the most opportune time of the year

Holiday, Investor Relations

Let them Know

December 18, 2014 Sharon Merrill Associates Leave a comment

By Andrew Blazier, Senior Associate

(to the tune of “Let it Snow”)

Oh, the markets worldwide are frightful

But your messaging’s so delightful

Since the company outlook can grow,

Let them know! Let them know! Let them know!

Your strategy isn’t popping

Though commodities are dropping

Although growth, it has been slow,

Let them know! Let them know! Let them know!

Holiday, Strategic Messaging, Social Media, Investor Relations, Activist Investors

Shareholder on a Shelf: An Earnings Tradition

December 09, 2013 smerrilldev Comment

By Dennis Walsh, Vice President

The Shareholder on a Shelf is a new tradition that has become the holiday gift of choice for IROs to their executive management teams. The story of the Shareholder on a Shelf is as follows:

“Have you ever wondered how the SEC could know;
If you’re naughty or nice in making your reported revenues and margins grow;
For 79 years it’s been a big secret;
Which now can be shared, if you promise to keep it.

At reporting time the SEC sends me to you;
I sit in the shadows to watch and report on all that you do;
My job is an assignment from Ms. Mary Jo White herself;
I am her helper, a friendly scout shareholder that sits on a shelf.

Holiday, Investor Relations Blog, Reg FD, Sharon Merrill Associates, Investor Relations Agency, Guidance, IRO, Shareholder Communications, Earnings Call, Investor Relations, Earnings, Investor Relations Firm, Activist Investors

Is Your Investor Relations Plan Fit? Consider These 5 Steps.

December 15, 2011 smerrilldev Leave a comment

By Dennis Walsh, Senior Consultant & Director of Social Media

As another year comes to a close, two things are probably on every IRO’s mind: New Year’s resolutions and next year’s investor relations plan. Every year, one of the most common resolutions is to get fit. People spend a tremendous amount of time and money developing new health and fitness plans to achieve that goal. This year, apply the same techniques to your IR plan in order to have a successful 2012.

Establish Achievable Goals

You may not be ready to compete in the Arnold Classic body building competition next year, but fitting into that new bathing suit by summer is certainly a realistic goal. When developing your 2012 IR plan, set equally realistic expectations. For example, expecting to grow your capitalization from a mid-cap to a large-cap in just a few months is likely an unrealistic benchmark. Instead, focus on more achievable metrics, such as meeting with a greater number of investors, attending more conferences, or increasing trading volume. Meeting these goals will support your ultimate goal of maximizing shareholder value.

Holiday, IR Program Planning, Board Packages, Investor Relations Blog, Board Communications, Annual Meeting, Sharon Merrill Associates, Investor Relations Agency, Investor Meetings, NIRI, Investor Conference, IRO, IR Budgets, IPO, Shareholder Communications, Social Media, Small-cap IR, Investor Relations, Investor Relations Firm

Wall Street Wonderland

December 13, 2010 smerrilldev Leave a comment

Opening bell rings, are you list’nin?
The market soars, most stocks are glist’nin’
A beautiful sight,
We’ll all be richer tonight.
Walking in a Wall Street wonderland.

Gone away is the recession,
Here to stay is our jobs obsession.
But our economy’s strong,
So we go along.
Walking in a Wall Street wonderland.

In the market the government can bail us all out,
Then pretend the Fed can turn things around

Holiday, Investor Relations

Happy Holidays!

December 22, 2009 Sharon Merrill Leave a comment

On behalf of the entire Sharon Merrill Associates team, I would like to wish all of The Podium’s readers a happy holiday season! Thank you for supporting our blog.

Holiday, Investor Relations Blog, Investor Relations Agency, Investor Relations Firm

'Twas the Night before Earnings…

December 09, 2009 smerrilldev Comment

'Twas the night before earnings, when all through accounting,
Not a number was crunching; the pressure was mounting;
The toy company’s financials were all prepped with care,
In the hopes that the SEC would not soon be there;

The auditors were huddling on how to avoid the Feds,
While visions of lawsuits danced in their heads;
The CEO in a gray suit, the CFO in blue,
Had just settled down for a financial review;

When out in the lobby there arose such a clatter,
People ran from their cubes to see what was the matter;
All down the hallway the questions arose,
Someone had spotted a man in red clothes;

Holiday, Investor Relations, Earnings