What Makes for Effective Investor Relations Sites? Part 11: Make Your Interim Financial Results Easily Accessible
February 1, 2010
If the heart of understanding a company is the ability to parse the financial statements, then the lifeblood of the company is the data flow about current results. The smooth and orderly flow of information from the company to investors should be a given, yet it is surprising how often one has to hunt for all of the relevant information. The press release will be in one spot, the conference call replay another and governmental filings yet another.
A good practice for investor web sites is to have a page where everything concerning the most recent results is in a single spot. Because different web sites choose to label information differently, this avoids investor frustration as they try to track down all the pieces of financial information they may want.
One site that does a good job of this is BT, the telecommunications company. As can be seen in the screenshot on the right, their Results & Presentations page gives investors access to the news release, webcast, slides and KPIs (Key Performance indicators) all in one spot.
A couple of things set this page apart: first, not only can you view the webcast, but you can also download a transcript. Although transcripts do not give investors some of the flavor of management’s approach to the results, they can be reviewed more quickly than the process of viewing an entire hour’s worth of presentations. Second, transcripts are searchable for key phrases, so if in following a company you are particularly concerned with headcount or product returns or customer satisfaction levels, you can quickly search the transcript to see if the issues were addressed, again without sitting through the entire presentation.
Another site that does a good job of consolidating information about interim reports is Marks and Spencer. The approach is slightly different, grouping the information by year, but the type of information is clearly labeled and easy to find. Of note on the M&S site are video interviews with the chairman and the Group Finance and Operations director, providing additional color on the interim results.
These are good examples of web design that thinks in terms of “What does the investor need to know?’ rather than “What do we have to disclose?”
In this series:
Previous post: Provide graphs
Next post: Debt information
Mobile Apps are Hot – Does Your Brand Have One?
January 22, 2010
A recent study by DM2PRO and Quattro Wireless reports that mobile apps are going to skyrocket in popularity in 2010, so while less than 50% of companies surveyed for the study invested in mobile apps in 2009, the majority plan to do so in 2010. That’s a significant shift in investment strategy.
Most companies surveyed in the study claimed that they invest in mobile apps to increase customer engagement, connect with targeted audiences, expand their marketing reach, and keeping their brands in front of consumers.
Where are all those dollars being invested? Check out the chart from eMarketer below to get an idea of where marketers in North America used mobile/social apps in 2009 to get an idea.
Facebook and iPhone apps clearly lead the pack in terms of where investments in branded apps are channeled, and I don’t suspect that will shift much in 2010. However, it’s expected that more companies will invest in mobile apps than social media apps in 2010.
What is particularly interesting in this trend is the fact that there is more standardization in apps today, so investment costs are actually decreasing in many ways. Hopefully, that will lead to more advancements in terms of capabilities and functionality. ‘Plain Jane’ apps could be usurped very quickly as the world of mobile apps morphs before our eyes.
This is a fast paced environment, and the truth of the matter is that many brands may have trouble keeping up and staying relevant, particularly brands backed by large companies that have to wade through corporate bureaucracy to make decisions and move to action. This could actually be a good thing for consumers though, as smaller companies that can move faster jump in and seize opportunities, but will those smaller companies stand a chance in the long run? Or will we have a fast rise and faster plunge similar to the dotcom bust in the 1990s?
Regardless, it’s an exciting time to be a marketer! Does your brand have an app yet?
Google and Apple Face Off
January 7, 2010
Tuesday, January 6, 2010 marked an important date in the ongoing battle of brand supremacy between Apple and Google. That was the day that both companies made major announcements which represent a shift in the mobile phone market — the effects of which won’t be fully realized immediately.
On January 6th, Google announced it was entering the mobile phone retail business with its new Nexus One phone from HTC, which is only available through Google’s new online store. On the same day, Apple announced it was entering the mobile advertising game by acquiring mobile advertising company Quattro Wireless.
While neither announcement is an instant game changer, they do foreshadow things to come. It’s been speculated in The New York Times that Apple’s interest in mobile advertising is probably less about competing with Google in the mobile advertising market than it is about finding a way to monetize its popular apps with developers by giving them a way to generate income (since apps are currently available for free download).
Similarly, Google claims not to want to become a major player in the handset market. Instead, according to a separate article from The New York Times, Google’s hope with its new online store and the Nexus One is that more people will have access to handsets running its Android software.
As we watch this battle play out with both major players, Google and Apple, seemingly pursuing very different paths to reach their goals, it’s interesting to wonder how this will end. Can any other company compete with Google and Apple in the future? RIM’s BlackBerry still holds a sizable chunk of the business market, but with the new extensions Google and Apple are bringing to the mobile market, it makes one wonder what the industry will look like in 5-years (or sooner).
And how will the landline market be affected? I’ve read multiple predictions over the past few weeks that traditional home phones are nearing the end of their lifecycle. How soon will that prediction come true?
It’s an exciting time, particularly since consumers continue to get some great new products from the frenzied competition that really do make their lives easier.
What do you think? iPhone or Droid? What’s your prediction for the future of the mobile market?
Image: Flickr
Motorola Droid says iDon’t to Apple’s iPhone
November 6, 2009
Today is the day! Verizon Wireless is rolling out the Motorola Droid with the hope of winning back market share from customers who defected to AT&T Wireless and the Apple iPhone. With the Droid, backed by Google, Verizon Wireless just might have a chance. Where the Blackberry Storm failed, Google and Droid might succeed.
Verizon Wireless is certainly attacking the iPhone head-on with its new Droid ads. Check out one of the commercials below. There is no doubt what the message of this ad is.
Of course, it’s just Day 1, so the verdict is still out, but smartphone consumers have been waiting anxiously for Verizon Wireless, considered to have the best network in the United States, to catch up to AT&T and the iPhone. Can the Droid on the best network compete with the coolest phone on a substandard network?
Keep in mind, Verizon Wireless had the opportunity to be the “it” wireless carrier. The company was given the chance to pick up the exclusive iPhone deal with Apple, but the company passed. The result? AT&T stole some market share and Verizon Wireless hasn’t been able to recoup those customers yet. Without its superior network and the continued hold on the business marketplace by RIM’s Blackberry, Verizon Wireless would really be in trouble.
Fortunately, Verizon Wireless realized that the clock was ticking. The Storm might not have delivered (although rumors of a new version of the Storm leave some consumers hopeful of improvement), but the Droid just might. Let’s face it. There seems to be a battle to take over the world in terms of brand dominance. For the tech-related world, Google and Apple are leading the pack but in very different ways. Now, they’re poised to battle somewhat directly. Who will win? This should be fun to watch!
And that brings me to my question — what smartphone would you get? The Droid on Verizon Wireless’ network or the iPhone on AT&T’s network?
What Will Google Think of Next? GPS for Smartphones
October 30, 2009
It’s TomTom and Garmin’s turn to be worried. Google has rolled out its free navigation service using Google maps available through Motorola’s Droid smartphone (and coming soon to more phones).
It appears Google has done it again. What do GPS companies have to worry about? Let’s take a look:
- Google’s navigation tool is free: Instead of paying for a GPS or a mapping service subscription through cell phone providers, consumers can benefit from Google’s usual model — free.
- Google provides one-stop-shopping: Yes, this navigation tool is just one more way that Google is on track to rule the world by providing access to every kind of information you could possibly need at your fingertips at anytime and on one device.
- Google is a brand people know and trust: Like it or not, people know the Google brand and trust it. That ready-made brand recognition and trust is likely to go a long way in terms of shifting consumers from stand-alone GPS devices and subscription services.
Put it this way — if Google’s new navigation tool for smartphones works well and keeps its free price tag (and becomes available on more smartphones than Motorola’s Droid), there will be little need for anything else. In other words, the same things that happened with online search, online email, and so on, will happen to GPS.
The question becomes not whether or not Google will be successful in its new venture into GPS, but will any other company be able to challenge Google in that new venture?
According to the New York Times, even the progressive Apple is behind in this area. Can anyone ever compete with Google? What do you think?
Get our updates
 |