Financial Communications

Clients seek our help to protect and enhance enterprise value as they navigate critical moments of change. We draw upon our deep sector and capital markets expertise to help our clients deliver a compelling equity story to the market, and attract and retain investment from high-quality shareholders. Grounded in research and best practices, our global team can execute these programs in any financial market in the world. We partner with management and investor relations (IR) teams to design and execute results-focused IR programs by:

• Providing strategic counsel around IR best practices
• Driving broader interest and awareness in their equity story
• Developing impactful engagement strategies to gain full access to the capital markets
• Helping navigate complex, multi-stakeholder issues, transactions and events
• Creating and executing world-class (virtual) investor days
• Conducting customized perception research to track, measure and benchmark IR programs

In today’s rapidly changing world, companies must develop an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) program that is authentic, grounded in data, aligned with the company’s strategy and the needs of key stakeholders, and integrated across the organization. Through our research-based approach, we help our clients establish ESG reporting and sustainability objectives, map strategy to social purpose, provide enhanced disclosure on key non-financial risks related to ESG, and engage effectively with relevant stakeholders and influencers. Our advisors and industry experts help companies through their unique ESG journey by:

• Evaluating current ESG programs, policies, and industry best practices to assess potential risks and opportunities
• Providing guidance on the adoption of relevant sustainability reporting frameworks and standards
• Prioritizing key areas of disclosure, defining key performance indicators, establishing goals and targets, and developing a comprehensive and cohesive ESG narrative that aligns with a company’s mission and values
• Developing the sustainability report and relevant webpages to serve as central hub for all key ESG disclosures and updates on sustainability performance
• Amplifying messages through engagement with key stakeholders including investors, customers, and employees, as well as influential third parties, such as rating agencies and proxy advisors, policymakers and regulators, and community leaders

Companies, boards of directors, lenders, creditors, and buyers rely on our strategic communications and change management services as they prepare for, execute, and emerge from financial and organizational restructurings. They lean on us as a single source of support for what’s needed to manage change through the restructuring process, including media relations, employee and external stakeholder communications, culture evolution, labor relations, and HR planning.

In pivotal moments, we help clients meet their key objectives:

• Preserving business continuity. Our experts understand restructuring processes — from workforce reductions and legal requirements of in-country consultation schemes to the U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy process — and support you with internal and external communications, engagement and enablement strategies, plans and execution that reach all target audiences, enabling you to stay focused on vital priorities
• Position-based advocacy and focus. We are well versed in counseling companies, creditors and other stakeholders on all issues specific to restructuring. We apply our media relations and governmental affairs expertise to help clients advocate and articulate issue-specific views and ensure accurate and balanced media coverage
• Protecting credibility. Rely on our communications advisory that’s focused on preserving stakeholder support and safeguarding credibility. We assist with creating relevant narratives and enabling organizational leaders to keep their promises
• Laying a foundation for the future. We help you engage stakeholders by articulating a compelling vision for the future and conveying it through clear messaging that also provides transparency on restructuring plans. After restructuring actions are announced, we work alongside leadership teams to define and communicate their go-forward strategies and manage change as they move toward their future states

Communications strategies are tailored to your organization’s specific needs, and can include these services:

• Communications strategy development, including overarching messaging creation and announcement execution planning
• Pre-announcement scenario planning, including leak mitigation and response strategies and post-announcement contingency planning
• Message and media training for leaders and key communicators
• Proactive and reactive media strategies and engagement
• Briefing of key regulators, government officials and influencers
• Investor relations outreach and inquiry management
• Training of procurement, sales and accounting teams, as well as supplier and customer call center management
• Creation of print, digital and in-person communications tailored for stakeholder audiences and channels
• Translation, video production, website and graphics development, and coordination of meetings and calls with company and advisers
• Post-event stakeholder research highlighting current perceptions, threats and opportunities
• Ongoing positioning programs and thought leadership
• Employee engagement and change management