A 10 POINT GUIDE TO GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR IPO
The IPO process presents a number of challenges and opportunities in respect of the corporate brand and it is one of the times, depending on the size of the organisation, that media coverage (serious broadsheet coverage at that) is pretty much guaranteed. However, many companies are just not exploiting this as an opportunity to build and develop their brand, by creating greater understanding and enhancing their overall brand value.
The following guide will help you to make the most of your IPO.
1. Brand proposition
Businesses need to ensure that the brand proposition, values and core positioning with primary and secondary messaging are well defined, tested and validated/revalidated.
2. Active influencing
The CMO needs to be able to actively influence the total IPO process and to specifically drive/review the brand fundamentals in-light of it. He, or the Corporate Communications Director, will also have to fight for a share of voice, for as far as most advisors are concerned ‘brand’ (certainly in the non-FMCG sectors) doesn’t have a priority or even the right to sit at the table during the IPO process.
3. Governance There are of course strict rules governing the whole IPO process, coveringthings such as information consistency/data integrity and accountabilityparticularly with the IPO prospectus and the timing of communications around quiet periods that need to be taken into consideration.
4. Timing Don’t leave the brand until the end of the IPO process. It must be reviewedand discussed up front. The benefit of perception audits, brand analysis,competitive benchmarking and a formal objective review/refinement of the brandfundamentals not only secure and define the core brand proposition/position,tone and value of the business, but also ensure that there is consistency rightfrom the beginning.
5. Data quality One of the most important aspects of an IPO is getting and keeping thedata/information right – this equally applies to the brand as it does to all otherfinancial and operational metrics etc. The development, creation and refinementof primary and secondary messaging can then be achieved based on real andtangible market insight and not simply internal and in some cases anecdotallyaccrued views
6. Leveraging the event Creating IPO impact will be influenced and governed by the individualexchange(s) and whilst there are closed periods and limits on how, what andwhen, there is always something that can be done to leverage off the event.
7. Communications planning It is important to allow enough time to plan and gain approval for all of the onand off exchange activities that you want to do.
8. Sense of scale Activities include large scale exchange based events (more than just ringingthe bell) e.g. dressing Wall Street up, to PR initiatives, internal staff events(which is important to include) and specific promotional programmes.
9. Critical success factors There are three key focus areas. Firstly, making sure that the brandfundamentals are right and fit for purpose and aligned with the prospectus.Secondly, to use the IPO process to review and refine the core primary andsecondary messaging and thirdly, to carefully plan and consider what impactand communications activities you want to have and, subject to approval, howyou can best implement them.
10. Risk management The risks are clearly very high and the rules and controls very tight (varyingon the listing exchange), but there still is an opportunity to raise profile, manageimpact and enhance the overall brand through an IPO.
About StrategicFusion StrategicFusion is an integrated strategic marketing, brand and communicationsadvisor. We focus on fusing corporate vision with a precisely honed brand andmarketing strategy so that our clients engage with their audiences, both internaland external.
Using our ‘Envisage, Enhance, Engage’ methodology we work with organisationsto enable them to develop and articulate a unique identity using creativity andinnovative thinking. Combining our client and consultancy-side experience, weoffer a way of working that matches the individual needs of each client.
We work across a wide range of sectors and some of our clients include Aer Lingus,Alstom, Balfour Beatty, Collins Stewart, ECA International, The Go-Ahead Group plc,Silverjet and Premier Oil.
