June 26, 2014
They used to say about banks that the best time to start one was 20 years ago – the point being, lenders make so much money, think what you’ve missed in the meantime. In rather the same way, I often advise companies to start effective communications as soon as they can – think what you can achieve when people understand your business.
Yet on those occasions when a company announces something big, say plans to raise money in public markets, it’s often the first time anyone has heard of it, perhaps outside a small circle of customers, staff, suppliers and investors. The risk is that some will interpret your message as: ‘You know nothing about us, but we’d like your money.’ Information is the lifeblood of business and it’s important that ambitious, growing firms generate their fair share. Nobody is recommending that companies make noise for the sake of it – as in social situations, no one likes a boastful bigmouth.
But it’s important that people know you are there, active and able to serve a need, whether it’s making widgets or providing consultancy services.
Corporate communications is not about finding a spouse by getting your picture in the paper. It’s about making cold leads hot, winning orders, flushing out better, more efficient suppliers – or obtaining better terms from your current ones, reassuring staff and prompting the best applicants to send in their CVs. It’s also about getting on the radar of potential investors – both individual and institutional.
We advise growing companies, even those seemingly destined to stay private, to act like they’re already publicly quoted so they get used to the idea of keeping their various audiences informed. (Increasingly, investors believe, no news is bad news.) But there are equally valid reasons for starting this process even if you’re undecided on an eventual IPO. One, circumstances change and a float may become the best strategy. Two, if and when the time comes when your shares go on sale in the market, the investment community – institutions and equity analysts – will be much more inclined to open their doors if they know a bit about you, or can find out through a quick media search.
Analysts in particular don’t like surprises. They are relied upon by traders for their judgment, and won’t roll out the carpet for companies that appear from nowhere. Financiers will be looking for the ‘back story’.
So how to go about developing a communications strategy? First, get a plan – plot out all the news your company is likely to generate in the coming 12 months – orders, fundraising, a sale or acquisition, a big hire, an office opening, hitting a new market or introducing new technology or application.
Don’t worry that you can’t predict these things with certainty – it’s a working document, a moveable feast. Getting used to updating it is a good exercise in itself.
Second – work out whom you want to get your messages across to – these could be any and all of the following – potential customers and others in your supply chain, present and potential private-equity investors, current and prospective staff, and industry regulators.
Third – look at what communications channels you have already – brochures and other collateral, your website, electronic newsletters, your professional association, direct mail, the trade shows you attend, contact with referrers – and ensure the way you talk about your company and its progress is aligned. Making the most of all these valuable information sources and establishing procedures that guard against miscommunication will enable you to get the good news across.
Fourth – use the media. We are fortunate living in a democracy where, despite the style of some popular publications, we enjoy an active, independent press. The business and financial press plays its part better in the UK than just about anywhere, reporting good news and bad, protecting and balancing the interests of investors, entrepreneurs, customers, fighting their readers’ corner, often battling needless bureaucracy and overregulation on your behalf.
A good media relations strategy will not only minimise the risk of inaccuracy, it will also build milestones, an independently reported account of your company’s progress – and could even lead to your being projected as an authority on your industry or profession. A journalist will often look for specialists to comment on developments in their industry.
Make a point of understanding the media you rely on and examining fresh ways to get your message across. Familiarise yourself with the media in general and the output of certain journalists in particular – whether financial, local, trade and technical, web-based, broadcast or paper. But make sure you and your advisers understand the nature of ‘news’ – not, as one corporate lawyer told me, his firm’s sponsorship of the flower beds on a ring-road roundabout. PR is highly valuable but should not be viewed as a substitute for advertising. Journalists tend to know the difference, especially since the latter pays their salary.
Many companies engage PR firms to help them, whether by providing strategic advice, arranging media training, or designing and implementing a communications programme. A key part of your advisers’ work will be assembling a body of information such as the key messages that will be agreed and ‘signed off’. This will make the process of drafting documents easier and ensure all the management team, and its advisers, have the same answers to major questions. In choosing a PR firm, consider what you require, write a brief (helpful to PR firms in understanding needs but not always provided) and invite a couple to pitch. Focus on what they can commit to delivering – ongoing strategy sessions may not help you achieve your objectives. The right agency will recognise this and work with you on concrete deliverables.
As in all your dealings, reputation is hard won and easily lost. But this should not stop your business adopting a higher profile. Be open and honest – about bad news as well as good. Companies that are realistic and open enough to share their news build support among key audiences such as customers, investors and staff. An ability to demonstrate that management is equipped to deal with a crisis and point to a way out of it will instil confidence. As in all other elements of your business, it is important to manage expectations.
You don’t need me to tell you that business is about vision, strategy, hard work, resourcefulness, creativity and common cause. Doing all that, without making sure people know about it, simply doesn’t make sense. A sound communications strategy, well worked out and professionally implemented, will underpin your accomplishments and lay a firm foundation for the future.
This article appeared in Flight Plan, an AngelNews publication.
March 24, 2025
Peter Curtain reflects on life outside the city
March 18, 2025
The modernisation of the electricity grid is progressing rapidly and will continue to advance. M&A will play a key role.
February 19, 2025
The Government faces many challenges, from enhancing European security to advancing AI and manufacturing. A crucial aspect of this is effectively communicating its environmental goals.
December 17, 2024
I braved the Christmas shopping and party crowds to join a group of people looking to make energy supply as reliable and efficient as possible.
November 28, 2024
Amid the hullaballoo about #netzero and its effects on the UK economy, I visited a group of low-carbon innovators to see how they’re making energy more sustainable and efficient for future generations.
April 14, 2024
Efforts are being made to tempt pension fund managers back to London equities. That includes a Government push to make pension funds publicly disclose how much they invest in UK businesses compared to those overseas.
March 19, 2024
Last week a Government scheme to promote heat pumps for homes was delayed by 12 months. Days later, the National Audit Office urged ministers to support the rollout ‘in a way that minimises the long-term costs to both taxpayers and consumers’.
A great privilege for our take on the UK ground-mounted solar market to appear in PV Europe magazine
March 6, 2024
Attending day 1 of Futurebuild 2024 yesterday I was struck by the large numbers and the buzzy vibe. And the crowd was bigger than it looked – the two or three events happening as I arrived were pretty packed. More here: https://bit.ly/49ZTAIv
January 8, 2024
Solar PV is taking off in the UK, and 2024 is shaping up to be the best year yet for the technology. Let’s look at some of the factors driving the transition.
September 18, 2023
As PR advisers working in the green economy, we’re as likely to be asked how to communicate an organisation’s sustainability as what it actually means.
What a brilliant night at Re-Tech Drinks – ‘Bringing together good people in Renewables and Technology the Southwest ‘re-tech’ community’. The event did what it said on the tin.
November 8, 2022
Allerton Communications is growing. We’re seeking a resourceful Digital Communications Executive to serve our low-carbon economy etc clients.
September 6, 2022
A renewable-energy consultant told me of two engineers working in UK industry some years ago who discussed a tricky technical issue that could be addressed in one of two ways.
March 8, 2021
Life and work are changing, and amid the shifting landscape, effective engagement with stakeholders is vital. The past year shows how much we can achieve away from the office. Now, as the economy starts to open up, customers, investors, staff and partners will be moving about as never before, and ultra-reliant on mobile communication.
February 17, 2021
For any company looking to make a difference in the green economy, it’s vital to think about communication. We would say this – we’ve been helping innovators in energy and sustainability to tell their story for more than 12 years.
December 31, 2020
Miracle on 34th Street is considered a must-see film at this time of year. (‘Christmas’ was omitted from the title for the May 1947 release.) The triple-Oscar winner is a seasonal box of delights that once opened, reveals profound truths about public relations – and they apply today. These address leadership, brand authenticity, mental health, […]
Which type of PR should come first in the life of a business – B2B or B2C? Peter Curtain* reports. Attention growth companies – want to get better known? First, start building a network – then, and only then, start addressing consumers.
April 21, 2020
Earth Day, a calendar date observed worldwide on 22 April to show support for environmental protection, is a great reminder of some of the campaigners who’ve alerted us to the urgent need to care for our planet.
April 16, 2020
The past four weeks look set to alter society for years, with huge impact on the economy. Peter Curtain reflects on these changes and offers some thoughts on communication in the post-coronavirus world 1. We’re all global now. A virus that emerged from live-animal markets in the regional Chinese city of Wuhan became big when […]
January 23, 2020
In this Financial Director article, Peter Curtain of Allerton Communications highlights the huge impact concerns about the environment are starting to have both on investment and the wider business world, and suggests how firms can act.
Regulatory news is a vital tool in investor relations. Also important is generating media interest and coverage. It’s great to excel at these channels – but they’re only part of the picture.
July 9, 2019
Allerton Communications, a boutique corporate and financial PR firm specialising in energy, sustainability and growth companies, is expanding.
Allerton's Peter Curtain shares his views on what press regulation proposals mean for PR
March 23, 2016
We’ve been catching up with some advisers on a visit to the Northwest of England and one thing is clear – investors are fighting hard for the best deals. As one professional told us: “There’s massive demand for quality assets among private equity investors. They have full-time teams scouting around the country, talking to potential […]
February 3, 2016
Peter Curtain of Allerton is proud to have joined the People & Communities Technical Committee of Watef, the Water Efficiency Network, and looks forward to making a contribution to this great initiative.
February 1, 2016
Energy Matters - read issue 11 of highly informative magazine on renewables, utilities and more from our client CKD Galbraith here.
January 29, 2016
Allerton Communications has been shortlisted along with our client CKD Galbraith in the industry-leading PR Moment Awards for our work producing Energy Matters. This is a great accolade and we're very proud.
November 30, 2015
Allerton Communications is praised in a key case study by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the prestigious professional and training body, for producing the Energy Matters magazine and e-zine for our client CKD Galbraith.
June 26, 2014
They used to say about banks that the best time to start one was 20 years ago – the point being, lenders make so much money, think what you’ve missed in the meantime. In rather the same way, I often advise companies to start effective communications as soon as they can – think what you can achieve when people understand your business.
May 19, 2014
There’s no shortage of advice on communications but here are 10 rules to help you get your message across to both investors and other important targets.
April 7, 2014
People get excited about stock market flotations because they are (or should be) an opportunity to make money – this applies primarily to new investors of course, but management and the original investors may also be out to cash in some of their holdings.
