“…They were able to create a plan that included everything from ringing the morning bell to high-profile media interviews, and launching the new brand and website at midnight to a 100-foot banner stretched across the façade of the New York Stock Exchange on the day of the IPO. And for employees, they worked for months to make sure that the bell ringing would be streamed live to our more than 220 locations nationwide and employees could celebrate with local parties and giveaways.”
— Donald L. Correll, former President and CEO, American Water
A successful initial public offering (IPO) depends on many factors. One of the most important factors is the quality of communications sent to internal and external stakeholders throughout the entire process. We know from having worked inside a Fortune 500 company preparing for an IPO that during this time, levels of confidentiality are at their highest, and that presents unique challenges to communicators not familiar with the IPO communication nuances and legal requirements. An IPO can also serve as an opportunity for an organization to celebrate publicly and internally, and launch an updated brand.
We approach IPO communications planning as a three-phase approach: planning, launch and maintenance. All three phases are crucial to the process and require specific communications strategies and tactics that are built in collaboration with many internal and external stakeholders. Our teams have experience with all three phases and have provided support to key business divisions involved in an IPO: C-Suite executives, Investor Relations, SEC Counsel, Media Relations, Internal Communications and External Affairs departments.
How do we know our method works?
- Coordinated massive internal and external events: NYSE bell ringing, events on floor of NYSE, unveiling of new brand on the NYSE building; live streamed bell ringing to more than 200 American Water facilities across the country
- Completed only known simultaneous launching of new corporate brand with an IPO
- Trained over 100 spokespeople to follow Regulation FD guidelines during all media interviews
We understand how complex the communications surrounding an IPO can be. We view this time as an opportunity to not only introduce a company to the investing public, but also to reposition the company as an industry leader or launch an updated brand identity.