Over the years, all entrepreneurs have hoped that their business will grow. Publishing or creating your Initial Public Offering (IPO) is an essential step in growing your business. A public offering is a process of issuing new shares, such as stocks, shares, trust units, and partnership units. Regardless of the reason for the release, you need to market your company before the actual release properly.
“A good IPO should have a fantastic marketing plan to talk to the investors for the next six to eight months and explain what will be happening, why it will be happening, where the money raised will be going and why it is a good idea.”
Said former marketer Nick Varney, who headed the management buyout of Vardon Attractions to form Merlin in 1999.
Pre-IPO
Before embarking on the IPO process, you need to establish a robust communications infrastructure that includes detailed messaging strategies, news flow schedules, and priority lists to maximize your chances of success in the public market. It is also the time to review and evaluate your press release strategy. Review and create a list of “news spikes” or story ideas that may appear before you sign up for a “quiet period.” Investor information such as fact sheets, management videos, company presentations, websites, and external question and answer files should be used to enhance the story further.
It would be best to consider conducting investor positioning meetings or awareness audits to improve your business history. It would help if you also established a third-party spokesperson who can talk about your corporation in the media, start creating presentations for company investors, and, importantly, train your internal spokesperson.
The IPO Process
The communication roadmap and regular public relations activities that take place during the preparatory phase of the IPO provide excellent service for entering the regulated world of communication shortly before and after the IPO’s “filing.” Before and after the registration period, you should immediately coordinate with your communications attorney. It is because it can easily violate securities regulations. However, there is no reason to be silent in communicating with clients and prospects with proper preparation before the IPO.
Post-IPO: keep the momentum
When you complete an IPO and start trading public, you will naturally be surprised and will only do the minimum fees required for communication. But keep in mind that the publication may have created the widest exposure and media interest in history. Now is not the time to take your foot off the accelerator.
Post-IPO communication strategies are critical for managing your relationship with Wall Street and maintaining compliance with federal regulations. Look at the steps you could take before the IPO. Now is the time to introduce them, because your business is getting more and more attention. We will continue to provide information to the media during the IPO process using the connections and relationships established with the media.
Putting the company’s communication strategy first and centering on the three stages of the IPO process will significantly increase visibility and ultimately ensure that it is fully and fairly valued. You must follow through the three stages of this process and take time pre- and post-IPO to develop and evaluate your company.
About Stankevicius MGM
Stankevicius MGM is a leading global advertising, marketing, and public relations firm that provides a wide range of advertising and marketing services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial companies, startups, and individuals. Founded in 2014, the firm is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and maintains locations in Hong Kong, Helsinki, and Minsk.