Financial and corporate public relations
Strategic advice
CitySavvy can help you develop strategic public relations plans and implement them. We know what works and how to deliver it.
Using the media to communicate your strengths to your target audience requires a strategic approach and a carefully crafted plan. We work with you to develop key messages, a communications strategy and an implementation timeline to guarantee your organisation delivers a strong, clear, consistent story regardless of the channel used.
Our experience as financial journalists means we help develop a realistic and viable strategy for the appropriate media channels, be they newspapers, newswires, internet, radio or television.
Media relations
We use our great relationships with the international financial and business media in the UK and Benelux to help you build strong relationships with the key journalists who cover your company. We do that by advocating you and your story while remaining mindful of how these journalists work, what is important from their perspective and approaching them with the best possible story.
We have been able to build extensive coverage for clients that were previously unable to thanks to these relationships, our approach and our excellent team of PR professionals.
Another reason we are so successful is that our senior and experienced consultants really “get” the content. We make sure we understand your company, sector and your story. That knowledge is powerful when pitching to journalists.
Our relationships with our clients are equally strong. We advise you on a strategic level each step of the way and we make sure you have all the information you need to make informed decisions.
Transactions
The members of our team have led dozens of major international transactions, including M&A and IPOs in the UK, Europe and the US. We are experienced in both hostile and agreed transactions.
Corporate transactions such as acquisitions and mergers are often viewed with scepticism by investors and the media. Our job is to carefully communicate the deal and its value to build support for the transactions among your key audiences.
In the case of an IPO, we will help you from an early stage. We can ensure you are prepared to think and act like a listed company. Our knowledge of international markets and our ability to interpret and shape investor sentiment will work to maximise the value of your listing and reduce your cost of capital.
Crisis communications
Crises come in many different forms: financial challenges, operations and production problems, product liabilities, employee and trade union disputes, and R&D shortcomings. CitySavvy has a team of experienced professionals who can develop and implement rapid communications strategies that respond to pressures from external and internal audiences, including shareholders, media, customers, regulatory authorities, employees and trade unions and the general public.
Our areas of expertise include:
- Financial market response
- Media monitoring
- Rapid-response strategies
- Shareholder issues
- Employee questions
- Customer concerns
The best defence against any crisis is preparedness. Through our intensive management interview programme, CitySavvy can develop an advanced strategy and plan with targeted messaging to address the issues and potential challenges unique to your company.
Our professionals will take your senior management and communications teams through a rigorous process of identifying potential problems, and help you think through suitable execution strategies.
These can include the following:
- Management issues in deploying communications tactics at off-site locations compared with corporate headquarters;
- Special demographic concerns around remote locations versus heavily populated areas;
- Political activist causes such as public safety;
- Environmental lobbying; and
- Weaknesses in your communications infrastructure.
With all of these factors and others fully discussed, CitySavvy will then develop a comprehensive Crisis Communications Plan of Action for each major scenario with messaging outlined for all target audiences. Elements of the Crisis Communications Plan of Action will include the roles and responsibilities for the board of directors, senior management, the communications team, and employees, We will also advise you on ancillary matters, including shareholder rights, government and regulatory intervention, legal concerns, and medical considerations.
As follow up, CitySavvy will offer guidance on recovery – specific ideas for maintaining and reinforcing your corporate reputation on a regional and global scale.
In concluding our report, the Crisis Communications Plan of Action will provide recommendations on policies, procedures and organisation which could potentially avert future crises, or at least leave you better prepared to respond.
As part of our crisis preparedness programme, we will train you to deal with the media in any future potential crisis (see Training and coaching page).
For more information, please contact Marina Millington-Ward in the Benelux or Jana Sanchez in the UK.