Investor Relations planning and objective setting: a strategic guide for the year ahead

 

From reactive execution to strategic intent 

Investor Relations (IR) planning has always mattered. But in recent years, the cost of not planning has become much higher. 

The market environment has shifted materially since the early 2020s. Many of the challenges IR teams faced then such as forecast uncertainty, valuation pressure, time-poor investors, have not disappeared. They have simply evolved. What we see in our work with listed companies is that IR strategies built primarily around activity and outputs are increasingly under pressure. 

As a result, IR programmes that focus on meetings held, presentations delivered or roadshows completed are now being challenged by management teams and Boards asking a more fundamental question: What are we trying to achieve, and why? 

This is where clear objective-setting and a well-defined Investor Relations strategy become critical. 

1. Setting clear Investor Relations objectives for the year ahead

January is traditionally a busy period for IR, dominated by results preparation and reporting. For many teams, detailed IR planning only happens once that cycle is complete. That timing could still make sense but what has changed is what an effective IR annual plan now needs to address. 

Based on our experience and discussions across the market, IR best practice increasingly points to plans structured around three core pillars: communication, engagement and risk preparedness. 

2. Equity story and capital markets communication: clarity beats complexity

Most companies revisit their equity story regularly. Fewer challenge whether it is still landing. In a market characterised by shorter attention spans, younger fund managers and greater scepticism, the bar for clarity has risen. Investors increasingly want: 

• A concise articulation of how value is created 
• Clear capital allocation priorities 
• Transparent acknowledgement of risks and trade-offs 
• Consistency across results, presentations, the website and ESG disclosures 

A useful starting point when setting IR objectives is to ask: 

• What are the bear-case arguments against our stock? 
• Where do investors most frequently misunderstand us? 
• Which parts of the story genuinely differentiate us today? 
• How resilient is our equity story to scrutiny from short-sellers? 

The strongest equity stories are not defensive. They indirectly address concerns through evidence, structure and repetition, rather than rebuttal. 

From a capital markets communication perspective, many companies are also reassessing format and effectiveness: 

• Is the core investor presentation still fit for purpose? 
• Are results decks too long or overly technical? 
• Could shorter recaps or more visual formats improve engagement? 

Capital Markets Days  remain powerful tools, but only when anchored to a clear objective, whether that is resetting strategy, deepening understanding of a business unit, or showcasing the management bench. Increasingly, companies are experimenting with shorter, more modular formats and re-using content across channels as part of a broader IR programme. 

3. Buy-side and sell-side engagement: quality over volume

One of the clearest shifts in recent years has been a move away from measuring IR success by the number of meetings held. 

Investors have become more selective, and engagement preferences now vary widely by geography, fund type and strategy. Against this backdrop, an effective investor engagement strategy focuses on: 

• Targeting: working closely with brokers to identify priority investors, marginal buyers and gaps in the share register 
• Insight: extracting meaningful feedback from buy-side meetings and sell-side interactions 
• Access: ensuring all relevant audiences are considered, including retail and specialist ESG funds 
• Research evolution: keeping pace with changing research and investment processes, including the growing use of AI and alternative data in both buy-side and sell-side analysis 

The increasing role of AI in investment research is an area Equitory continues to monitor closely, and insights from our forthcoming survey on the use of AI in capital markets will explore how these tools are reshaping research, engagement and expectations of IR teams. 

Sell-side relationships remain critical, but expectations have risen. Many companies are now asking more searching questions about the quality of coverage, the relevance of analyst positioning, and the insight they receive in return. 

Retail engagement has also moved up the agenda, particularly for Small- to Mid-capitalisation companies where liquidity matters. Social and digital channels are no longer optional, they are now an established part of the Investor Relations toolkit. 

4. IR risk management: planning for issues before they materialise

Perhaps the most significant evolution in IR planning is the growing emphasis on IR risk management and preparedness. 

Boards increasingly expect IR teams to be ready for: 

• Activism 
• Unexpected approaches or bid situations 
• Reputational or ESG-driven challenges 
• Share price volatility 

This requires proactive work well ahead of any issue arising: 

• Having an up-to-date internal view of the company’s valuation 
• Mapping potential bear-case arguments 
• Monitoring share register movements and trading patterns 
• Maintaining an up-to-date M&A defence or takeover preparedness framework
• Being clear internally on roles, responsibilities and escalation paths 

The companies that handle these situations best are rarely those reacting for the first time. They are the ones that have already thought through scenarios, stress-tested their messaging and aligned internally. 

5. Personal objectives: developing the Investor Relations role itself

Effective IR planning should not stop at the company level. For many IR professionals, the role has expanded significantly and often without a corresponding change in formal remit. Setting personal objectives helps ensure that evolution is recognised and sustained. 

Common focus areas include: 

• Strengthening internal communication and visibility 
• Improving the quality and relevance of Board materials 
• Deepening relationships with peers, brokers and investors 
• Investing in learning and development through conferences, training or informal networks 
• Building a trusted, credible IR profile 

As IR becomes more embedded in strategic decision-making, these softer elements increasingly underpin effectiveness. 

Looking ahead 

The year ahead is unlikely to be simple. Markets remain selective, capital is cautious and scrutiny is high. 

But this environment also creates opportunity. 

For IR teams that move beyond activity-based planning and focus instead on clear objectives, disciplined execution and proactive risk preparation, Investor Relations can play a defining role in shaping how companies are understood, valued and trusted.