TIGHTLY INTEGRATE YOUR PUBLIC AND INVESTOR RELATIONS FOR OPTIMUM NEWSFLOW

Life science newsflow includes press releases issued by life science, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, instrumentation and molecular diagnostics companies, along with the subsequent interviews and news stories communicated to life science investors and scientists, whether in print or online. Issues and opportunities can be similar in all of these investment sectors. The Financial Times, for example, wrote that “There is even a special term-newsflow-to define productivity. A biotech company with positive newsflow has generated a blizzard of upbeat releases. This should push up the share price, comforting shareholders during the wait for dividend payments to begin.”

For optimum newsflow execution, corporate investor relations (IR) and corporate public relations (PR) need to be tightly integrated – often under the umbrella of a corporate communications leader. Both groups need to communicate a consistent message. What institutional investors read in the general press and scientific literature needs to be consistent with what they read in the financial press, although the newsflow emphasis will probably be different. Make sure that there is real substance behind your newsflow as you will be quizzed about it.

COMMUNICATE YOUR ANTICIPATED LIFE SCIENCES NEWSFLOW

Publicly-listed companies, especially in the life science industry, need to keep doing all the right things to attract and expand relevant media coverage, keep big investors and encourage them to expand their positions in your company stock. Meanwhile they must also focus predominantly on running their businesses and growing them into the life science giants those investors are hoping for. Life science investors want to know about likely upcoming newsflows, and it’s always good to generate an expectation of increasing revenue and big profits. Consistently briefing institutional investors on anticipated newsflow can make investors big fans of your stock, as well as where your stock, company and the industry more broadly are going. Such motivated investors will spread the good news via word of mouth to their colleagues at other big institutional investors, along with other fund managers in their own organisations. This could be considered an IR variation of viral marketing – spreading the IR buzz. You should convince these investors directly and through your newsflow about the potential upside to your stock, not only over the next quarter but over the next few years. This includes the healthcare hedge funds. Institutional investors want to know about all the upcoming conferences you will be speaking at and what your big milestones are for the coming year. It can be most helpful for companies, especially in the life science industry, to present an anticipated newsflow timetable for the year, indicating the newsflow investors are likely to get. Corporate and investor relations websites are ideal for this. Investors, especially hedge funds, will want to know how your expected newsflow will help them make big money for their own investors.