ICR Announces Results of Second Annual Investor Relations Website Survey

ICR, a leading strategic communications firm, today released the findings of its second annual Investor Relations Website Benchmarking Survey of companies in the Russell 3000 Index, finding a significant shift in the percentage of companies responding to investor inquiries.

In 2013, ICR found that 35 percent of the company websites reviewed did not respond to investors’ requests for information via the email listed on their IR websites. One year later, only 23 percent of companies refrained from responding to IR inquiries, a 12 percentage point improvement.

“Over the past year as investor activism has continued to become a reality of day to day company management, it has only become more apparent that transparency and responsiveness in Investor Relations is critical for public companies,” said Don Duffy, President, ICR. “It is clear from the shift in findings this year that most management teams are waking up to the new reality of communicating with the investment community and taking proactive steps to clearly communicate the company strategy.”

Other findings from the survey include:

• Ninety-seven percent of companies made their IR website accessible from the corporate homepage in a single click, on par with the previous year
• Eighty-three percent of companies’ IR websites provided “Email Alert” functionality, relatively flat from eighty-four percent in 2013
• Most companies are still missing the opportunity to leverage video as less than five percent of companies include video on their IR website

“Companies are doing an increasingly good job of elevating the visibility of their Investor Relations websites and making information easily accessible to stakeholders via alerts. An area where they can further communicate the management team’s strategy and vision is through video, which few companies are leveraging today,” said Duffy.

Investor Relations Website Survey Methodology

In June and July of 2014, ICR surveyed IR websites of 2,893 public companies in the Russell 3000 index. The Company measured different aspects of these websites, ranging from IR website accessibility and press release & SEC filings access, to the use of video, access to IR contacts and companies’ responsiveness to investor-related inquiries. ICR assigned value to each benchmarking indicator to quantify the performance of each IR website. The sample size provides a strong representation of IR website practices across public companies.

About ICR

Established in 1998, ICR partners with companies to develop and execute strategic communications programs that achieve business goals, build credibility, and enhance the long-term value of the enterprise. The firm’s highly differentiated service model, which pairs capital markets veterans with senior communications professionals, brings deep sector knowledge and relationships to clients in more than 20 industries. Today, ICR is one of the largest and most experienced independent advisory firms in North America maintaining offices in Boston, Connecticut, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Beijing.

Learn more at www.icrinc.com. Follow us on Twitter at @ICRPR.