Access Communications

Making all appropriate preparations for an IPO well before you file greatly elevates the probability of a smoother process. The most successful IPOs (as measured by stock price performance) typically have the following in common:

• Management viewed the IPO as a process and prepared its company accordingly
• Management executed its strategy in a manner superior to the competition
• Management effectively communicated the non-financial factors inherent to the company
• The business communications strategy was developed before IPO process began, and was used to develop subsequent materials

Access provides the full spectrum of communications support to publicly traded companies to help ensure effective engagement with all relevant stakeholders and constituencies. Among the events we support are:

• Annual Meetings: Logistics, Planning and Staging
• Annual Report and Quarterly Stockholder Letters
• Initial Public Offerings
• Shareholder Communications
• Investment Conferences / Financial Community Presentations
• Media Relations
• Quarterly Earnings
• Retail Investor Outreach
• Securities Analysts Outreach
• Mergers, Acquisitions, Corporate Governance, Hostile/Friendly Takeovers, Litigation

Achieving business goals and objectives often hinges on the ability of management to engage, align and motivate their employee population. Access works on our clients' behalf to ensure messages are positively received by all audiences – including the audience that matters most – the employee base.

A successful employee communications program enables an organization to function efficiently, by ensuring employees are properly informed and are recognized for what they are: the most important asset to any organization. The benefits of a successful employee communications program can include improved employee performance and commitment, improved management/employee relations and increased levels of job satisfaction, which reduces costly employee turnover.

Our employee communications practice helps organizations large and small map and execute plans for internal communications needs surrounding crises, transitions and day-to-day business initiatives such as:

• Mergers and acquisitions
• Public offerings
• Outsourcing / Offshoring
• Crises
• Litigation
• Leadership changes
• Reorganizations
• Corporate initiatives
• Rebranding

Our offerings include all the tools necessary for a successful internal communications campaign:

• Manager tool-kits
• Messaging, planning and strategy
• Executive Communications: speeches, written correspondence, presentations, etc.
• Newsletters
• Corporate videos
• Communications hierarchy modeling
• Awards and "Best Place to Work" submissions
• Tools to measure employee satisfaction, message penetration and understanding of business initiatives

Analyst Relations

According to the Kensington Group, the top industry analyst firms such as Gartner, Forrester, IDC and Yankee influence between 40% and 60% of commercial technology sales. If your company is selling a complex technology solution to enterprise decision makers, chances are your prospects will be looking to third-party research firms for validation about your company, products and services.

If you intend to shorten the sales cycle, you need to be one of the companies top-tier analysts are recommending to their clients (your customers). That means you need an analyst relations program that will not only get you noticed, but ensure your company and products are well positioned and differentiated in the minds of these critical influencers.

Access has extensive experience providing a full range of AR program activities that will improve your company’s relationship and visibility with industry analysts, including analyst profiles, briefing tours, telephone update briefings, newsletters and managing analyst conferences. Additionally, Access has a proprietary methodology for mapping analyst influence and tracking the business value created by the AR program.

Customer Relations

Your customers can be your strongest PR advocates. For companies of all sizes, creating a strong customer relations program is an art. Access is expert at developing customer relations programs that benefit our client's bottom line and enhance the reputation of your customers. Our customer relations practice includes the following programs, activities and materials development:

• Customer Testimonials
• Comprehensive Qualification Process
• Customer Success Stories / Case Studies
• Grassroots Marketing Programs
• WOM/Buzz Campaigns
• Customer-Media Salon Dinners
• Customer Rewards and Recognition