What do investors look for in a commercial enterprise, whether a start-up or a more established concern? Business solidity, supportive policies, supply chain infrastructure and a sound business model that give a great product or idea the wings to fly and become profitable. Crucial elements that can be investigated by a thorough accountant: behind-the-scenes elements. But equally important are those aspects that connect with customers: reliability, values, reputation, corporate image.
In other words: brand. That which is visible in the marketplace. Those elements that not only connect with customers, we’d argue, but also connect with the emotional side of the investor – the intrigue, the excitement, the glamour, that which makes a venture exciting to be involved with and provides a good story to tell, with pride.
The importance of brand equity in investor relations
Many corporate stakeholders don’t realize the tremendous importance of brand equity when it comes to investor relations, especially in today’s world, which is dominated by highly sophisticated brands that are household names. In the drive to attract investors and funding, branding plays a dynamic and key role in proactively communicating a company’s values, purpose and corporate image.
Investors are looking for a value proposition as well as a return on investment.
Innovative and consistent branding communicates reputation, integrity, market standing, and, above all, vision. Take Apple, one of the world’s wealthiest brands. Apple exists ‘to make a difference’. And it certainly has.
The need to make the complex simple
Innovation and leadership are essential for a successful brand as is the creativity that captures and expresses this essence and tells the story of the product, the people and the vision. Powerful, effective communication is artistry steered by deep understanding. It is also the ability to make the complex simple and comprehensible to a lay audience. It’s a form of translation that invariably requires the human touch, finding imagery and language that allows insight into the subject.
Creating powerful messaging with a human touch is more challenging in the fields of science and technology than in most other sectors.
Identify and speak to the benefits your brand offer investors
Fundamental to this is understanding the benefits your brand offers, in this instance for the potential investor. It’s important for your brand and communications agency to get into the mind of the potential investor to determine what benefits they’re seeking and their priorities, and to then speak to these benefits with your brand messages. It’s essential to identify what you can do for them, what the investment opportunity offers, so that you’re attracting investors, not chasing them. At the same time it’s important to demonstrate the value of your leadership and creative team and their ability to forge brands that make a connection with customers.
A brand persuasively connecting with its target customer base is the ultimate goal for both you and the investor.
The need to develop brand architecture in the Middle East
All this applies to the many new enterprises emerging on to the market in the Middle East region. Whether building an innovative life science or a biofuel company a key challenge is to stand out from the crowd and signal investors towards your brand. In the ‘Green ME’ session at the World Economy Forum, attention was drawn to the need to develop market architecture to build investor awareness. That market architecture includes all the elements mentioned above like supportive policies and supply chain infrastructure.
But a key element that was highlighted was the need to get your brand story right and articulate it powerfully and communicate messages in a fresh, intriguing and impactful way.
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