We have four core areas of expertise:
Corporate reputation and stakeholder perceptions
An independent and objective analysis of stakeholder perceptions of your organisation and the way it communicates can be invaluable in guiding corporate and communications strategy and identifying communication gaps.
Some of the types of situations in which organisations use this type of research include:
- To evaluate its strategy at any time, but particularly before or after a period of significant change within the organisation or industry
- To evaluate and improve its stakeholder engagement program - to enhance their understanding of these groups and better meet their needs in terms of operational factors as well as communications
- To explore ways of enhancing its reputation
- To assess satisfaction amongst groups such as customers, members or employees
- To explore ways of attracting new customers or members
- To guide development of specific communications materials such as annual reports, corporate profiles, and AGM speeches (see testing communications materials)
GA Research is experienced in conducting research amongst a broad range of stakeholder groups:
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Financial transactions and investor relations
GA Research conducts most of its financial transaction and investor relations research amongst retail shareholders but also works with institutional shareholders and buy-side analysts when required.
Financial transactions
In the case of financial transactions such as mergers and acquisitions, privatisations, demutualisations and listings, research amongst retail shareholders is typically used to:
- Assess awareness and knowledge of a transaction and identify any communications gaps
- Determine the likely behaviour of shareholders in terms of accepting or rejecting an offer or taking up shares – this can be tracked on an ongoing basis
- Test and fine-tune arguments and rank them in terms of effectiveness
- Assess the effectiveness of any opponent’s arguments and how they can best be addressed
- Provide feedback on other communications materials such as letters, offer documents and prospectuses
- Identify sources of information and the ways in which shareholders would prefer to be communicated with
- Quickly assess how shareholders' reactions change in response to emerging issues, media coverage and changes in offer structure, such as higher bids, that commonly occur during a transaction
Investor relations
Research amongst retail and institutional shareholders typically explores why they are holding the stock, their knowledge level, perceptions, expectations and feedback on current communications materials and channels.
These research findings are used for a wide range of purposes including:
- Preparing or evaluating an investor relations program
- Evaluating shareholder response to significant change within the organisation or industry or its involvement in a controversial public issue
- Preparing a bid response strategy in expectation of a takeover
- Preparing for AGMs
- Testing annual report themes and layouts
- Gathering feedback from analysts
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Issues management and opinion polling
GA Research is a specialist in issues management and opinion polling and has extensive experience in all areas of community consultation.
Types of situations in which organisations commonly seek our help include:
- They are facing community opposition to a project such as a new factory, mine or motorway and want to assess the real depth of support and opposition in the community and how effectively perceptions can be changed using communications
- They want to lobby the government to change a law or to fund a project and need to demonstrate voter support, or at least, that no voter backlash is likely
- They want to conduct a public communications campaign on an issue and want to understand existing knowledge and attitudes, evaluate a range of communications materials and channels and assess the likely effectiveness of the campaign overall
Research findings of this sort are used to guide strategy but are often also provided to government stakeholders and media.
Testing communications materials
GA Research is very focussed on telling clients not just what stakeholders think, but how their knowledge, attitudes and behaviour can be influenced using communications. As a result, most of the research conducted by GA Research includes an element of communications material testing.
Our experience shows that understanding the context in which the potential target sees an issue, their current level of knowledge and the way in which they will consume the information - in combination with the ability to test and fine-tune communications messages and materials - greatly enhances the ultimate effectiveness of the communications piece.
Research can also ultimately save money in terms of quickly refining a brief, avoiding unnecessary printing costs or airtime.
Materials we test include:
- Key messages
- Direct mail letters, such as letters to shareholders during a transaction
- Brochures and letterbox drops
- Takeover bid and offer documents, prospectuses (including forms)
- Annual reports and corporate profiles
- Speeches, for AGMs and other occasions
- Websites
- Advertising – print, radio, TV and billboard
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