International asset managers are ready to share their expertise with their target audience at a moment’s notice. But they are often wary of critical comments from journalists. For many years we have worked for an international asset manager – who has to remain unnamed – who likes to distribute an annual, worldwide investors’ survey far and wide.
Surveys are ideal for collating news and serve as a great tool in reputation campaigns. Each year, our client conducts a worldwide survey among 25,000 retail investors in over 30 countries, including Belgium. It covers a number of recurrent themes, as well as topical and local subjects.
We are this client’s PR agency for Belgium and Luxembourg and are engaged in the process from a very early stage. We provide input for the survey and talk to the client about which questions are suitable for Belgian investors. In other words, we are the eyes and ears for our international client in the Belgian media. And we use this to good advantage.
Once the survey has been completed, it generates a huge amount of data. We quickly set to work on the initial results and then draft a strong, pragmatic communication plan. We usually extract more than one news story from the survey results. Each time, we highlight another, specific theme which relates to the Belgian market.
We then develop each of the press activities. We write a press release based on local results and questions. This can sometimes deviate completely from the international storyline set by the client, but we know what works best in Belgium and Luxembourg. We then draft our final press release, in consultation with the client’s compliance department, who has the last word.
We also organise interviews with the client’s local spokesperson for the major financial media. The press release is shared with a broad range of Belgian journalists. Finally, we pitch the survey results to journalists who need input for specific articles. This generates great coverage. And the thing that strikes us most? Even media that have little time for investment news are interested in the story.
Senior PR Consultant
Senior PR Consultant
