I’m not sure why I have been overlooking one of my personal favorite new media platforms that has the potential to play a significant role in investor relations. I accessed the Youtube website and searched for “investor relations.” An overwhelming majority of the videos that popped up in the search results were case studies and clips from various IR award presentations.
However, the Tupperware corporation did an investor relations video, which featured its CEO, Rick Goings. In fact, after clicking on the first video that yielded from my “investor relations” search, I found several other IR videos from Tupperware Brands. It seems to me that Tupperware takes the cake on being well represented to the IR community on Youtube. Granted, an intelligent investor is not looking on Youtube to gain primary research about stock and companies; however, sometimes it is nice to have a little “eye candy” to watch and listen to (especially if the CEO makes himself visible and talks about the company’s strategy and forecasts, cough company transparency cough). Although, perhaps Tupperware’s significant IR presence on Youtube is only to make up for the fact that there is no direct link for their investor relations website from Tupperware.com…tisk tisk.
The only other company that has made a long-standing impression on me via Youtube is Coca-Cola. Some of my observations can be viewed in a previous blog that I worked on for a corporate public relations course.
In conclusion, Youtube, in my opinion is a great way for IR departments to give investors visual presentations regarding company information. Although this is one-way communication (two-way if you consider video comments from the audience) Youtube is easy, free, and people are crazed over it. In Tupperware’s case, Youtube gives investors a chance to hear the CEO speak about the company and the future, which provides company transparency and gives potential investors confidence.
If companies do not have any material on Youtube regarding IR, annuals, or special announcements, I suggest they invest in some video production, or else the only way the Youtube community’s investors will hear about them is if their IR department wins an award or becomes a case study.
