Long before the amendments to the Corporations Act regarding distribution of annual reports and financial statements, there was little doubt that the internet and digital technologies would dramatically change the way companies communicated with their shareholders.
Based on our many years of experience producing strategic investor communications, Pacific+ Corporate is helping companies make the most of these digital communication opportunities.
annual report
Digitising an annual report goes far beyond simply placing a PDF of the printed document on the company website or using page-turning software. Neither format makes the most of the unique features of the online environment.
Our online annual report service has been created specifically to enable Australian public companies to meet and exceed international best practice online reporting requirements, cost effectively and simultaneously with the print versions.
Modern best practice in the US and Europe recommends producing full HTML reports, backed up with PDF and Microsoft Excel downloads of individual pages and key sections. We have used these requirements (in addition to W3C* recommendations) to shape our digital publishing offerings.
Presenting the annual report in a navigable, downloadable format makes business sense because it helps investors to find what they want and encourages them to explore further.
In fact, far from threatening the company–investor relationship, a well designed online annual report can take investor relations to a new level by:
- engaging, informing and educating
- making it easier for people to find key facts quickly
- demonstrating the company’s accountability to shareholders and its commitment to open and effective communication.
* World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Develops guidelines widely regarded as the international standard for Web accessibility.
transactions
We can quickly and easily build deal-specific microsites – be it for an IPO, debt or equity offer or M&A – and securely host them in an online format accessible to investors.
Our microsites mirror the client company's corporate branding. They include HTML pages for terms and conditions that need to be accepted by the user before the document can be viewed. Document access can be limited by country, postcode and IP address.
An electronic version of the transaction document can be hosted in our HTML viewer so that investors don’t need to download the file to desktop. The viewer displays each page of the document via a web browser. Users can easily jump between pages, search via the table of contents, and view the entire document as page thumbnails, single and two page in screen views.
The HTML viewer also indexes the document and allows users to search across specific keywords. Investors/shareholders can also download the document to their own computer for reading or printing at their convenience.
Additional roadshow/marketing collateral can be hosted to support hard copy material or developed as stand alone digital presentations.
mergers & acquisitions
Pacific+ Corporate is the Australian agent for RR Donnelly’s Virtual Data Room (VDR) application, Venue.
Venue is an online workspace for the secure storage and management of critical transaction documents accessible at any time from anywhere in the world. Venue offers a flexible tool set that accommodates the special needs of specific projects, whether on the sell or buy side of the transaction.
Venue facilitates the due diligence process securely online. Some of its benefits are:
Accelerate due diligence
- Avoid the need to schedule multiple buyer visits
- Eliminate the need to travel - buyers can conduct diligence at any time from anywhere (reduce cost of travel and travel unpredictability (weather, security alerts etc.)
- Prevent the delays caused by overnight mail
- Reduce cost of paper/photocopying services and security risks related to outsourcing these services
Risk management
- Accelerated cycle time lessens the chance of market factors affecting your deal
- Respond to requests for new information immediately
- Have a clear paper trail of information that was disclosed and reviewed for future audits, review and analysis
- Enable special document access for special user groups like 'final buyers'
Increase the number of potential buyers
- Add potential buyers at any stage of the process without escalating time, expense and coordination
- Remove geographical constraints, eliminating time differences and travel issues
Track interest
- Activity reports help you understand the frequency with which certain documents are accessed
- Real-time access reports give you critical insight into buyer behaviour
Please contact us to discuss your next project
