For some people, it’s just a “must have brief note” in their balance sheet. For others, it is another -more or less important- way to achieve better sales. But, for very few people it is the basic ingredient for every personal, social or entrepreneurial venture. Obviously, everything begins from its very own quality and its goal. Yet, everything ends up in the way it is presented, the way it sounds, the way it becomes known. In the end, even the most perfect initiatives are being assessed by their communication. Including the most emblematic investments.

Communication and business plan

It is no coincidence that the investors who achieve their goals and targets are the ones who realize that a main ingredient in the business plan of their investment is the perfectly designed and performed communication. Communication is, by itself, a component of vital importance in a big investment. It is a crucial factor of success and it should be treated as an accelerator of its efficient and effective implementation, and not as a cost that can be increased and decreased depending on difficulties that may occur midway.

A basic consideration has to do with what needs to be communicated and in what way. In principle, the answer is simple. Every investment planning should include, apart from the obvious -which is the investor’s benefit-, an analysis of the additional benefits for stakeholders who will get involved in it or will be affected directly or indirectly by it. The potential benefits are the main ingredients that will build a communication plan which will be activated from the beginning of the investment and will clearly define which messages will be communicated, to whom, when and through which communication channels.

The international experience has shown that whenever communication was clear and became a basic priority for the main investor, the investment turned out to be successful or even legendary. And this was the case for both its performance and its benefits, leading naturally to its acceptance by all stakeholders.

This approach has become common practice for all big investment groups and famous investors. Communication has become an investment on their investment. Obviously, a crucial issue that comes up in such cases is who will take up the responsibility to design and implement the communication plan. Obviously, top investment groups choose to trust top communication groups. In simple words: Top executives of every sector choose to work with top communication executives.

Working wisely

Investment communication requires deep knowledge, experience and expertise, along with full understanding of the culture of each country, place, community, market that aims to prosper. It has as prerequisites an insightfulness, constant flexibility and adaptivity to changing circumstances, since an important investment demands long-term perspective from the moment it’s being drafted until it gets successfully completed. It is usually the investors themselves who need to have and cultivate their ability to communicate with any audience they need to address. This is probably the most difficult mission any communication specialist may undertake. “Investment gurus” across the globe are perfectly trained and experienced “communicators”, since each one of their actions and/or moves gets utilized as a tool in order to increase the performance of their investment. They are being asked to use media and social media in a beneficial way in order to achieve their goals. It is clear that the accumulated wisdom they gain through this process guides them to use all communication tools purposefully and methodically and to manage all other tools and forces available: access to financial markets, contacts with opinion leaders etc.

Investments and politics: an emblematic coexistence

For every country, the way governments communicate investments is crucial, since they have to invite and attract reliable investors in a constant and effective flow. On the other hand, strong brands have to communicate their commitment for strategic investments bringing mutual benefits, with countries which are friendly towards international investments. The point where they all intersect is an investment in mutual compatible communication between transmitter and receiver and vice versa: between investor and investment.

In any case, every big investment venture has its own history. It has a preface (initial concept of the idea), several individual chapters (phases and stages of the project in progress) and an epilogue (inauguration of the investment). The way it is written down, the way it comes into sight and the way it spreads mouth to mouth and is perceived by interested audiences, is the key to the success of this history. This is also the secret of the expected performance or, in best cases, of the over-performance. The recipients of the “narrative” are the ones who will judge if the history of the investment will leave indelible benefits through time. And it is most certain that an investment written with question marks and spots, is vulnerable to its deniers through time.

Published on DIAMOND PAGES