Investor Relations as a Strategic Weapon

A guide to building and maintaining a world class IR function

“The year was 1987. Six months after we went public was the market crash of 1987. Our stock halved in a day.

And six months prior, the three founding executives, the CFO included, had taken all their proceeds from the IPO downstairs to – wait for it – Smith Barney and put it all on the market, and the CFO had levered himself up.

So on the day of the market crash, he got three margin calls. So he went home that night, and he lit his house on fire.🔥

So the next day, the CEO came to me and said,

‘Well, Bob's not coming back and the phone's ringing, you need to talk to investors.’

I was 26.”

-Samuel Levinson, Investor Relations expert and Founder of Arbor Advisory

Not much has changed since 1987 —even as algorithms now drive capital flows, most IR playbooks remain stuck in “earnings‑call script” mode. IR is very much a reactionary function, a “check the box exercise”, and a missed opportunity to move the market in your favor.

This tactical deep dive shows you how to turn your IR function into a strategic weapon.

We're going to dive deep, folks, into what it means to run a world-class investor relations function. I'm not talking about running a press release from time to time, or having an earnings day; we're talking about IR as a strategic weapon to drive your valuation. This is based on talking to experts who don't just see IR as messaging, but as an extension of the overall business strategy.

Here are the chapters we’ll cover:

1. Communication Should Reflect Business Strategy

“Your communication strategy must be the public expression of your corporate roadmap.”

2. Know Your Audience

“If I’m a value investor… I’m not here to hear a growth story.”

3. Management Credibility

“Surveys going back 30 years consistently show that “management credibility” is the #1 driver of an institutional investor’s buy/sell decision”

4. The Metrics You Measure

“If you don’t have the metrics, you pound the table. If you do have the metrics, you pound the numbers.”

5. Embedding IR in the Business

“Let’s call a spade a spade if your metrics aren’t linked to the context of the daily activities”

6. Putting IR to Work—Your Next Moves

“Now it’s your turn to go on offense.”

This masterclass in IR is available for paid members below. It’s time to link the way you talk about your business to how the market values and rewards it.