Internet Citations

[Editor's Note: since publication of this article, many URLs on this page have become to the best of our knowledge extinct and as such have been rendered inactive as hotlinks. The inactive URLs appear in plain text.]

Access Conference, Claridge’s, London 5/19-20,1999

NB: Read the presentation by Mike Reilly, President of Hally Enterprises, Inc. and use this guide while signed on to the Internet for live examples of the points he makes.

Section I - Introduction

Hally Enterprises Introduction - Homesite

http://hallyenterprises.com/home.htm.

Why analysts do not use corporate Web sites:

1. Examples of global professional database products used by analysts:

www.bloomberg.com

www.onesource.com - high-priced aggregator

2. Most corporate sites are a mess. Examples:

web.icq.com

www.philipmorris.com - worse than a mess, it doesn’t exist (the only S&P 500 company without a corporate Homesite.)
[Editor's Note: since publication of this article, Philip Morris has built a site. Hally Enterprises currently has no official opinion as to the quality of that site.]

Even a small company can produce a state-of-the-art Homesite

www.coopercos.com - aimed at investors.

Section II - Analyst Views

AIMR study 1Q99 - the first detailed study of analyst views on Internet content value.

www.aimr.com

An example of the typical lack of timeliness complained about in the AIMR study:

http://www.severn-trent.com/svt_ir3.htm -- Ironic because the Financial Times on Saturday (May 15,1999) listed it among the best!

Analysts value transcripts and other document availability, especially when posted in a timely (at least same day) fashion to the company site. Here is an example:

http://www.xerox.com/go/xrx/about_xerox/T_release1.jsp?view=news_archive&equip=none&oid=14325

Section III - Expectations

The Internet forces all comparisons to the best. The consistent leader in Corporate Communications online best practices is Intel, which in 1999 has combined online information strategies with offline strategy -- the just issued, slimmed down Annual Report directs users to the Web site. www.intel.com

Intel pioneered using its stock symbol to take researchers directly to the Investor Relations subsite within its Homesite:

www.intc.com

The latest example of the modular Investor Relations subsection now being sold in the US for corporations eager to serve investors is at:

www.prnewswire.com

http://199.230.26.96/geek

http://199.230.26.96/ctx/

http://199.230.26.96/cgi-bin/ir/ctx/keystat.html

The fastest growing modular solution provider in the past two years:

www.ccbn.com

Section IV - Ways to use a good Web site

The simplest uses are often the most valuable. Use the site to teach new analysts about the company. Here are slides on the CSX site that an IR Officer can use with a telephone connection:

http://www.csx.com/aboutus/financial/earnings/

E-mail remains the most used and this most powerful feature of the Internet, and it will remain that way for years. Here is an example of an e-mail connection sign-up form, a popular feature on many investor sites:

http://www.shareholder.com/Visitors/distlist.cfm?companyid=SBC&header=4

In crises, merger, acquisition and many other situations, the Internet can be a powerful tool to influence key target audiences -- from shareholder/employees to regulators and the media. Here is a benign example posted two days ago (May 17), when Reuters and Dow Jones announced a new joint venture; the site was released instantly when the press announcement was made.

www.bestofboth.com - [new URL for this site - www.factiva.com]

Section V - Futures Issues

An example of a constantly updating, globally current data site:

www.reuters.com

Another site, growing organically; global in reach and depth -- is from the research management company, Multex.com. Here is a look deep into its Asian data:

http://www.multex.com/contriblist/genctblist.asp?Region=FRE&Name=Far+East

The Web’s key characteristics allow great personalization of data, something corporates will have to address. Sites like www.yahoo.com use such tools to draw users closer to them. The pioneer was TI(Texas Instruments). Here is how they do it with their customer base:

http://www-s.ti.com/ti_me/docs/custom.htm

A hidden gem in the Internet set of characteristics is its limitless area for storage, or the building of multi-dimensional data warehouses. Here is an example of a huge Web site, which also happens to have a good investors section and one of the premier site maps (simple but effective). Use the site map to find the investor data; it works!

www.merck.com

The Alcoa presence in cyberspace, for which strategic planning was handled by Hally Enterprises, incorporates most, although not all, of the features illustrated here today (a site map is coming shortly). See it at:

www.alcoa.com

Don’t buy everything being sold today. Unlike audio, video on the Internet, for instance, is not a good way to conduct investor relations communications. Try to use one of the videos here without any action other than selecting the site below. Most Web machines can’t do it today (even though yours might). And, the low quality may well tarnish the company image.

http://www.real.com/showcase/realplayer/business.html

Most companies think they know it all. Prove you don’t and survey your audience with expert help before you build or rebuild your Web space. Here is a rudimentary, but commendable, upfront effort:

http://www.wpp.com/wpp/

 

© Copyright 1999, 2001 Hally Enterprises, Inc.