Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders

As a public company, building strong relationships with investors is vital. In a down market, the strength of those relationships relies more than ever on honest, reliable communication. No matter what's happening in the market, your company always has a story to tell. Telling it genuinely builds trust, and your investors will thank you for it.

My guest today is corporate communications expert and ICR Managing Partner, Brad Cohen. At ICR, Brad leads the PropTECH, Real Estate, and Lodging group, covering a broad range of industries. A former sell-side analyst and hedge fund manager, Brad has significant experience in investor relations and brings extensive knowledge of the strategic communications business to the table.

In this episode, Brad and I discuss the trends he is observing across different areas of his practice, what it takes for a company to make it to the public market in current conditions, and how Brad recommends managing relationships with investors during periods of market instability.

Show Notes

Summary:
As a public company, building strong relationships with investors is vital. In a down market, the strength of those relationships relies more than ever on honest, reliable communication. No matter what's happening in the market, your company always has a story to tell. Telling it genuinely builds trust, and your investors will thank you for it. 

My guest today is corporate communications expert and ICR Managing Partner, Brad Cohen. At ICR, Brad leads the PropTECH, Real Estate, and Lodging group, covering a broad range of industries. A former sell-side analyst and hedge fund manager, Brad has significant experience in investor relations and brings extensive knowledge of the strategic communications business to the table.

In this episode, Brad and I discuss the trends he is observing across different areas of his practice, what it takes for a company to make it to the public market in current conditions, and how Brad recommends managing relationships with investors during periods of market instability.

Highlights:
  • Brad's path from hedge fund manager to ICR (02:31)
  • What areas of Brad's practice are doing well in current market conditions? (04:19)
  • Brad describes the type of companies that are currently able to raise money and break into the public market (06:44)
  • Brad walks through how the construction sector is responding to challenges like supply chain issues and labor shortages (08:56)
  • Brad explains why now is the time for companies to set realistic expectations for their investment communities (10:45)
  • What are the benefits of holding investor days in a down market? (13:39)
Links:
ICR Twitter
ICR LinkedIn
ICR Website
Brad Cohen LinkedIn
Brad Cohen Bio

Feedback:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, elizabeth@lowerstreet.co.

What is Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders?

In the increasingly crowded and competitive corporate and financial ecosystem, it’s harder than ever for companies to break through the clutter and be heard. The media, investors, agenda-driven influencers, even customers and competitors, are defining your business story on their terms. Therefore, it is imperative that companies take control and proactively drive the conversation with stakeholders in an effort to build & maintain equity value.

In Welcome to the Arena from ICR, Co-Founder & CEO of ICR, Tom Ryan, interviews key business and financial players who influence the fate of public or aspiring public companies in the capital markets. As a former Wall Street Journal ranked sell-side equity analyst and the founder of one of the largest strategic communications firms in the world, Tom understands what it takes to navigate this complex environment.

This is a forum for CEOs, CFOs, institutional investors, sell-side analysts, financial journalists, private equity professionals and other financial community participants to share their stories and give advice in an open and candid conversation.

For more information, visit http://www.icrinc.com