Perception Studies

What is a Perception Study?

A perception study is an in-depth, independent and accurate assessment of stakeholders’ views. It gauges the views of buy and sell side, equity and debt, corporate governance and SRI / CSR officers on all matters of strategic, financial and management issues.

Why undertake a Perception study?

The views of any stakeholders are important and they expect to have the opportunity to discuss their opinions.

Companies do not get enough qualitative feedback and their stakeholders are often too reticent to be totally honest at their one-to-one meetings with companies, but they do like the opportunity to talk openly, honestly and in-depth to an independent party who talks their language about the issues that concern them.

These reports provide a useful input into decisions made by the Board surrounding strategy and helps to signal early warning signs of any misconceptions or misunderstandings that need to be addressed.

Why our Perception Studies are the best in the Market

We are all former fund managers and broking analysts so we talk the same language as both the buy and sell side analysts that we meet, ensuring that we get to the bottom of the key issues that really interest them.

We are truly independent with no hidden agenda and work in the best interests of our clients.

We arrange all of the interviews and see the participants face-to-face – we do not outsource to researchers.

We can get attributable feedback

We are specialists in this area

What topics do we probe?

Our excellent relationships with the buy and sell side and ability to speak the same language with these target audiences ensures that we are able to probe very sensitive issues on behalf of our clients. If you ask a closed question you get a closed answer. We prefer to structure our discussions by using topic headings allowing the participant to take the lead in those issues that are of most interest to them;

•    Strategic decisions – entry into new markets, mergers/demergers
•    Balance Sheet issues – exploring options for releasing shareholder value, buybacks, dividend policy, debt and gearing levels, refinancing
•    Portfolio re-shaping and options for under-performing assets / acquisitions and disposals
•    Board Composition and investor perception of the management team, renumeration policies
•    Management and succession planning
•    Relative valuation and peer group perception
•    Competitor mapping
•    Corporate Governance / CSR/SRI policies
•    Effectiveness of corporate communications