5 CFOs who are using web video to communicate with investors

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VIDEO is a powerful communications medium that just doesn’t seem to want to take off in the investor relations field — especially not in North America. But a few pioneering Chief Financial Offers are shedding their dull “bean-counter” images and taking their message to the web in moving pictures.

In this list we are focusing on CFO video presentations or quarterly addresses rather than the more widespread executive “interviews” that accompany many European companies’ financial results. We’re also not covering media interviews that many companies post on their websites.

We dug around in our database and here are five very recent examples we came up with. Enjoy.

1. Tonny Thierry Andersen, Danske Bank (PINK:DNSKY)

IR Website: http://danskebank.com/EN-UK/IR/Pages/investor-relations.aspx
Length: 4:25 mins
Embed: no
Embed views: not applicable

Comments: The entire online quarterly reporting package into which the quarterly CFO video is integrated is well done. Andersen, the former head of IR at the bank, is a strong communicator. Technology is also one of the bank’s strategic differentiators, so it makes sense for IR to demonstrate this through its communications. The quarterly videos, which they have been doing for the past 3 years, are the nicest we feature in this list. Only wish is that they’d allow them to be embedded so more people would see them. Go see for yourself.

2. Frank Calderoni, Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO)

IR Website: http://investor.cisco.com
Length: 2:15 mins
Embed: yes
Embed views: 1,048

Comments: Cisco is big on video, so it makes sense for their CFO to use video to communicate. And Calderoni is comfortable in front of the camera. However, it does feel like it’s shot on a Flip camera, which is okay because Cisco owns Flip. Still, a slightly better production value would put Calderoni in the same league as the Europeans. But we love that the videos are provided via YouTube so we and others can embed them and expose them to a wider audience.

3. Richard Solomons, InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (NYSE: IHG)

IR Website: http://www.ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=3
Length: 2:38 mins
Embed: yes
Embed views: 1,145

Comments: Short, sweet and to the point, Solomons is relaxed and courteous (he introduces himself and says thank you at the end). The cutaways to B-roll help to break up the talking head monotony. Good job!

4. George Quinn, Swiss Re (PINK:SWCEY)

IR Website: http://www.swissre.com/investors/
Length: 3:50 mins
Embed: no
Embed views: not applicable

Comments: Unfortunately, it seems the servers on which these videos are hosted aren’t suitable for video because they’re as slow as molasses. Nonetheless, Quinn acquits himself well on video.

5. Joseph Brown, MOSAID Technologies Incorporated (TSX:MSD)

IR Website: http://investorchannel.mosaid.com/ic/MOSAID/
Length: 7:39 mins
Embed: not available
Embed views: not applicable

Comments: MOSAID has put video at the center of their online IR program, and it’s quite impressive. Seven minutes is a bit too much teleprompter talking head, but the clever mixing of charts and graphs in the video provides some relief.

Who are your favorites? Let us know in the comments below, join our group on LinkedIn or send us an email.

Dominic Jones

Dominic (bio & disclosures) is IR Web Report‘s founder and an online investor relations consultant. He advises leading public companies and investor relations service providers worldwide on using the web for disclosure, engagement and profile building. You can contact him via the contacts page.