SRI-CONNECT is one of the largest global networks for sustainable investment and corporate governance. Investors and analysts that engage with each other and with listed companies via the site build a reputation in the global community for a sophisticated investment-orientated approach to SRI & corporate governance.
In brief...
As asset managers move away from ‘cosmetic engagement’ towards ‘strategic engagement’ and from simple screening towards mainstream integration, they will look to the analyst and sales/marketing contacts at SRI research providers to:
- Improve quality, depth and investment relevance of research (Research Access & Access to Companies)
- Deliver research and services that are more targeted at their specific needs (both in terms of product output and payment options) (Research Distribution & Client Focus)
- At the same time SRI agencies will need to maintain their profile and presence in an increasingly multi-channel world (Industry profile)
- They will also need to support newcomer asset managers and owners with an investment-relevant understanding of how SRI is developing within different geographies, asset classes and investment strategies (Trend tracking)
(Of course, basic ratings and risk-based products will still have a role to play for less sophisticated asset managers and owners, but they are unlikely to be at the competitive frontier as they have been in recent years.)
Research providers upgrade to subscribe here in order to improve:
- their profile in the global SRI & CG industry
- their accesss to the industry, its individuals and their ideas
... and also to support the industry's development, to be supported by SRI-CONNECT's team and ... because it's the smart thing to do
See: Subscribe to boost industry profile and access
In detail...
What research providers need to deliver...
Analysts and sales at SRI & CG research providers need to deliver a stream of investment-grade (high-quality) insights and ideas to their asset manager and asset owner clients in order to help them execute their own programme of sustainable investment.
How SRI-CONNECT helps
We describe below how SRI-CONNECT helps independent research providers to meet these objectives and deliver value to their clients:
Research access
To deliver improved quality and depth of research, SRI analysts need access to a wide diversity of other research and opinion. SRI-CONNECT is specifically designed to help analysts manage their incoming research flow:
- Market Buzz enables analysts to tailor the flow of research that they receive to match their interests and to come from the most interesting sources
- Research Market enables research firms to tender, commission and buy research (over-the-counter or by subscription) that is precisely matched to their needs at appropriate prices
- Interest clusters enable research analysts to track developments across asset classes, themes and markets
- Update their personal profiles so that other site users recognise their interests
- Connect to people in the industry who write the most insightful research
- Search the buzz – previous research (the buzz) can be searched by sector, issue or stock
Access to companies
In order to produce high-quality research (especially in the evolving area of business sustainability), analysts need regular, direct access to company management.
SRI-CONNECT actively encourages companies to make direct contact with the SRI & CG research analysts that cover them. This is delivered largely by group webinars but also by direct meetings and 1-on-1 telephone calls.
Analysts should update their personal profiles to reflect their sectors, issues & even companies of interest – so that the companies can easily find them via the site’s various ‘search’ tools. So that research reports will be directed to them and relevant invitations will be sent to them.Research distribution, marketing & sale
All SRI & CG research providers have their own sales, marketing & distribution channels (both automatic and human). SRI-CONNECT does not aim to replace these. It simply brings four small enhancements that, we suspect, will bring a 5% improvement in client impact:- Sector and issue-based distribution – Much SRI agency research is posted to platforms without targeted notifications being pro-actively sent to individual clients based on their interests. By maintaining a central record of which asset manager and asset owner analysts and portfolio managers are interested in which sectors, issues and companies, SRI-CONNECT helps research providers distribute targeted notifications – thereby increasing the likelihood that your research is highlighted to the right analyst
- Analyst contact – Equally the record of sector and issue enables research firms to target individual contacts with messages & calls based on their interests – again increasing the likelihood that your activity is drawn to the attention of the right analyst
- Second bite at the cherry - in a multi-channel world, people typically need to hear about something six times before they engage with it. Research providers probably tell clients about their research in three or four ways. SRI-CONNECT puts one more channel at your disposal and gives you one more chance to ‘hit’ your clients
- Prospective clients – SRI-CONNECT enables research providers to distribute sample research ideas to prospective clients (individual analysts as well as team heads) in a targeted way that is most likely to engage their interest
- The SRI diaspora of influence – the sixth route to market is provided by the wider SRI diaspora of interest and influence that ensures that research is mentioned, discussed & recommended in different fora and via different channels. Why not use SRI-CONNECT to engage the companies, the other research providers, the consultants, the asset owners in promoting your research?
Control is critical
Importantly, when posting to SRI-CONNECT, research providers RETAIN TOTAL CONTROL OF THE COMMERCIAL CONTENT & COMPLIANCE ASPECTS of their research.
Providers have four options when posting research on Market Buzz
- Author & Title only: e.g Rabobank: Research Special SRI Investor Conference
- Author, Title & Exec summary: e.g. HSBC: Oil & Carbon revisited
- Author, Title, Exec summary & hard $ sale: e.g. Frontis Governance – CG Rating: Fiat SpA £650)
- (you set price; we sell for you, no commission)
- Author, Title, & giveaway via your website: e.g. MSCI 2014 ESG Trends to Watch
Research marketplace
SRI-CONNECT’s Research Marketplace creates a buying and selling mechanism for stimulus research thereby facilitating the development of a new higher-margin revenue stream for SRI & CG research providers – without threatening the core market for data and ratings.
The market enables research providers to:
- Explore new business models
- Sell research for hard $$$s to asset managers, asset owners and others
- Respond to RFPs and tenders for bespoke research
To make use of this feature:
- It takes 30 seconds to post a piece of research on SRI-CONNECT; make sure that all of yours is posted (Post quick buzz here | Post full buzz (with exec summary) here
- Register yourself to receive notifications of new research tenders posted in the Research Market
- Use the research market to respond to research proposals that are commissioned via this process
- Update your organisational profile to disclose what research you provide and how you need to be paid for it
Client focus
Contracts for research provision are typically signed between sales / client relations manager (on the provider side) and Team Head (on the client side).
SRI-CONNECT provides an easy way to deepen the relationship between firms especially on an analyst <– > analyst or analyst <–> PM level. Also, our support of the IRRI survey means that these deeper relationships are rewarded publicly just as they are rewarded privately by renewed contracts and repeat research business.
The site also provides detailed and structured profiles of the SRI activity and needs of asset manager clients and prospective clients – which enable a fuller understanding of clients’ and prospective clients’ priorities and needs.
Profile in a multi-channel world
SRI-CONNECT can be used by research providers to raise their profile at various levels: for the firm, for individual analysts and for specific research pieces and with two audiences:
- With clients and potential clients
- With the professional SRI community - the better you and your needs are understood by peers, suppliers and partners; the more efficiently and effectively these needs can be met.
For clients and potential clients: Over 1,000 asset managers and owners use SRI-CONNECT; profile on the site translates directly into profile in front of a self-selecting and engaged potential client base
Professional SRI community: The various posting options enable providers to showcase their research capabilities and strategic understanding of the SRI market and to influence the direction of SRI. (Showcase research: Post quick buzz here | Shape market opinion: Post blog here)
To take advantage of these services, analysts & salespeople should:
- Profile updates: Update your organisational profile and encourage all of your colleagues to update their personal profiles
- Connections:Make ‘connections’ with opinion-leaders and interest-sharers in the SRI market
- Contribute: Research from your own website: Post to Market Buzz and Blogpost your thoughts on SRI strategy & sustainable business
Trend tracking & other
In addition to the points above, SRI-CONNECT enables research providers to: Trend-track around interest clusters (asset classes, markets & interest areas) | Advertise and view jobs | Vote & be voted for in the IRRI survey | Host & attend events | Understand the fundamentals & market dynamics of SRI | Meet others in the market ...| and much more...
User-guide
A detailed Site User-guide for SRI agencies, SIFs & the PRI can be downloaded from here: SRI-CONNECT User-guide
