IPO Program for a Software Company

Background
As it was approaching its IPO, a rapidly growing software company selected Sharon Merrill Associates (SMA) for financial communications counsel.

Situation Analysis
The software company had virtually no visibility outside of its market. By going public, the company sought to leverage the endorsement of the financial community and generate high-level awareness of the company and its products among a wider group of potential customers -- Fortune 1000 companies.

Investor Relations Objective
Raise the visibility of the software developer within the financial community and business media, thereby enhancing the recognition of the company among its key audience of Fortune 1000 firms.

Investor Relations Strategies
Introduce key analysts and portfolio managers to the company's management through group and one-on-one meetings, and investor conferences.

Place feature stories about the company's strategy, financial performance and market opportunity in influential business and financial publications.

Manage the consistent flow of information to a continually evolving shareholder base, potential investors and the media.

Investor Relations Results
Eight feature stories about the company's strategy, financial performance and market opportunity appeared in a 12-month period in widely circulated publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Investor's Business Daily, BusinessWeek, The Boston Globe and New England Business.

National business media consistently covered stories relating to the company's financial results.

Seven Wall Street analysts wrote favorable research reports on the company.

Institutional stock ownership increased from 20 percent to more than 50 percent in the six-month period following the investor meeting campaign.

The company's stock price nearly tripled from its IPO price of $12.00 in its first nine months of trading.

The company experienced tremendous growth in its customer base of Fortune 1000 companies.

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