Planning and coordination
Establish a manageable timeline
- Set a timeline that works for you, not your suppliers.
- Create an annual group e-mail address to include all parties on correspondence. This will include the Transfer Agent, Broadridge and Solicitor if necessary. Group coordination will lead to a more seamless process and help avoid miscommunication when it comes to deliverables.
- Keep your record date at least 12-14 days from the mail date to ensure exact quantities. If this is not feasible, conduct frequent preliminary record searches to make sure you have a good “guesstimate”.
Cost management
Notice and Access cost analyses
- Conduct detailed notice & access cost analyses to determine where your favorable price points lie. The majority of companies utilizing N&A either do not save anything or pay more NOT to print and mail. This is a fact.
- Conduct a weights and measures review once the documents have been finalized to determine postage costs. If your financial printer is not providing this, request information on the various documents available that will not risk the integrity of the document but would yield lighter package weights.
- The goal for all shareholder mailings should be standard mail. This would be applicable for both full set delivery as well as notice only.
- This is available to issuers for packages up to one pound. In excess of one pound standard mail will default to Bound Printed Matter which is still much less expensive than first class or priority mail.
Document preparation
Proposal redesign
- Explore redesign options for proposals that are in question to place a greater emphasis on them. Conduct peer group reviews to see what your contemporaries are doing in the form of presentation. A redesign alone will not guarantee success, but it will increase readability and enhance the information. An in-depth discussion will be required to have a better handle on what is required. Demographics of the shareholder base, ISS or Glass-Lewis comments from prior years or overall poor performance will obviously have adverse effects on voting results. Your redesign should be centered upon the areas of deficiency.
- Manage your documents internally as long as possible before submitting them for typesetting and conversion to HTML for EDGARization purposes. This will significantly reduce the number of alterations made to the documents. Make sure your providers can provide single source solutions for these services. A good financial printer will be able to provide a typeset and EDGARized version of your materials within 48 hours.
- Self service collaborative Saas Solutions should be scrutinized to ensure graphic and design compatibility. Not all solutions can accommodate improved aesthetics.
- Provide packing and shipping details to your provider to ensure that the Transfer Agent and Broadridge do not have problems accessing the materials for mailing.
Shareholder engagement
Promote electronic delivery and online voting
- Utilize the real estate within your shareholder materials to promote voluntary receipt of electronic delivery as well as online voting. Placing this information in the middle of a paragraph in black ink will not do. Use graphics to promote the idea and quantify your call to action.
- Consider QR Codes or Augmented Reality to spice up the document and use the links to promote the company’s IR page, Sustainability Reports, key proposals or to streaming video of the Chairman reading the letter aloud.
Environmental responsibility
Environmental impact
- Promote your company’s efforts in being responsible stewards of the environment. Have your printer prepare an environmental impact statement touting the number of trees saved for paper manufacturing. These statements will also illustrate CO2, BTU’s, hazardous air pollutants, water and solid waste reduced through the elimination of hard copy. This info should be shared within the proxy or annual report.
How Toppan Merrill can help
Toppan Merrill is here to guide you through proxy season with confidence. Learn more about our Annual Meeting & Proxy solutions, or contact us to discuss how we can streamline your workflows.
