In today's dynamic capital markets, understanding how Wall Street perceives your public company is crucial for success. A perception study provides invaluable insights into your company's image, messaging effectiveness, and strategic positioning. But what exactly is a perception study, and how can it benefit your organization?

What is a Perception Study?

A perception study is a comprehensive research initiative that gathers and analyzes stakeholder opinions about your company. At Gateway Group, we specialize in conducting these studies for public companies, providing a clear picture of how investors, analysts, and other key market participants view your organization.

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The Gateway Approach

Gateway's perception studies are designed to be both comprehensive and respectful of participants' time. Our approach targets four key cohorts: existing investors, publishing sell-side analysts, target investors, and target sell-side analysts. This broad spectrum provides insights into current perceptions as well as what it would take for potential investors to buy your stock or for target analysts to initiate coverage.

We employ a two-part survey design, consisting of up to 10 multiple choice or rating questions, followed by about five open-ended questions. The latter are typically discussed over the phone, allowing for more nuanced feedback. To encourage candid responses, we offer participants the option to remain anonymous. This methodology ensures we gather honest, detailed insights while being mindful of the limited time investors and analysts have available. The entire process is typically completed within four weeks, providing you with timely, actionable information.

The Value of Professional Expertise

Conducting a perception study through a professional investor relations firm like Gateway offers significant advantages:

• Investors and analysts tend to be more candid with their feedback than if they were discussing directly with company executives.
• Our strategic approach and carefully designed survey ensure efficient use of participants' time while gathering helpful insights.
• The option for anonymity allows for more honest and detailed feedback.

• The data gathered helps inform the content of our earnings calls and our other key investor communications.

5 Key Benefits of a Perception Study

1. Refine Your Investor Communications: Enhance investor presentations, sharpen your investment thesis, and improve earnings call content using the feedback     received.
2. Gauge Messaging Effectiveness: Understand how well your current messaging resonates with Wall Street and pivot if needed.
3. Inform Strategic Decisions: Use data-driven insights to guide your future IR strategies so your company can maintain a positive brand image and stay aligned with its mission.
4. Track Progress Towards Goals: Assess your company's direction in terms of market perception and valuation to help you achieve key steps in your overall plan.
5. Deepen Investor Relationships: Engage investors in the process, showing them you value their input.

From Insights to Action

While perception studies provide valuable insights, Gateway believes it's critical to then develop an action plan addressing the feedback. Our team of experienced IR professionals work with you to translate findings into concrete steps, ensuring that the insights drive meaningful improvements in your investor relations strategy.

Real-World Impact

We’ve seen firsthand how perception studies can drive tangible results for our clients. These studies have helped companies refine their equity stories, address key investor concerns proactively, and contribute to successful capital-raising efforts.

In today's competitive capital markets, a clear understanding of your company's perception can be the difference between premium valuation and underperformance.

Don't leave your company's market image to chance – contact us for a professional perception study to guide your IR strategy and build stronger connections with your investors.

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