The Key Strategic Goals of IR Storytelling

This article is part of our IR Storyteller's Handbook - Download the handbook for a practical guide to crafting and delivering investor communications that resonate.

While corporate storytelling generally refers to the techniques used to share your narrative, understanding the purpose behind your storytelling is what makes it strategic. In IR, the most common goals include: communicating data with context, reinforcing key takeaways, building long-term credibility, fostering proactive investor relationships, and gauging market perception.

When planning your approach, Tiffany Willis, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations at Starbucks, recommends breaking down the objectives of your communication strategy early on:

“Are you trying to inform? Persuade? Motivate? You need to know your objective. Defining your key takeaways and what you want to achieve makes it much easier to get started.”

Using data effectively

Your financial data is a critical part of your story but it’s just one piece. On its own, data can only tell investors what happened. It can’t explain why you achieved those results, or show them where you’re headed next. That’s where storytelling comes in: to connect the dots and bring your numbers to life.

David Calusdian, President at Sharon Merrill Advisors, sees data as the foundation, not the story itself. He uses his own take on the McKinsey Pyramid Principle (also known as the Minto Pyramid Principle) to structure persuasive IR messaging, where data supports but never replaces your key message.

““It’s simple but brilliantly effective — and it works for any message.”

Here’s how he breaks it down:

• Top of the pyramid: The theme. This is your main point — the headline you want investors to remember. For example: “Product innovation is enabling our company to capitalize on strong growth trends.”
  
  
• Middle of the pyramid: Key messages. These are 2–3 supporting points that reinforce your theme — the takeaways you want to stick after the meeting.‍
• Base of the pyramid: Data. Facts, figures, and stats that back up each key message.

“Start with the point you’re making. Then walk through the supporting messages, backed by solid data. And close by restating your main point. That’s how you deliver a clear, persuasive argument that resonates.”

According to Zane Keller, Head of Investor Relations at Affirm, financial disclosures are best left to non-interactable mediums, while speaking opportunities are better suited to shaping the company narrative.

‍“As every head of IR and analyst knows, investors are surrounded by noise and distractions. This is where we can help the most — by delivering a crisp, digestible story investors can build their investment thesis on. We give them the data they need, and create opportunities to engage and understand management’s thinking.”

Establishing key takeaways

At the heart of every communication strategy are the key messages you want investors to remember. In a world where analysts and investors are bombarded with information, your job is to cut through the noise and make each interaction count. 

Zane Keller suggests leaving investors with one key takeaway from each interaction:

“You only get a few shots on goal with an investor. You need to make those count. I’m amazed at how many companies just repeat financial results on earnings calls or go through the motions at conferences. Investors should come away from every interaction with a new insight — whether it’s about your business, your management team, or your industry. If not, what was the point?”

That’s why your key messages should never be an afterthought — they should be the backbone of your narrative and a central part of your communications plan.

Tiffany Willis, SVP of IR at Starbucks, explains how she keeps her story focused and intentional:

“When crafting a narrative, the first thing I ask is: what do I want investors to walk away with? Those key takeaways help me focus the message. From there, I build an outline: how do we frame the story so it builds toward those points? And of course, you have to tie it all back to the objective of the communication — whether it’s to inform, persuade, or motivate.”

Start with what you want investors to remember, then build your narrative around it — and make every touchpoint count.

Building credibility over time

Storytelling for IR is not a one-and-done event; it represents your evolving reputation and trustworthiness. Your storytelling should reference previous talking points and demonstrate how your company sets and meets its goals and projections. Helene Dina, President and Strategy Partner at HD Strategies, offers advice on how to integrate frequent reminders of your company’s achievements into your story:

“You want to repeat your narrative often and share timely updates — on earnings calls, at conferences, in NDRs, wherever you engage. Say: ‘We told you we’d do X, we aimed to deliver Y by this date — and here’s what we achieved.’ Over time, that consistency builds trust. It shows you’re serious about your goals and accountable for them.”

Credibility with investors isn’t built overnight — it’s earned over time through consistent communication and meaningful relationships. Zane Keller, Head of IR at Affirm, sees regular engagement as a two-way motivator:

“If your management team regularly engages with investors, that gets them fired up to engage more. And likewise, your investors get increasingly interested in engaging with management team members because they start to develop a personal relationship with them.”

To keep investors engaged — and show them your company is a long-term opportunity — your story needs to stay consistent and reinforce the same key points quarter after quarter.

Tiffany Willis keeps her messaging organized and intentional with a simple yet effective system:

“I keep a document with the 12 or 13 key topics we’ve discussed. When we draft the next quarter’s script, I reconcile those topics: have we addressed them? If not, why not? Does it make sense? If something’s left out, I still flag it so we’re ready if an investor brings it up during Q&A.”

Benefits of proactive storytelling

Focusing only on your storytelling during earnings can lead to missed opportunities to reinforce your narrative. Significant internal changes or developments in your industry could be opportunities to proactively strengthen your storytelling efforts and reduce market uncertainty or misconceptions. Tiffany Willis reflects on her tenure at Starbucks and emphasizes the importance of staying the course and acting as a reliable source of information:

“There’s always going to be news — something popping up every day about your company. For me, it’s not about being reactive. It’s about staying centered on our strategy and progress as an IRO.

“When questions come up, I tie them back to what we’ve already shared publicly. And between earnings calls, I make it a point to meet with investors, reinforce the messages from the call, provide more color, clarify misconceptions. That way, when unexpected headlines hit, investors already have the story and the trust to lean on what they’ve heard from us directly — not just what’s in the news.”

Understanding market perception

One key goal of any storytelling campaign is to influence perception. You want investors to view your company accurately and favorably. Understanding the topics that matter to prospective investors and shareholders, measuring perception with pulse surveys, and addressing negative perceptions can help you strategize your storytelling strategy.

Tracking topics that matter to investors

Zane Keller recommends logging your conversation topics in your IR CRM to get a good picture of the themes that are most important to your investors. 

“One of the things we love about using Irwin is how easy it is to track topics discussed in each meeting. That way, when we report back to management, we can say: ‘Topic X came up in half of our meetings,’ or, ‘This other topic only came up 5% of the time and isn’t top of mind for investors.’ Having those hard numbers makes the feedback more actionable — and keeps the conversation focused on what matters.”

Zane elaborates that his strategy of logging themes in the IR CRM helps IR and management cut through the noise, but it isn’t the only way he is researching investor interests. He recommends using IR website surveillance to identify which investors are looking at the website and narrow down what materials they are accessing. 

“You also need to look at who is visiting your IR website. That’s another feature we love about Irwin — we can see which of our existing investors are engaging with our site, and even spot interest from investors who aren’t yet shareholders.”

Regular pulse surveys

In addition to qualifying the conversations your IR or management team has with investors directly, regular perception studies or pulse surveys can help you gain targeted or anonymized feedback. Zane Keller advises implementing quarterly perception studies to ensure IR and management are hearing directly from investors:

“You can't just do a perception study once every few years and believe that's adequate. So one idea we recently implemented was to introduce a quarterly investor survey, gathering feedback from investors and our analysts every single quarter. We disseminate that input in a weekly email directly to our leadership team.
“So every single week, we're having calls with investors. We take quotes from those meetings and other statistics and give them to our management team. And what I've found is that leadership often wants unique insights into what investors are thinking. So in other words, it's a two-way street, right?
“…And I want to reiterate, management must hear directly from your investors. I think there's a trap that many IR teams fall into where management only hears feedback filtered through IR, which means it can have a very positive lens. And they're not necessarily hearing from investors when they're unhappy about something, or they feel like there's something we could be doing better from either an IR or communication standpoint.”

You can’t rely on a perception study every few years and expect it to be enough. Investors’ priorities and perceptions change constantly and staying in tune with them takes regular effort.

One approach Zane Keller has implemented is a quarterly investor survey, gathering feedback from investors and analysts every quarter and sharing it with leadership in a weekly email:

“Every week, we’re on calls with investors. We pull direct quotes and stats from those conversations and share them with our management team. What I’ve learned is that leadership craves unique, unfiltered insight into what investors are really thinking. It’s a two-way street.”

Zane also cautions against over-filtering investor feedback:

“Management has to hear directly from investors. Too often, IR teams act as a filter, putting a positive spin on feedback. That means management never hears when investors are unhappy or see room for improvement — which are exactly the insights they need to make better decisions.”

Regular, honest feedback keeps everyone aligned on investor sentiment and helps your company respond proactively to concerns before they become bigger issues.

Understanding negative perception

Not all feedback is positive — and not all feedback is obvious. Perception studies are a powerful way to gauge investor sentiment, but they rarely tell the whole story. Sometimes a negative view stems from market conditions. Other times, it’s based on misconceptions about your company — and that’s when it’s critical to dig deeper and adjust your narrative.

Andrew Storm, Managing Director of Investor Relations at Delta explains: 

“One of the hardest parts of IR is that you don’t get a lot of direct feedback. You have to listen to the questions investors ask — and figure out what’s behind them. People rarely come out and tell you why they’re not investing, so you have to sit down, think it through, and ask yourself: ‘What are the reasons they don’t?’ Some are obvious, but some take work to uncover.”

By pairing perception studies with careful listening and analysis of your conversations, you can spot recurring themes, surface hidden concerns, and identify gaps in your story. When the same misconceptions keep coming up, it’s a clear signal to refine your messaging and close those gaps.

Key Takeaways

Compelling IR storytelling achieves five strategic goals — turning routine disclosures into powerful, memorable investment narratives:

1. Using Data Effectively: Data is the foundation, not the story. Use the McKinsey Pyramid Principle—theme at top, key messages in middle, supporting data at foundation. Save detailed disclosures for written materials and use speaking opportunities to add context and bring your story to life.

2. Establishing Key Takeaways: Define 3-4 core messages audiences should remember. Give investors "one new insight" from every interaction rather than restating press releases. Start planning by asking: "What do I want listeners to walk away with?"

3. Building Credibility Over Time: Show you deliver on what you promise by referencing past commitments and progress. Track key discussion topics across quarters to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. And remember — frequent, meaningful engagement energizes both management and investors.

4. Proactive Storytelling: Don’t wait for earnings calls. Use the time between to reinforce your narrative, clarify misconceptions, and strengthen relationships. A steady, direct line of communication helps investors trust your story over the noise of speculation.

5. Understanding Market Perception: Track conversation themes in your IR CRM, watch who visits your website, send quarterly pulse surveys, and pay attention to the questions investors ask. These signals help you spot misconceptions and gaps in your story — and fix them before they grow.