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...

SRI-CONNECT helps 'sell-side' brokers deliver value to their clients by:

'Sell-side' brokers 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 'sell-side' brokers need to deliver...

SRI & CG analysts, salespeople & corporate marketing execs on the ‘sell-side’ typically aim to:

  • Deliver SRI & CG research and related services to specialist buy-side analysts and PMs
  • ... as profitably & efficiently as possible in order to...
  • Open up much larger markets for this research amongst ‘mainstream’ investors’

How SRI-CONNECT helps...

We describe below how SRI-CONNECT helps brokers to meet these objectives and deliver value to their clients:

Research distribution

Brokers have exceptionally good research distribution systems (both automatic and human).  SRI-CONNECT makes no pretence to supplant these – merely to bring four small enhancements that, we suspect, will bring a 5% improvement in client impact

  • Analyst sector coverage – Buy-side SRI analysts are bad at updating brokers on their interests & sector coverage; SRI-CONNECT strongly encourages sector coverage updating – thereby increasing the likelihood that your research is highlighted to the right analyst
  • Issue-based distribution – Some sell-side research distribution systems are not built to distinguish between analysts interested in climate change adaptation and analysts interested in human rights; SRI-CONNECT makes this distinction; again increasing the likelihood that your research posted on the site is read by the most appropriate person
  • Second bite at the cherry - in a multi-channel world, people typically need to hear about something six times before they engage with it.  Brokers 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
  • Secondary clients and 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 for 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 via SRI-CONNECT, brokers retain TOTAL CONTROL OF THE COMMERCIAL CONTENT & COMPLIANCE ASPECTS of their research.

Brokers have three options when posting research on Market Buzz

Most research in the second category is currently (Feb’14) receiving 30 – 70 hits within the first week.

Help yourself

Corporate access efficiency & quality

This one is complicated.  See separate article: How SRI-CONNECT supports sell-side corporate access services

Research access

So much focus is placed on the distribution of research by the ‘sell-side’ that is is sometimes forgotten that ‘sell-side’ analysts also need access to a diverse range of challenging independent SRI research.

SRI-CONNECT is explicitly 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 analysts
  • Research Market enables brokers 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 brokers to track developments across asset classes, themes and markets

In addition to this, SRI-CONNECT actively encourages companies to communicate their sustainability activity pro-actively to sell-side SRI & CG analysts.

To take advantage of these services, analysts should:

  • Update their personal profiles so that the site and its other  users recognise their interests
  • Connect to people in the industry who write the most insightful research
  • Use the research market to buy research
    • (whether subscription services or individual pieces) to ensure that the competitive global SRI research market works to your advantage
    • Ensure that 5% – 10% of your annual research budget is available to be used for (non-subscription) bespoke and over-the-counter research purchase
  • Use the research market to sell research - by responding to research tenders that are issued via this process
  • Update your organisational profile to disclose what research you require and how you pay for it
  • Search the buzz – previous research (the buzz) can be searched by sector, issue or stock
Getting paid

The debate over how asset managers should pay for investment research will continue.  Eventually and inevitably, SRI & CG research & services from brokers will be paid for in the same way as other research & services from brokers.

However, this evolution will take time and we do not believe that wider industry development should distract from an ongoing focus within SRI & CG on transparent payment for valued services.

Various initiatives are underway in various parts of the world to encourage transparency around commission payment for SRI & CG research; SRI-CONNECT’s approach can best be characterised as ‘behavioural’ and ‘market-orientated’.  As a result it fits nicely alongside other (typically) more policy-orientated approaches.

SRI-CONNECT delivers:

  • Continued commentary on the subject to maintain awareness
  • Sustainable Research; Sustainable Revenues: Value and Money from Sell-Side SRI Services project will explore the behavioural issues around commission payment
  • Space within asset managers’ SRI-CONNECT profiles for them to disclose to brokers what and how they pay for SRI & CG research
  • Research marketplace enables brokers to
    • Explore new business models
    • Sell research for hard $$$s to asset managers, asset owners and others
    • Respond to tenders for research – the first one of these issued was met by two brokers
  • Continued promotion of the ThomsonReutersExtel survey and use of the IRRI survey to raise questions about the economics of SRI research

To help themselves,'sell-side' analysts can:

Professional profile

SRI analysts and portfolio managers typically need to raise the profile of their SRI activity 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: A number of institutional asset owners, investment consultants and financial advisors use SRI-CONNECT; we aim to attract more; profile on the site therefore translates into profile in front of a self-selecting and engaged potential client base

Professional SRI community: The various posting options enable asset managers 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 & PMs should:

Also...

In addition to the points above, SRI-CONNECT enables brokers to: 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 ...| Trend-track around interest clusters (asset classes, markets & interest areas) and much more...