SPAG, a leading independent PR and communications firm, launched its Annual Outlook Report for 2020 today. Titled ‘Igniting Start-ups with Investor Insights’, the report is developed in partnership with KPMG (Singapore), APACMed, PRCA SEA and e27 and in consultation with key members of the investing community and innovation ecosystem. The report dives into the investor perspective for start-ups, from a communications standpoint, and includes insights from the advisory committee on the APAC investment scene. The report aims to provide an overall view on the communication landscape and guide start-ups with sound communication advice.

Based on first-hand interviews with investors across industries in APAC and years of cumulative communications experience from SPAG, the report focuses on the communications journey of a start-up from inception to late stage, providing guidance and tips throughout the report.

“To win the innovation game, start-ups need to develop a comprehensive, target-audience focused strategy. The current pandemic and the post-pandemic world present a unique set of challenges where start-ups need to stand out from their competitors and develop investor relations through communications. While communication needs differ at different stages of a start-up’s growth, how start-ups communicate with their audiences and tell their stories remain a critical function of success,” said Priyanka Bajpai, Regional Head, SPAG.

SPAG conducted a series of in-depth, one-on-one interviews with key investors, venture capitalists, incubators and accelerators across APAC, to understand key characteristics that intrigue investors. Additionally, the organisation also garnered insight from start-ups to understand their use of communications strategies and tactics and learn what has worked or failed.

“In the post-COVID era, it is crucial for start-ups to assess the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.  As communications specialists, we conducted extensive qualitative research on how investors view start-up communications. The report is our endeavour to provide start-ups with a blueprint for the road forward, to set their expectations and understand the reality of investor communications, and guide start-ups on how to build communications strategies accordingly,” said Aman Gupta, Co-Founder, SPAG.

The report follows a start-up’s growth journey from proof-of-concept to gaining market leadership, providing a communications roadmap with SPAG’s recommendations on the best communication tactics to appeal to investors, based on the insights from our interviews. Through the conversations, investors confirm that digitization of industries is the way forward and they look favourably at start-ups who have managed to pivot and digitize their business models despite the pandemic.

The SPAG Annual Outlook Report launch kicked off with a webinar panel of esteemed thought leaders across industries: business, investment and healthcare. The report is available on the SPAG website for download.