PR Is No Longer Enough If You’re Not Thinking Like Investor Relations
As the communications landscape grows more complex, the distinction between public relations and investor relations is fading. For communications professionals, that presents a challenge and an opportunity. CommPRO asked a panel of respected experts: What lessons can PR learn from IR? Their responses reveal a powerful message. Communications professionals who want to thrive must operate with rigor, consistency and cross-stakeholder alignment.
Lesson 1: Trust is currency, and consistency builds it
Investor relations teams are known for message discipline, financial fluency and stakeholder accountability. Those same principles are becoming essential for all communicators.
“Public relations can learn from investor relations’ commitment to candor, consistency and credibility under pressure,” said Renée Soto, founding partner at REEVEMARK. “The division between these two disciplines has blurred.”
Soto noted that today’s environment of radical transparency and real-time scrutiny has eroded the traditional separation between reputation and valuation. Investors now care deeply about a company’s purpose and values. Meanwhile, the public, through viral campaigns and social pressure, can materially impact a company’s value.
“Trust is the most valuable and volatile asset a company holds,” Soto said. “Managing stakeholder trust holistically is not just advisable. It is imperative.”
Lesson 2: Operate with precision, not perception
For PR professionals accustomed to shaping narratives, the IR mindset can be a valuable discipline.
“Investor relations professionals are laser-focused on creating long-term value, fostering trust and ensuring alignment,” said Karla Cobreiro, chief credibility officer at Cobreiro Communications. “That kind of rigor is something PR practitioners can borrow from.”
She emphasized that every communication in IR is rooted in strategy and intention. “Consistency builds credibility,” Cobreiro said. “You cannot just show up when there is good news.”
PR teams should adopt the same level of message discipline. That means clear messaging delivered consistently, regardless of whether the news is favorable or not. It also means treating all audiences, including employees, investors, partners and the public, as essential stakeholders.
Lesson 3: Think in terms of stakeholders, not silos
With stakeholder capitalism becoming a central theme, PR must move beyond media-centric thinking.
“I propose that the term ‘stakeholder relations’ better captures the winning strategic framework,” Soto said. “It unifies communications across shareholders, employees, customers, regulators and the public.”
This approach requires communicators to be fluent in financial language, values-driven storytelling and reputation management. It also calls for tight coordination with leadership teams.
Jeff Corbin, principal strategic advisor at Staffbase, has worked extensively across IR and PR. “A public company’s stock price is largely dependent on how it articulates its value and growth potential,” he said. “This comes down to transparency, message consistency and stakeholder accountability.”
Those principles, Corbin argued, are just as relevant to internal communications and external messaging. “Regardless of audience, communications professionals cannot afford to wing it,” he said. “Every message must be rooted in data, strategy and consistency. It needs to come from those in control and at the helm.”
Corbin recommended quarterly or more frequent communication directly from leadership. “Just like earnings reports, regular communications build confidence and manage expectations,” he said.
Lesson 4: Speed, clarity and ethics matter
Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA, emphasized the importance of transparency and timing.
“The goal of any public communication should be clarity and understanding of your message,” Hazlett said. “My number one goal has always been: tell them first, tell them fast.”
He said communications professionals should not wait until they have all the answers before they inform stakeholders. “Tomorrow never comes. Today is here,” Hazlett said.
This moment demands more from PR professionals. It requires a shift from promotional storytelling to strategic communications rooted in data, accountability and trust. The best PR leaders will begin to operate with the same rigor and purpose as IR teams. They will be disciplined in their messaging, strategic in their delivery and committed to every stakeholder.
As Soto put it, “Valuation and reputation are now inextricably linked.” The future of communications is integrated, intentional and investor-grade.
