Capital markets day

Best Capital Markets Communications

On 26 March 2025, Imperial Brands hosted a capital markets day for analysts and investors when it launched its 2030 strategy with an objective to become a strong challenger brand in its sector.

The communication goals were four-fold:

1. To ensure investors understood the strategy, and its ‘evolution not revolution’ character

2. Demonstrate progress since 2021

3. Showcase leadership and fast-moving consumer goods credentials

4. Secure engagement from stakeholders
   

The immersive day was attended by 85 investors and analysts, while a further 158 tuned in online. They heard presentations from chair Thérèse Esperdy and eight members of the executive leadership team, with a unifying message framework focused on building a strong challenger business.

Interactive breakout sessions on insights, consumer-focused science, innovation and brand building demonstrated how Imperial Brands is getting closer to its customers, with bespoke video content, including consumer vox-pops.

All the information and demonstrations presented at the capital markets day were made available on a new Imperial Brands website, which went live that morning. Targeted LinkedIn campaigns also launched that day, reaching marginal investors and prospective talent.

In the aftermath of the capital markets day, the company took the time to explain its new five-year strategy to colleagues. The top 70 leaders attended a two-day workshop in London, 600 global business leaders took part in a live Q&A and more than 4,000 colleagues watched a TV-style broadcast, which was followed by live online questions. Factory managers delivered tailored briefings to their teams.

An international roadshow followed, taking the strategy to Rome, Bristol and North America, as Imperial Brands sought to ensure every member of its workforce heard the same story and understood their role.

Two weeks later, 30 major suppliers were briefed by chief executive Stefan Bomhard and chief consumer officer Paola Pocci, while the company’s science and corporate affairs officers engaged industry stakeholders at the Global Forum for Nicotine.

When it came to results, 95 per cent of attendees rated the capital markets day as good or very good, while 82 per cent said it improved perception of the investor proposition and 100% said it improved their understanding of the company’s story. Traffic to the updated website also rose, while post-event surveys of colleagues averaged 4.6 out of 5.

The judges felt the capital markets day stood out for ‘its accessibility and depth, with visible leadership, compelling consumer storytelling and interactive sessions that made a complex transformation easy to grasp’.

They were particularly impressed by the integration across multiple audiences. ‘By aligning colleagues, suppliers and investors around one strategy, Imperial turned an investor update into a company-wide moment of belief,’ said one.