Q&A on Earnings Shareholder Letters, Video Earnings Calls, and Investor Day Experiential Ideas
Instead of going deep on one topic, we’re answering a few of the questions we’ve been hearing from the IR community lately. Chances are, these have been on your mind too.
Q1: “We’re thinking about moving to a shareholder letter format instead of the usual earnings press release. Who’s doing this well?”
More and more companies, especially in tech, are simplifying quarterly comms with an earnings letter. In some cases, it’s fully replacing the press release. A few are even skipping prepared remarks altogether and letting the letter do the heavy lifting.
Q2: “My CEO asked if it’s time to switch to a video format for earnings. We currently do audio-only calls. What are your thoughts?”
We’re seeing more companies test video for earnings, but it’s not a universal fit. Some leaders are great on camera. Others prefer to keep the focus on what’s said, not how they look saying it.
Video can add context like tone, posture, and presence that helps investors read the room. But it also brings more pressure. It requires a different kind of prep, and not every team is comfortable with that level of visibility.
Here’re some examples we like.
- Duolingo executes it well, even with the CEO, CFO and IRO in separate locations.
- Etsy takes a conversational approach, with the IRO, CEO, and CFO gathered around a table. The setup is simple, and it works.
- Netflix is another great example, and worth checking out.
What stands out in each case is how comfortable and authentic the leadership teams appear on camera.
Most video calls now allow analysts to join live, and many ask questions with their cameras on. (people have embraced the video-call world we live in!)
Here’s a balanced view: Video can work but isn’t for everyone. As Mark Hayes (Partner, BWS) puts it, the decision should reflect your team’s culture, investor expectations, and how you want to communicate.
Q3: “We’ve got an Investor Day coming up. Any ideas to mix things up beyond the presentation portion?”
This topic’s come up often. We also covered it at the recent NIRI ’25 Annual Conference. You can download our deck here if you’re curious.
Once you’ve locked in topics and presenters, it’s worth thinking about how to bring the story to life beyond slides. Below are a few approaches:
Bring in outside voices to strengthen your message
This adds credibility and breaks the “just us talking about us” pattern. Examples:
- Linamar invited industry experts to speak about market trends and TAM for each segment.
- Affirm’s CEO hosted a fireside chat with Shopify’s COO (a customer) to reinforce their moat and product value proposition.
Create experiential moments or product showcases
Campbell’s, at NASDAQ, set up “experiential” stations to showcase their products. Tailgate experience featured snacks and another styled as an Italian market, featuring pasta made with Rao’s ingredients. Investors could see, touch, and taste the strategy in action.
Some companies also host a pre-Investor Day product showcase with food, cocktails, and casual conversations. It encourages more dialogue with management beyond C-suite and helps investors engage more deeply (especially if your products are less familiar or harder to grasp).
📌 You can see more ideas in our NIRI presentation.
Learn more about OUTKREATE’s Investor Relations Solutions
We help Investor Relations teams to ELEVATE presentations for any occasion – be it your Investor Day, General Overview, Quarterly Earnings, Investor Conferences, ESG Updates.
Thinking of UPGRADING your Investor Materials?
Schedule a Call
How does your Presentation measure up?
Do you have a major event or a high-stakes meeting coming up? Do you need a sharp narrative and bold design?
Let's connect and we can take a closer look at your presentations. We'll share with you actionable ideas along with real examples that you can apply to improve odds of success.