This partnership between the two firms in their respective fields builds on a longstanding collaboration and is aimed at deepening their services to existing clients and expanding their collective reach across South Africa's corporate landscape, says the duo.

With more than two decades of industry expertise between its two founding members, ByDesign brings a highly specialised skill set to the partnership — that of a full-service communications and public relations firm with a track record of partnering with businesses on critical issues and packaging complex messaging into actionable, impactful communications strategies, adds the duo.

With the same degree of combined high-level experience, KRIS has an established reputation for guiding companies through the complexities of investor relations, shareholder engagement and market perception, as well as compliance with various legislation. With its deep understanding of the JSE-listed environment, the firm is known for providing independent investor relations and strategic investor communication services, says the duo.

According to the duo, the formalised partnership will focus on delivering end-to-end strategic investor communications services, including:

  • ESG gap analysis and reporting
  • investment case development
  • annual General Meeting positioning and Integrated Report writing
  • shareholder analysis, targeting and engagement, and
  • strategic messaging creation and measurement.

"This partnership is the natural evolution of a relationship that has provided significant value to our clients over the course of many years," says Vanessa Baard, Co-Founder of ByDesign. "KRIS brings precision, insight and credibility in the investor relations space and, together, we offer a unique blend of financial and strategic communications experience and delivery. We believe there is real value in aligning strategy, messaging and execution across the entire stakeholder landscape, especially in today's complex, highly regulated environment."

"We have always taken a long-term view of our relationships with clients and that is something we share with ByDesign," says Vanessa Ingram, Partner at KRIS. "This partnership allows us to combine our skills to help companies connect meaningfully with shareholders, analysts, employees and other stakeholders. It is about identifying a need, crafting the right message and making sure it lands with the right audience at the right time."

Over the years, the two firms have collaborated on mandates across multiple sectors, supporting their clients with developing compelling investment cases, improving transparency, and building trust with their key stakeholders, among other critical aspects, says the duo.

"Our clients do not need more noise; they need clarity, credibility and results. While the two agencies will continue to operate independently, it's through a combination of skills and experience that this partnership will bring together deep investor relations expertise and strategic communication capability to help businesses navigate high-stakes moments, meet evolving stakeholder expectations, and communicate with purpose," concludes Baard.

For more information, visit www.bdcomms.co.za. You can also follow ByDesign Communications on X.

*Image courtesy of contributor