Maybe 20 years ago, I was handed a booklet about all of the different functional roles within the Communications and External Affairs team at the company I was working for. From Media Relations to Government Relations, the roles were well known to me. But what caught my eye was a discipline I’d never really encountered before: Investor Relations.

At the time, I hadn’t had much interaction with IR, perhaps because I was based in Australia, working for a multinational and far from the company’s global headquarters. Still, something about the short description in that booklet intrigued me. The idea of working in stakeholder relations but with a focus not on the policy or reputation narrative, but the financial one, felt right.

Years later, when I found myself working within an ASX-listed company, I finally had the opportunity to work closely alongside the Investor Relations team. In fact sitting right next to them as part of the same pod, day-in, day-out. It was there that I began to fully appreciate the power, and necessity, of a strong connection between corporate communications and investor relations.

The reality is, the two functions are inseparable. The way a company communicates with investors is a direct reflection of how it communicates with the world, and vice versa. Both exist to build trust, shape reputation and sustain confidence in the organisation’s leadership, strategy and performance.

For those that are straddling the divide, I have four key lessons:

1. A company must speak with one voice.

The core challenge for any organisation is consistency of narrative. Investors, analysts, employees, customers, regulators and communities are all listening, often to the same story told through different channels.

When communications and IR work closely together, the result is a single, coherent narrative about the company’s purpose, priorities and performance. It ensures that what is said to markets aligns with messaging to employees, and that strategic updates are understood not only as financial milestones but as part of a broader journey of value creation.

In today’s environment, where ESG, purpose and performance are increasingly intertwined, the need for alignment has never been greater. Investors no longer just want the numbers; they want context. They want to understand how strategy translates into sustainable outcomes, how risks are managed, and how leadership is building resilience and capability.

2. Markets value reputation

For listed companies, reputation is a form of capital that is just as real as financial equity. A cohesive approach between communications and IR strengthens that capital.

When the story told to markets is supported by authentic, credible and consistent messaging across all stakeholder touchpoints, companies gain what might be called a reputation dividend. It improves sentiment among analysts, enhances media coverage, reinforces employee engagement, and underpins confidence in leadership.

Conversely, when there’s a disconnect, when the corporate narrative feels disjointed or the company says one thing to investors and another to the community or to the media, trust erodes quickly.

3. There’s more to it than the numbers

Modern investor relations is no longer just about disclosure. It’s about dialogue.

Investors expect greater transparency and context, not just financial data but insight into how a company’s strategy, governance, people and purpose interlink. This is where the best corporate communicators add enormous value – by helping IR teams and leaders tell that story better. Not just word-smithing, but helping deliver the message with clarity, empathy and relevance.

When things are humming between IR and Comms, you can see both roles engage. The IR folk are thinking about things like whether the CEO is hitting the right messages, and the comms team are demonstrating an increased understanding of the rhythm of the market. Together, both teams create a more rounded picture of the organisation, feeding each other intel about their stakeholders and moving from disclosure to engagement.

4. Plan together

In practice, integrating the two functions means more than coordinating announcements. It means joint planning, aligned key messages, shared insights and an understanding that every piece of communication, from an ASX release to a CEO LinkedIn post, contributes to the same reputation ecosystem.

The best organisations I have worked in or with have a single communications rhythm that ties corporate strategy, investor messaging and employee engagement together..