2009 Annual Report (PDF) - FTI Consulting

distinguishes us from other strategic communications consultancies. We are able to advise clients from almostevery major business center in the world. We combine our core investor relations, public relations and publicaffairs capabilities with other services to present clients with integrated business communications solutions.A number of factors affect the demand for our strategic communications services, including merger andacquisition activity, public stock offerings, business crises and governmental legislation and regulation. During2009, demand for our strategic communications services declined due to the global economic recession andfinancial and real estate crises, particularly due to the decline in mergers and acquisitions, stock offerings andcapital market transactions and companies’ reductions of discretionary spending on such services as branding,communications, marketing and media and investor relations.In 2009, the services provided by our Strategic Communications segment included:Strategic Business Consulting. Our strategic business consulting sub-practice helps solve and managebusiness problems that companies face. Our services include business plan development, market sizing anddiscovery research, marketing segmentation research and analysis, change management advice, surveys andpolling.Strategic Financial Communications and Investor Relations. We specialize in advising clients on capitalmarkets communications strategies, whether through ongoing investor relations advice and support, shareholdertargeting, peer group analysis, financial news management or other activities crucial to maintaining a fairvaluation. Our services include the research and analysis of shareholder demographics, investor targeting, roadshow management, financial conference support, investor perception audits, financial news and calendarmanagement, disclosure policy assistance, peer monitoring and analysis and advice on governance issues.Restructuring and Recapitalization Communications. Our restructuring and recapitalizationcommunications practice offers an integrated consultancy service to clients that are facing various levels offinancial distress. We advise our clients on the communications aspects surrounding a range of situations fromrenegotiating credit facilities to rebuilding balance sheets through access to the equity markets, downsizingbusiness activities and bankruptcy or insolvency. Our offerings in this area provide a unique ability to handlecomplex cross-border multi-stakeholder communications programs, which align our capabilities in disciplinessuch as financial communications, crisis management, employee communications and public and regulatoryaffairs.Reputation Management and Public Affairs. We help clients respond quickly and effectively todevelopments that threaten to damage reputation or market share. We counsel clients regarding strategiccommunications, litigation communications, shareholder and other activist activity, community relations,corporate social responsibility, media relations, information monitoring and analysis, political intelligence, policyformation, political and media campaigns, third party and coalition mobilization, state aid issues and monopoly,antitrust and competition regulatory affairs.Corporate Positioning and Brand Communications. We provide creative services to build consumer andbusiness-to-business brands, including corporate brand positioning advice, strategic marketing advice,business-to-business marketing consultancy, consumer communications, media relations, qualitative andquantitative research, sponsorship consultancy, thought leadership consultancy and launch and eventmanagement.Mergers and Acquisitions, Business Combinations and Capital Market Communications. We act as acommunications advisor to clients affected by business combinations and restructurings, proxy contests,regulatory investigations, shareholder activism, initial public stock offerings and other capital markets events.Our services include strategic boardroom advice, financial calendar support, financial and business mediarelations, corporate governance and socially responsible investment advice, capital market intelligence, investorrelations and strategic communications advice.10