SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING

More and more companies are choosing to publish sustainability reports in addition to their annual reports, and the results of GRI’s Readers’ Choice survey explains why. The Readers’ Choice survey takes a look at who the readers of sustainability reports are and what they think. Here are some interesting facts from the survey:

 

90% of readers said their views of an organization had been affected by reading their sustainability report.

 

85% of those readers said that reading sustainability reports resulted in a positive perception of the organization.

 

The top 5 decisions people make based on sustainability reports are:

1)   to buy the products or services

2)   to invest in the company

3)   to open a dialogue with the company about a social or environmental issue

4)   to participate in a partnership with the company

5)   to work for the company

AR COVERS

83% of annual report covers contain a theme or positioning statement.

 

32% of annual reports contain meaningful content on the back cover.

 

87% of annual reports have a graphic on the cover.

 

77% of annual reports elaborate on the theme on the IFC and/or page one.

 

CHECK OUT OUR NEW VIDEO!

Want to see more of what we do? Check out this clip!

Get the Most out of your Annual Report

2009 has been a difficult economic year for numerous industries and the reflex for many companies, come annual report season, is to cut back in an effort to save costs. Many attempt to create their annual report in-house. This results in producing a low-quality, difficult-to-read document. While the intention is to demonstrate fiscal restraint to their stakeholders, it often backfires. The stakeholder is left wondering, “Is the reported financial situation even worse than the company is stating?” and/or “Are they not organized enough to produce an attractive and legible annual report?”

 
An annual report is the most important marketing document a publicly traded company will produce. It needs to convey the message that no matter the economic circumstances, this organization is prepared, and has their priorities aligned. To maximize the value of your AR, please consider the following:
 

Keep it “On Brand”

Your AR should reflect your company’s overall image. It should work cohesively with all of your other marketing pieces for the year. This can be done by the consistent use of corporate colours, visual elements, image style and tone of vocabulary. A cohesive brand image leaves a positive impression with your target audience and provides a clear representation of who you are as a company.
 

Make it Personal

In order for your stakeholders to have confidence in your organization, they need to be on board with your vision. Your annual report should clearly state your company’s mission statement and direction for the future. Personal testimonies from CEO’s and other staff also have a reassuring nature and convey a sense of honesty and transparency that is so important when presenting financial information - good or bad.

Give it a Theme

Another technique to ensure your annual report resonates with your target audience is to give the document a theme. The theme should reflect the vision and direction of the specific year being reported on. A theme also helps tie the entire annual report together – the vision statement, supporting copy and imagery should all reflect the theme.
 

Write Dynamic Copy

Once a theme is established, all the copy should be informed by this theme. Remember, not everyone who reads your annual report will be completely familiar with your industry or your company. Therefore, eliminate industry jargon and keep the copy as clear and concise as possible, using call-outs, quotes or relevant sidebar stories as a device to maintain the reader’s interest.
 

Wow them with Imagery

Let’s be realistic here, most people will not read your entire annual report word for word. For this reason you need to be able to communicate your core message clearly through dynamic graphs and charts, along with eye-catching photography. Visual aids enhance and reinforce the copy, and make it easier for the reader to retain key information.
 
A solid, well-produced annual report is excellent investment that will pay back dividends. At Red Rocket Creative Strategies, we understand what it takes to make the most of your annual report and all of your corporate materials. To take a look at what we can do for you, click here.
           
We’ll take you there.