Sallie Pilot, Strategy and Research Director at Black Sun comments in Communicate Magazine over the defining characteristics of the best annual reports.

“In a nutshell, what we look for is clear, concise and joined up communications. We advise companies to think along the following principles:

Integrate all your communications across all media (both on and offline). Ensure consistency about how you talk about the business.

Set out clear messages. Be open, honest and transparent; reflect a director’s view of the business; focus on the matters that are relevant to your ‘stakeholders’; have a forward-looking orientation; ensure you are developing a cohesive story with a beginning, middle and end that answers the question ‘why should I invest in this company’.

Stay focused. Ensure your report is comprehensible and understandable. Be balanced and neutral: it’s not just about the good stories. And be comparable: report consistency year on year.

Build up your story over time: see it as one part of a dialogue with stakeholders. Reflect your business, culture and values. Go beyond boiler plate to actually explain how your business operates, the processes and systems. And reinforce what makes your company different - give it a personality.” 

To read the full article please click here.