Getting the inside story...
"The majority of charity annual reports are "very dull" to look at, according to a study from business advisory firm Deloitte"*
We don't think so!
Telling stories is what communication is founded upon, and helping our client’s story come to life is a journey we love to take with them. Creating a narrative is something we always encourage our clients to do with any communication – from their brand to their website, and of course, their annual review. Whilst you can focus on facts, figures and aims, a much stronger annual review or report will paint a captivating picture of what an organisation’s been up to that year, along with their vision for the future.
To begin the journey, we often start with a workshop – joining forces with stakeholders to understand the aims and objectives of both the publication and organisation, then establishing how we can best achieve them. The next step is looking at the audience; who are they and what are their motivations? From this, we can begin to determine the right channel to use and how the report will look – will it be web-based or printed, tweeted or pocket size? If we’re working with a charity, we’ll also consider how we can best illustrate how money’s being spent, plus things like whether the publication should include a subtle ask (donors want to help solve problems, not just hear about successes). Then, of course, we also look at how we can thank supporters and encourage ongoing support.
The über fun part comes next – that creative cauldron of piping hot ideas. We gather all the information we’ve collected: the strategy, aims and objectives, facts, stats, quotes, brand guidelines, and the golden nugget of the story, and throw it all into the pot. Then we turn up the heat using some inspired copy and design; not only giving the story it’s own unique character, but ultimately bringing it to life. Even the figures get some loving, as whilst some people may see them as boring, we see them as a fundamental part of the mix.
A publication we were fortunate enough to work on recently was Shelter's Annual Review – a fantastic example of a great story working to achieve some great results. We’re not ones to boast, but the rumour is that it was their 'most innovative review for years'. And that’s why Neo (and I) love creating an annual story. Sorry, I mean review...