Annual and
CSR report season is fast approaching. Before you commission anything, take a look
at this list of criteria. Does your writer fit the bill...?
How are we going to spin this!? |
We’ve written a shelf worth of annual reports for companies
including De La Rue, BT and Uniq.
We’re also experienced in the writing about CSR. Last year we
were entrusted with Coca-Cola’s European CSR launch site. You can check it out here.
Plus
we have a geographer-turned-writer working for us who is something of a CSR
enthusiast. His dissertation covered environmental attitudes, behaviours and
impacts. (It takes all sorts.)
2. They’re
comfortable in the boardroom. Interviewing skills are a must. An
annual report writer doesn’t have to be Jeremy Paxman but they can’t be a
shrinking violet either. You need someone who can strike up a rapport with senior
management and gain their confidence quickly.
It’s also important that the writer preserves the
individuality of the interviewee when it comes to writing it up. Otherwise you
can end up with one of those identikit statements which could have been written
by anyone.
3. They can
add some flair. Annual reports have to be published each year. But they shouldn't be viewed as a chore. Far from it. They’re actually an opportunity to
show investors and other stakeholders what makes your company great. The
strategy has to come alive. The numbers need to sing. When it comes to
attracting investment, you can’t bore people into submission!
With communications budgets under strain, the annual report
can be used to achieve objectives that might have had their own campaign budget
in years gone by.
Take the annual report we wrote for banknote
firm, De La Rue. The CFO complained that, here he was, working for a
cutting-edge tech firm. Yet everyone thought they were just a printer. To
counter this problem, we used the first page and opening spread of their annual
report to debunk this myth in an engaging and persuasive way.
4. They can
achieve the vision of the agency. (No matter how strange.) With so many
annual and CSR reports produced each year, agencies will seek to give their
clients’ reports a twist. Just a little something to help separate a firm from
the herd. You need a writer who’s able to work to this vision and make it a
reality. A wordsmith unafraid of throwing his or her own ideas into the ring is
also a bonus.
We’ve seen all kinds of annual and CSR brochures down the
years. One that stands out was from an online company called Nettec. They
wanted their annual report to resemble a landscape computer screen with lots of
text. We achieved this by crafting headlines that shouted the main messages yet
acted as section headings too.
Then there was ex-MOD research company, QinetiQ. Their idea
was to bring the investment potential of their technology to life. We did just
that by using classic narrative techniques to tell a series of compelling
stories. They read more like an engaging series of articles rather than an
annual report.
5. They
know a misplaced comma when they see one. Reports are all about external
relations. While website and even advertising copy these days is often riddled
with errors reports have to be grammatically correct. As Annual and CSR reports
are usually fairly hefty, you’ll need a writer with good organisational skills
and a keen eye for detail. And a good proofreader!
So there
you go. When it comes to CSR and annual reports, you’ll need a writer who ticks
all five of these boxes. Naturally, modesty prevents us from suggesting a
company which does just that. Based in London.... Begins with B…
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