Whether you are new to designing annual reports or a seasoned veteran, you could use an annual report design cheat sheet as a guide or checklist.
With the waves of digitalisation and creatives landing across every industry, designers of annual reports have to step up to meet the challenge.
To help annual report designers everywhere, we have created an ultimate cheatsheet/guide for the new age annual reports:
Regular Breaks and White Spaces
Nothing turns people off faster than chunky texts. To boost the readability of an annual report, summarise and break up wordy paragraphs to sustain their attention. Inserting high-quality graphic or image elements regularly will do the trick.
Of course, the correct use of white spaces can be a game-changer as well.
Evoking Positive Emotions
Emotions are often the driving force of decision-making among individuals. People respond well to positive emotions, especially current and potential investors. It’s all about framing a positive front in an appealing design.
Look at your annual report design, does it evoke a favourable outlook? If it doesn’t, it’s time to make some changes.
Infographics Have Become A Necessity
Infographics used to be a trend. Now, it’s a necessity. Use infographics to present your financial statements in a simple, clear and engaging manner. Designing infographics force you to simplify and present your numbers in a visually evocative way, making it more attractive to the average reader and investor.
Need a hand? We know someone who can design good infographics.
Time For Some Humble-Bragging
Show-off your achievements. You had a great quarter or year, don’t waste it.
Highlight your strengths and success in your annual reports to obtain confidence from your current and potential investors.
But keep in mind, subtlety would be your calling card.
Give Your Section Breaks
We don’t mean actual breaks. Provide a summary with noteworthy points and statistics (using visual elements if possible) before each section. Not everyone has the time to read through a long report, as most of them skim through annual reports.
By providing a summary, you ensure that they are taking home the message you have crafted and intended. It also serves as regular breaks from chunky texts.
Consider Some New Formats
There’s no such thing as a standardised annual report. Get creative with it, since it can become an effective communication tool across your various departments (i.e. marketing).
Consider splitting your annual reports into two and portraying them in a subpage or microsite format, like what Maybank has done with their annual report design. Or, here are some top annual report designs you can consider as well.
Projecting A Bright Future
Last but definitely not the least, include a section on future developments and projected growth of your company. Your business is here to stay. But your investors need to know that as well.
By focusing a section on your company’s future, it instils confidence within your business’s stakeholders and investors while presenting a forward-thinking mindset. If it doesn’t achieve that, forward planning never hurt any business before.
Annual report design can become a huge asset in more ways than one.
Wish to create a good annual report design? Let our creative team handle it for you.
Table of Contents
Regular Breaks and White Spaces
Evoking Positive Emotions
Infographics Have Become A Necessity
Time For Some Humble-Bragging
Give Your Section Breaks
Consider Some New Formats
Projecting A Bright Future
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The digital marketing industry has seen massive changes over recent years and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rising factor. Because of the expansion of AI, we are able to study and identify consumer trends when crafting marketing strategies. This is vital, as an effective partnership between AI and digital marketing results in a boost for performance and revenue.
In line with the AI rave, Facebook has acquired the genius startup, GrokStyle. Yes, the social media goliath has acquired the entire team behind the savvy invention. By emerging with a one-of-a-kind invention, Grokstyle has helped multinational corporations communicate with its consumers effectively. Their point-and-search functionality earned recognition when it was added to Ikea’s mobile application, Place.
Beyond enhancing its AI inventions, the social media platform is on a roll to get new technology to contribute to their AI capabilities. Brands and companies can continually adopt new technology to always be ahead in engaging its audience while exploring and tapping into new territories for digital marketing in the near future.
To fully maximise the use of existing social media features, speak to professionals who can craft a thorough strategy just for you.
So how should I utilise AI in my marketing strategies?
AI has evolved to be beneficial to many industries, as seen by Facebook expanding on AI’s creative abilities to enhance their consumers’ experience. How about you?
When we talk about talking selfies and stories on our socials, which side are you on? Instagram, Facebook or… Snapchat? When Facebook attempted to buy Snapchat recently, they were rejected despite a whopping bid of $3 billion. In response, Facebook leveraged on their acquisition of Instagram to compete against Snapchat, by launching Instagram stories or what’s widely known at Instastories.
Talk about life’s regrets.
With the purchase, Instagram’s platform soared in terms of the number of users and ads, while Snapchat struggled to keep up. Facebook also launched Facebook Stories to add options for the avid social media users. From there, Snapchat started to look more and more like an Instagram copy instead of the other way around, as they struggled to innovate to pull ahead of its ‘successor’.
Until now.
Snapchat recently launched a gaming platform, similar to WeChat, in an attempt to improve user engagement and move ahead of their rival. They released a series of Snapchat filter games and Augmented Reality (AR) games that users can play on the platform.
Most notably, the AR Tennis game against Serena Williams is a clear sign that Snapchat’s advanced AR technology is going to become their selling point.
Y’all seeing this? Get your chance to battle @serenawilliams – you wont win 😂 but try your best and share your high score. pic.twitter.com/sXuxtImgJI
— Alexis Ohanian 🧠 (@alexisohanian) July 2, 2018
Credit: Alexis Ohanian Sr.
Snapchat games provide an additional tool for businesses to adapt. (YAY!) That is always welcomed for creative people (*wink wink*) to adapt for marketing.
Does Snapchat still matter?
Well, it really depends.
Snapchat numbers have risen steadily over the past year, with more and more youths adopting the platform. We’ve to admit, they’ve got really nice filters. Heh. This means any strategy or business targeting youths have to take Snapchat into serious consideration.
Incorporating gaming has given other platforms (aka Facebook) a boost before and it should do the same for Snapchat.
What can businesses do with this information?
Consider playing around with Snapchat’s functions and ads viewing if you are unfamiliar with the platform. Businesses can also start looking into adapting filters and AR games to help their own cause.
Do keep the demographics of Snapchat in mind while developing and utilising them and tie in to your branding. It will be a waste of marketing dollars otherwise.
If you want to utilise them, and you are having trouble with incorporating into your brand, consult an agency to help you.