2. 1. Information overflow
Can web technology make annual reports comprehensible and customisable to
different stakeholders?
3. Things were easier before
Ericsson Annual Report 1901, 6 pages including cover
Cover Report of directors Income statement Balance sheets Proposed
appropriation of
earnings
4. Then came the avalanche
1970 1980 1990 2003 2005 2010
Legal Adding of Environment, C New legal Increased New regulations
document Company- SR, requirements demands on after the
presentation sustainability by IFRS Corporate financial crisis?
sections added governance
reporting
6. Why is this?
It is the most prestigious document from the company
Its usage has broadened, but the format remains
Society Small Employees Vendors Customers Journalists Authorities Large shareholders, Analysts
shareholders Partners Institutional
investors
Non-professional readers Professional readers
7. Is this really the best way to
communicate the corporate story?
8. Can we use the web format to make annual
reports comprehensible and customised, like
Wikipedia?
9. Customised information
Different readers have different needs
Large shareholders,
Small Vendors Institutional
Society shareholders Employees Partners Customers Journalists Authorities investors Analysts
What is the I want to I don’t
What are I want to I want to know What is the I want a
What is the financial know more believe in
the main learn more even more board’s printed
dividend? situation of your about your this market
trends? about x about x payment? version!
vendors? CEO figure!
10. Customised information
Search
Quick questions are best answered with the web’s search capability
Besides quick answers, search also provides related information, like policies for
dividend or remuneration, throughout the entire report
Large shareholders,
Small Vendors Institutional
Society shareholders Employees Partners Customers Journalists Authorities investors Analysts
What is the I want to I don’t
What are I want to I want to know What is the I want a
What is the financial know more believe in
the main learn more even more board’s printed
dividend? situation of your about your this market
trends? about x about x payment? version!
vendors? CEO figure!
11.
12. Customised information
Drill down
Hyperlinking is the reason for the breakthrough of www in the 1990’s
Use it as internal shortcuts or to external parties, like industry press articles, to
the company’s vendors, or to third party market surveys
This will help the reader to understand your company and its context
Large shareholders,
Small Vendors Institutional
Society shareholders Employees Partners Customers Journalists Authorities investors Analysts
What is the What is the I want to I don’t
What are I want to I want to know What is the I want a
dividend? financial know more believe in
the main learn more even more board’s printed
situation of your about your this market
trends? about x about x payment? version!
vendors? CEO figure!
13. Customised information
Rich media
There is an increased focus on the company’s management and the CEO as an
individual
The CEO’s letter to the shareholders is an effective way to address the
shareholders directly, but a video presentation makes it even more effective and
personal. Large shareholders,
Small Vendors Institutional
Society shareholders Employees Partners Customers Journalists Authorities investors Analysts
What is the I want to I don’t
What are I want to I want to know What is the I want a
What is the financial know more believe in
the main learn more even more board’s printed
dividend? situation of your about your this market
trends? about x about x payment? version!
vendors? CEO figure!
14. Customised information
Customised print
The print media will survive, not only because many authorities still require a
physically signed document, but also because many readers prefer a hard copy.
However, an online report can provide tools for creating your own, customised
PDF file.
Large shareholders,
Small Vendors Institutional
Society shareholders Employees Partners Customers Journalists Authorities investors Analysts
What is the I want to I don’t
What are I want to I want to know What is the I want a
What is the financial know more believe in
the main learn more even more board’s printed
dividend? situation of your about your this market
trends? about x about x payment? version!
vendors? CEO figure!
15.
16. Customised information
Interactivity
Complex financial information is hard to grasp for a non-professional reader
The web medium has several interactivity features to enhance pedagogy
Large shareholders,
Small Vendors Institutional
Society shareholders Employees Partners Customers Journalists Authorities investors Analysts
What is the I want to I don’t
What are I want to I want to know What is the I want a
What is the financial know more believe in
the main learn more even more board’s printed
dividend? situation of your about your this market
trends? about x about x payment? version!
vendors? CEO figure!
18. Summary
The thirst for information will continue to grow, but the web medium is excellent to
deal with this
Rich media Search Custom PDF creation
Internal hyperlinks for External hyperlinks
additional page entries for drill down analysis
20. A new world for both web agencies and
traditional annual report producers
From the web agency point of view From the buyer’s point of view
The buyer is not web native Changes that appear easy might be very
“Let’s publish next week” is not an option difficult to solve
Top management have stronger opinions Changes that appear hard might be very
than usual easy to solve
Content is horizontal rather than hierarchical How do I keep track of interactivity and
in its structure internal hyperlinking features?
External hyperlinks, official information from
my company? Wikipedia?
But once your organisation get used to the online format, you will also find
production benefits with online annual reporting!
21. Why don’t wait until things settle down?
Because then the report is old news
To get best value for the investment, publish the online version
simultaneously as the printed one
Number of visitors
Average day Day of report Increase
Company X 376 838 +123%
Company Y 3 152 4 649 +47%
Company Z 12 280 21 026 +71%
H&H statistics for three Swedish,
listed companies
22. Another example of publish timing
Nearly 600 visitors on publish day (simultaneously published)
Note that the online annual report does not die, it is revisited on various investor
events
700
Launch
600
500
400 Q1 report
Q3 report
Investor day
300
Summer Christmas
200
100
0
Number of daily visitors on an online annual report
for a large Swedish company
23. Semi-parallel production process
Complete the graphical design and programming of all templates and special pages
in good time before the print version is final and sent to the printer house
After content sign-off, make sure to have the right tools to fill the templates with
final content
Include a launch phase in the time plan to ensure quality
Final sign-off
print content 2-4 weeks
3 weeks to 3 months (synchronized with
(depending on graphical complexity) print and distribution)
Design Programming Content migration Launch
25. Opposite approach: Annual Report 2.0
Annual Report 2.0:
To create the annual report directly for the web medium, and get a printed
version as a secondary product
26. The journey towards digital reporting
phase
Typesetting in Web version
Draft in MS Word Print ready PDF
1 InDesign conversion
phase
Typesetting in Print ready PDF
Draft in MS Word
2 Word and web version
phase
Draft and type- Print ready PDF
3 setting in Word and web version
27. Benefits with Annual Report 2.0
Digitalizes your content automatically for multichannel purposes
One single process instead of two
Possible to use web writing style from the start
Sends a clear message that the web is the primary medium,
motivating a reduced circulation of printed copies (if any)
A printed version is still available
But its graphical ambitions is reduced, because those who prefer
the printed version do not appreciate heavy graphics anyway
This lets you reduce your budget, or target your budget to increase the
quality of the web version
