Creative Annual Reports
Business

8 ways to be creative with your annual report

Annual reports don’t have to be boring black and white pages of numbers. Get creative when you print your annual report and you can create something that people actually enjoy reading. There is a lot of information to convey, so craft it carefully and use more than just words and numbers.

Your industry may dictate the extent to which you can liven your annual report, but think outside the box as you read the following ideas. You’ll be able to use at least a few of them, even in an uptight industry. Keep your audience in mind, and remember that people will be reading it. People don’t like to pour over dry figure after dry figure of data.

1. Add color

Color is one of the easiest ways to give your report some excitement. Just adding it to the cover will help, but creating thoroughly full color booklets is even better.

2. Send it through marketing

Your marketing department knows your brand and how your company portrays itself. Send your annual report through your marketing department to get a little life sprinkled into it. This will help to show your company’s spirit. You believe in your business. Show that with more than just numbers. Show what your business can do.

3. Add charts

Charts may seem like a given, but keep them in mind throughout the report. Charts will help to show data much better than lists of numbers. Use them in unexpected ways to pack the most punch.

4. Add photographs

Don’t just tell what your company did last year, show it. A photo is worth a thousand words, and people will “read” those thousand words in an instant. Even if you aren’t a wordsmith, photographs will make you look like an expert storyteller.

5. Create infographics

People have short attention spans. It is just a fact. Rather than letting your donors pick what parts they will read of your report, decide for them. Summarize your most important points and create an infographic with them. A colorful infographic beckons to be read and shows your organization is forward-thinking.

6. Wrap it with style

The cover can be more than just your logo. Design it to look like it’s wrapped as one of your products. Wrap it with a design of a ribbon or wrapping paper to make it look ready to sell. You could even literally wrap it like one of your products. How would your customers typically receive your product? In your sandwich wrapper? A dog collar? Shipping paper?

7. Add graphics

Simple symbols can help to break up data. Add them instead of large bullet points to help illustrate ideas.

8. Die cut booklets

Your annual report doesn’t have to be a rectangular booklet. You can have it die cut to a custom shape. How about a circle? A shoe-shaped report would be perfect for a clothing store. It would really peak some interest. Anyone who saw it would want to peruse what the inside had to offer.   Read more ideas for your business on our blog.

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