{"id":4676,"date":"2016-12-08T09:55:16","date_gmt":"2016-12-08T13:55:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/?p=4676"},"modified":"2016-12-08T11:52:36","modified_gmt":"2016-12-08T15:52:36","slug":"the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/","title":{"rendered":"The Art of Creating The Annual Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"facebook_like_button\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 10px;\"><iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.prejeancreative.com%2Fpc_blog%2F2016%2F12%2F08%2Fthe-art-of-creating-the-annual-report%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=false&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;width=200\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; width:200px; height:20px\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_header.png\" alt=\"annual_report_blog_header\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The end of the year is a busy time for most organizations. While still focused on meeting customer needs, they also have to meet year-end obligations for the business, which may\u00a0include producing an annual report. The annual report presents financial information about the performance of an organization, and is mandatory for any publicly traded company, though\u00a0many private companies and nonprofits also\u00a0produce them. The annual report is\u00a0meant to be used as a performance assessment, but it can be more than just a regulatory compliance document. It presents\u00a0the perfect opportunity for you\u00a0to tell the\u00a0story beyond the numbers, giving readers an inside look at\u00a0your operation.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0px !important;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4689 alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_wu.jpg\" alt=\"annual report\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_wu.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_wu-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_wu-768x384.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: rgba(0,0,0,0.7); padding: 10px;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0px !important; color: #fff;\">&#8220;We speak in every currency of the world&#8221; communicated the message of global growth for this annual report we designed for Western Union.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The annual report hasn\u2019t always been seen as a marketing piece. Historically, it was\u00a0simply a rather large, very dry document that touted the yearly financial performance\u00a0of an organization. Over the years, it has\u00a0transformed into something greater\u00a0that\u00a0connects to readers, and invites them into the story.<\/p>\n<p>As the use of the annual report has evolved, so have the elements and trends for creating it. There is no single template for creating an annual report &#8211; each\u00a0should be tailored to fit the needs of its own\u00a0business or industry. But, there are some trends in the packaging and presentation of an annual report that will continue to shift the way it is\u00a0received.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Annual Report as a Work of Art<\/strong><br \/>\nTake the time and make the investment to create an annual report that is both engaging and interesting to read. Make it a document that remains relevant beyond the publication date\u00a0by injecting it with great storytelling that also speaks to the success of your\u00a0organization.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0px !important;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4721 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_ctrnonprofit.jpg\" alt=\"annual_report_blog_ctrnonprofit\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_ctrnonprofit.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_ctrnonprofit-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_ctrnonprofit-768x384.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: rgba(0,0,0,0.7); padding: 10px;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0px !important; color: #fff;\">In this Center for Nonprofit Management annual report, we developed vivid imagery in the WPA poster style to frame the concept of working together for the good of all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>As art director <a href=\"http:\/\/prejeancreative.com\/gary.html\" target=\"_blank\">Gary LoBue Jr.<\/a> says, \u201cThe annual report allows a rare opportunity for a company to truly expand on their narrative. Every entity has an interesting story to tell, and that story is not always about the numbers. Give the readership some insight. Give them a story that will engage them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>An annual report is the perfect place to have the company narrative marry its financial success story. A key part of storytelling is the concept, design and visuals that frame\u00a0the words and numbers. Keep the door open for the use of an overarching concept that captures the tenor of your message, as well as color, graphics, images and any other design elements that will help transform your\u00a0annual report to a work of art worth keeping and displaying.<\/p>\n\r\n\t<div class=\"slideshow_container slideshow_container_slideshow-jquery-image-gallery-custom-styles_1\" style=\"height: 430px; \" data-slideshow-id=\"4719\" data-style-name=\"slideshow-jquery-image-gallery-custom-styles_1\" data-style-version=\"1436562686\" >\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_loading_icon\"><\/div>\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_content\" style=\"display: none;\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_view\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_slide slideshow_slide_image\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/annual_report_blog_lgmc1999.jpg\" alt=\"Lafayette General Medical Center Annual Report 1999\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" \/>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description_box slideshow_transparent\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_title\">Lafayette General Medical Center<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description\">Annual Report 1999<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"slideshow_view\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_slide slideshow_slide_image\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/annual_report_blog_lhcgroup.jpg\" alt=\"LHC Group Annual Report 2005\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" \/>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description_box slideshow_transparent\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_title\">LHC Group<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description\">Annual Report 2005<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"slideshow_view\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_slide slideshow_slide_image\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/annual_report_blog_lgmc2001.jpg\" alt=\"Lafayette General Medical Center Annual Report 2001\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" \/>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description_box slideshow_transparent\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_title\">Lafayette General Medical Center<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description\">Annual Report 2001<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"slideshow_view\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_slide slideshow_slide_image\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/annual_report_blog_lgmc2005.jpg\" alt=\"Lafayette General Medical Center Annual Report 2005\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" \/>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description_box slideshow_transparent\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_title\">Lafayette General Medical Center<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description\">Annual Report 2005<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"slideshow_view\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_slide slideshow_slide_image\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/annual_report_blog_CNM1999.jpg\" alt=\"Center for Nonprofit Management Annual Report 1999\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" \/>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description_box slideshow_transparent\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_title\">Center for Nonprofit Management<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description\">Annual Report 1999<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"slideshow_view\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_slide slideshow_slide_image\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/annual_report_blog_olol.jpg\" alt=\"Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center Medical Staff Report 2015\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" \/>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description_box slideshow_transparent\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_title\">Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description\">Medical Staff Report 2015<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"slideshow_view\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_slide slideshow_slide_image\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/annual_report_blog_lscu2014.jpg\" alt=\"Lafayette Schools Credit Union Annual Report 2014\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" \/>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description_box slideshow_transparent\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_title\">Lafayette Schools Credit Union<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description\">Annual Report 2014<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"slideshow_view\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_slide slideshow_slide_image\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_jll.jpg\" alt=\"Junior League of Lafayette Annual Report 2013-2014\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" \/>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description_box slideshow_transparent\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_title\">Junior League of Lafayette<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description\">Annual Report 2013\u20132014<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"slideshow_view\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_slide slideshow_slide_image\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_lgmc.jpg\" alt=\"Lafayette General Medical Center Annual Report 2000\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" \/>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description_box slideshow_transparent\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_title\">Lafayette General Medical Center<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description\">Annual Report 2000<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"slideshow_view\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_slide slideshow_slide_image\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_ul_ath.jpg\" alt=\"Ragin' Cajuns Athletics Annual Report 2013-2014\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" \/>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description_box slideshow_transparent\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_title\">Ragin' Cajuns Athletics<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description\">Annual Report 2013\u20132014<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"slideshow_view\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_slide slideshow_slide_image\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_onea.jpg\" alt=\"One Acadiana Annual Report &amp; Membership Directory 2015\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" \/>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description_box slideshow_transparent\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_title\">One Acadiana<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_description\">Annual Report &amp; Membership Directory 2015<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div><\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_controlPanel slideshow_transparent\" style=\"display: none;\"><ul><li class=\"slideshow_togglePlay\" data-play-text=\"Play\" data-pause-text=\"Pause\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_button slideshow_previous slideshow_transparent\" role=\"button\" data-previous-text=\"Previous\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/div>\r\n\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_button slideshow_next slideshow_transparent\" role=\"button\" data-next-text=\"Next\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t<div class=\"slideshow_pagination\" style=\"display: none;\" data-go-to-text=\"Go to slide\"><div class=\"slideshow_pagination_center\"><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t<!-- WordPress Slideshow Version 2.3.1 -->\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0px !important;\"><strong>Design for \u201cTurners\u201d and \u201cScrollers\u201d<\/strong><br \/>\nAnnual report production is shifting towards electronic reports, in addition to traditional hard copy reports. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/professional\/blog\/public-company-annual-report-practices-and-trends\/\" target=\"_blank\">The trend towards digital annual reports<\/a> is strong, with\u00a067 percent of public companies producing both a printed and electronic annual report. Plan for the future, but don\u2019t abandon a print version\u00a0if it\u00a0still holds relevance for\u00a0your audience.<\/p>\n<p>This shift to digital reports pairs perfectly with the idea of the annual report as a creative marketing piece. One of the key advantages of the electronic format is the allowance for movement in the report. In general, digital content is better received when it includes video, images, infographics, animation &#8211; anything that is visually appealing.<\/p>\n<p>Some companies choose to integrate digital assets into their hard copy annual report, bringing an added dimension of interactivity to the print version. In the<a href=\"http:\/\/ullafayettefoundation.org\/home\" target=\"_blank\"> UL Lafayette Foundation<\/a>\u00a0report, below, we included QR codes to direct readers to bonus content. In addition to (or instead of) merely reading the donor&#8217;s story, the viewer\u00a0could see and hear\u00a0the donor sharing\u00a0his or her passion for the university, via video. Other QR codes linked readers directly to department or program pages where they could make a donation.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4688\" src=\"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_ul_passion.jpg\" alt=\"annual_report_blog_ul_passion\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_ul_passion.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_ul_passion-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_ul_passion-768x384.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><div style=\"width: 640px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-4676-1\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Passion_for_Athletics_-_clip-REV-4.mp4?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Passion_for_Athletics_-_clip-REV-4.mp4\">http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Passion_for_Athletics_-_clip-REV-4.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-4118\" src=\"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/divider_H-300x4.png\" alt=\"divider_H\" width=\"300\" height=\"4\" \/><\/p>\n<p>With\u00a0digital design also comes responsive design. <a href=\"http:\/\/marketingland.com\/global-basis-mobile-internet-usage-surpassed-desktop-october-196937\" target=\"_blank\">Mobile devices have surpassed desktop machines<\/a> as the preferred Internet access point worldwide &#8211; 51.3 percent to 48.7 percent. As more consumers use mobile devices, content has to be responsive to different size screens. A single-page responsive design is a common solution for the structure of an electronic report, as there is no flipping between pages. Users can simply scroll all the way through or use anchor text links to locate the information they are seeking.<\/p>\n<p>The need for hard copy versus electronic, or both, varies significantly, depending on factors such as regulation and compliance, company size, industry, target audiences and many others. The decision to do one or both rests on your\u00a0organization\u2019s needs and your audience&#8217;s\u00a0tolerance for change.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0px !important;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4687 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_ul_group.jpg\" alt=\"annual_report_blog_ul_group\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_ul_group.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_ul_group-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_ul_group-768x384.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: rgba(0,0,0,0.7); padding: 10px;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0px !important; color: #fff;\">We have used conceptual storytelling in a number of annual reports for the UL Lafayette Foundation over the years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Key Elements of an Annual Report<\/strong><br \/>\nRegardless of which presentation format you choose, there is an established standard for the type of information usually included:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><em><strong>Successes<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u2013 The end goal of an annual report is to tout the yearly accomplishments\u00a0of a company. This can be done through both the financial\u00a0review and the narrative. The successes should also include a &#8220;thank you&#8221; to those\u00a0who made the achievements possible.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Narrative<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u2013 Tell your\u00a0story. Invite the reader in with narrative that gives an inside look at\u00a0what your organization really stands for.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Executive Message<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0&#8211; Most reports include a message\u00a0from the CEO, or the highest ranking official within the organization. A company&#8217;s publics look to the leaders to provide a pathway to the future, as well as an analysis of the year&#8217;s performance.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Financials<\/strong> <\/em>\u2013 No annual report is complete without a look at the numbers. These can range from simple, engaging summary charts to comprehensive\u00a0financial statements or a Form 10-K, depending on your organization.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Call to Action<\/strong><\/em> \u2013 What should readers do with the information presented to them? Share it with others? Make an investment? Visit a website? While many will simply appreciate the yearly review, it&#8217;s a good idea to give the reader something more to do with the information.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>While these elements are the backbone\u00a0of the report, the only way to stand out in the crowd of annual reports is to use it\u00a0as a platform that tells a story, and to give it a unique\u00a0design that brings the information to life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>It\u2019s All in the Details<\/strong><br \/>\nDon\u2019t resent\u00a0or\u00a0lament the task of creating your\u00a0annual report. Instead, let it inspire you\u00a0to put\u00a0your best foot forward. Company\u00a0leadership should take advantage of the annual report\u2019s potential size and scope. Make it a trophy piece for marketing, highlighting your\u00a0organization\u2019s short- and long-term goals. This is a chance to build on the past year\u2019s achievements, or to look past any challenges\u00a0while focusing on the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The end of the year is a busy time for most organizations. While still focused on meeting customer needs, they also have to meet year-end obligations for the business, which may\u00a0include producing an annual report. The annual report presents financial &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[489,5,20],"tags":[490,135,491,492],"class_list":["post-4676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-annual-reports","category-design","category-our-work","tag-annual-report-design","tag-brochures","tag-corporate-communications","tag-graphic-design"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Art of Creating The Annual Report -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Art of Creating The Annual Report -\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The end of the year is a busy time for most organizations. While still focused on meeting customer needs, they also have to meet year-end obligations for the business, which may\u00a0include producing an annual report. The annual report presents financial &hellip; Continue reading &rarr;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-12-08T13:55:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-12-08T15:52:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_header.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@PrejeanCreative\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@PrejeanCreative\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/08\\\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/08\\\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"The Art of Creating The Annual Report\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-12-08T13:55:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-12-08T15:52:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/08\\\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1181,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/08\\\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/11\\\/annual_report_blog_header.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Annual Report Design\",\"Brochures\",\"Corporate Communications\",\"Graphic Design\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Annual Reports\",\"Design\",\"Our Work\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/08\\\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/08\\\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Art of Creating The Annual Report -\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/08\\\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/08\\\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/11\\\/annual_report_blog_header.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-12-08T13:55:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-12-08T15:52:36+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/08\\\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/08\\\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/08\\\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/11\\\/annual_report_blog_header.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/11\\\/annual_report_blog_header.png\",\"width\":800,\"height\":240},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/2016\\\/12\\\/08\\\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Art of Creating The Annual Report\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Prejean Creative Advertising & Design\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/04\\\/pc_logo183.gif\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/04\\\/pc_logo183.gif\",\"width\":183,\"height\":92,\"caption\":\"Prejean Creative Advertising & Design\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/PrejeanCreative\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.prejeancreative.com\\\/pc_blog\\\/author\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Art of Creating The Annual Report -","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Art of Creating The Annual Report -","og_description":"The end of the year is a busy time for most organizations. While still focused on meeting customer needs, they also have to meet year-end obligations for the business, which may\u00a0include producing an annual report. The annual report presents financial &hellip; Continue reading &rarr;","og_url":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/","article_published_time":"2016-12-08T13:55:16+00:00","article_modified_time":"2016-12-08T15:52:36+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_header.png","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@PrejeanCreative","twitter_site":"@PrejeanCreative","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"The Art of Creating The Annual Report","datePublished":"2016-12-08T13:55:16+00:00","dateModified":"2016-12-08T15:52:36+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/"},"wordCount":1181,"publisher":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_header.png","keywords":["Annual Report Design","Brochures","Corporate Communications","Graphic Design"],"articleSection":["Annual Reports","Design","Our Work"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/","url":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/","name":"The Art of Creating The Annual Report -","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_header.png","datePublished":"2016-12-08T13:55:16+00:00","dateModified":"2016-12-08T15:52:36+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_header.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/annual_report_blog_header.png","width":800,"height":240},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/2016\/12\/08\/the-art-of-creating-the-annual-report\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Art of Creating The Annual Report"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/#website","url":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/","name":"","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/#organization","name":"Prejean Creative Advertising & Design","url":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/pc_logo183.gif","contentUrl":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/pc_logo183.gif","width":183,"height":92,"caption":"Prejean Creative Advertising & Design"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/PrejeanCreative"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"","url":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/author\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4676"}],"version-history":[{"count":79,"href":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4676\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4806,"href":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4676\/revisions\/4806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prejeancreative.com\/pc_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}