For a few years now, corporate reviews and reports have gained significant importance within the communication and positioning tools of companies. More and more companies, without being obliged to do so, decide to create a review in which they not only communicate transparently about their annual activity to their stakeholders, but also their philosophy as an organization, their way of doing business. And, above all, their commitment to sustainable development.
Thus, if in the past there was greater differentiation between making an activity report and a sustainability report, the current trend is to combine both aspects in a single integrated document, since corporate social responsibility is present in all areas of business, as a result of the demand, by society, of a responsible commitment that is reflected in its labor, economic and environmental policies.
A commitment shared by all
Within this context, the challenges that companies face when preparing these documents are many. One of the most complicated will be getting all departments and teams involved in the project and in the collection of information and data.
For the professionals who develop these projects, the challenge is to make a good structure of the document and transmit all the data, often quite dry, in a pleasant way that awakens the interest of the reader. On the other end, designers and creative teams have to contribute all their talent to develop visually attractive support, from a report full of content that entices consumers to read it and in which all the desired messages stand out.
The choice of support, the key to success
The choice of the support will also condition the future report. It is necessary to think well on what formats to use, in order to reach the recipients effectively. Making a classic report on paper is not the same as creating a digital review, where usability and accessibility prevail from any device, or developing it in audiovisual format, which is much more versatile and suitable for social network dissemination.
Once you have reached the conclusion on creating a corporate review, the keys to success are:
- Making sure the company is fully committed and convinced that it wants to do it, because it will provide the necessary means to carry it out
- Maintaining a smooth relationship with the interest groups to have real information about their needs and demands
- Company transparency in providing all data, both positive and negative
- Good structure and synthesis capacity to facilitate the user’s query
- Service content design that transmits brand image and has its own personality
- Good diffusion, so that it reaches all its stakeholders. The use of Internet and social networks is key to dissemination
It is clear that the publishing a report has many advantages. Companies have realized that doing business responsibly can become an effective instrument of competitiveness, providing the company with added value, and reviews give them greater credibility, prestige and authority, points that ultimately turn into benefits internally and externally. And to communicate efficiently who they are, what they do and how they do it is the mission of reports.
