What the best do better
Big difference between the 20 best and the rest
MK Mr. Nehmer, what particularly caught your eye when you looked through this year's annual reports?
HANS-PETER NEHMER Simultaneous communication of financial and non-financial disclosures remains a challenge and is still in its infancy in Switzerland. The difference between the top 20 and the remaining 210 is large.
MK What tipped the scales for the winner's podium? What do the best do better?
NEHMER The twelve reports we judged in the final panel are all good reports, in more ways than one. Online and print, as well as in the Value Reporting and Design category. It takes excellence in all these areas to have a chance of winning. In the case of the medal winners, it is then usually the last detail that is also right, or something that is particularly innovative. This year, that was especially true of Clariant. With Clariant's integrated report, a concept won that still has a hard time in Switzerland. But this year's winner, Clariant, is an exemplary demonstration of how a company can coherently present its key value drivers. Kai Rolker, Clariant's head of communications, has set a groundbreaking example with this year's annual report.
MK In which areas are those companies that do not have top rankings still lacking?
NEHMER It's a mixture of everything. In value reporting, the jury evaluates 200 criteria. In part, the companies showed too few or too little meaningful figures. The differences are also great in the area of graphics and design.
MK What can other companies learn from the companies with the best annual reports?
NEHMER Good annual reports only come about if they are not seen as a duty, but rather as an opportunity to inspire enthusiasm for one's business idea and to show stakeholders the potential for value creation. Communications departments alone cannot achieve anything as long as management is not fully behind inspiring, transparent and joyful communication.
MK What developments have you seen in annual reports in recent years? What significance does the print version still have today? Or do digital annual reports dominate?
NEHMER At the top companies today, excellent annual reports can also be found online. However, the idea that the printed annual report will disappear has not yet materialized. In print and online, there are still big differences between the top 20 reports and the rest. This is certainly due to the fact that a good online annual report has a greater financial impact than a good printed report. Companies that have been on the cost brakes in business reporting until now are faced with the challenge of splitting the budget between two channels. This inevitably does not lead to more quality.
MK What content trends are you noticing? Are texts moving into the background at the expense of graphics, images and animations?
NEHMER We do not notice that. Good graphics, images or even animations in the online version are still the exception. The majority of Swiss annual reports are of average quality. As jury president, I am allowed to judge the twelve best annual reports. And every year there are some exemplary reports in the areas you mentioned. Colleagues on the design jury report that of the 230 annual reports this year, 100 did not achieve a satisfactory grade.
MK What role do annual reports play today from a communications perspective?
NEHMER For the Board of Directors, especially the Chairman, and the Executive Board, especially the CEO, annual reports are still the communication tool to external target groups to which they pay the most attention. Communication colleagues face the challenge that today they have to serve many more channels with the same high budget than in the past. Although the effort for online channels is increasing and the pace of communication in general is increasing, the process of an annual report requires a lot of care, time and corresponding resources. For this reason, I can understand why, for some CCOs, the annual report becomes purely a pledge exercise. However, the winner of this year's GB rating shows that there is a lot to be gained from addressing the evolution of the annual report.
MK What future development do you expect in this division?
NEHMER I am cautious about making predictions. All predictions in this area over the last ten years have turned out to be too progressive. The disappearance of the printed annual report has not come true, nor has the decline in investors' expectations of financial communications. In my view, this area or discipline in corporate communications - business reporting - is proving to be the most resistant to all other rapid changes in the communications world. Or to put it another way: there's life in the old dog yet.The best annual reports 2018
Overall winner business reports of the final jury
1st place: Clariant 2nd place: Liechtensteinische Landesbank 3rd place: Implenia
Design category (online and print)
1st place: Hiag Immobilien 2nd place: Implenia 3rd place: Siegfried
Category Value Reporting (Online and Print)
1st place: Clariant 2nd place: Swisscom 3rd place: LafargeHolcim
Rising star of the year
Design: SwissquoteValue Reporting: Siegfried
