The battle for annual reporting

A battle has been brewing in the most unlikely of places: annual reporting. We’ve seen it play out in client meeting rooms. Conference hall floors. Social media. Even in our own corridors.

That battle? For the future of corporate reporting itself.

For some, reporting should focus resolutely on communicating transparent information to investors and analysts, playing their part in maintaining the efficient functioning of markets. For others, it offers an invaluable opportunity to tell a company’s story and bring together a year’s worth of progress in one place. 

Who has it right? What should reporting look like? Who is it for? Who should lead in its delivery? The industry has been debating these questions for some time, and we wanted definitive answers. We spoke to 1,000 ‘informed citizens’ and business leaders to get them – and find out exactly how and why audiences use reporting in practice.

The results were startling. We found that reporting’s audiences are far more diverse, engaged and complex than previously envisaged. They’re engaging with your reporting whether you’re prepared for them or not. And there’s an emerging gap between what they expect and what they’re seeing.

We’ve packaged a mountain of research into one study that offers unparalleled insight into the needs of all reporting audiences and what it means for you. Download it to find out more on:

• A breakdown of reporting’s real audiences – beyond just investors
• Why these audiences read your reports
• What they expect from reporting (and where it’s falling short)
• And how your reporting can stay fit for purpose in an ever-evolving communications landscape