Communication Awards

Sponsored by Ross Barr & Associates

The Communication Award was introduced in 1998 to recognise excellence in communication with stakeholders. Separate Awards for communication are now offered for the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.

The annual report should be easy to read and engage with the reader who might not be financially literate. The graphics and text should complement each other. Copy should be crisp and clear and avoid clichés. It should be written with enthusiasm and passion.

The report should be easy to navigate and the content capable of being skimmed. The report should focus on the reader and what the organization wants the reader to get from the report.

The following criteria apply, generally, whether the annual report is a printed document or whether it is available online. However, a printed annual report does not automatically translate into the online medium. Some criteria specific to online reporting are appended to the following general criteria.

The written component should:

Convey clearly the important messages.

• Are major events covered? Is the importance of each event well explained? Does it describe products or services well?
• Is there a comparison with at least last year’s performance? Are there any discrepancies? If so, what is being done about them?
• Is the writing clear and concise? Is the report written with vigour and pace? Is it technically correct (i.e. grammar, spelling, punctuation etc.)? Is it written in plain English with short words and short sentences? Does it use active rather than passive voice?
• Is it free of jargon? Are technical terms explained? Are figures presented in easy-to-understand format?
• Are headings and sub-headings more than just labels? Are they active and interesting?
• Is there balance between amount of words and visual layout?

Promote a sense of a strong corporate identity, values and culture?

• Does the report present a strong reflection of the organisation’s identity, values and culture?

Inspire confidence in the organization?

• Does the report convey an impression that the organization has a clear idea of what it is doing and where it is going?

The graphics and production components should:

Attract attention

• Does the design encourage the reader to open the report? Is there a strong cover statement?
• Does it hold the reader’s interest once inside?
• Does it support a theme or message?
• Is the design functional and help understanding?

Stimulate readership

• Are all four covers used to maximum advantage to encourage readership? Is the typeface readable? Is it of a suitable size? Are the headings and sub-headings active and interesting? Are they used to enhance the text and not just labels? Is information cross-indexed well? Are there effective readership-enhancing devices such as breakout quotes?

Increase comprehension

• If colour is used, does it add to the communication? Is the design functional and does it work in harmony with the text to make the report readable and assist in understanding? Can it be understood by shareholders who may not be financially literate? Are the figures presented in a clear, easy-to-understand format?

Provide excellent reproduction

• Is the design appropriate for the organisation, reflecting its size and complexity? Are good photographs used to reinforce the key messages? Are they well composed and interesting? Are they well captioned? Are graphs and charts used to explain information? Is the report well printed? Are the page alignments accurate? Is it securely bound?

Encourage navigation

• Does the design encourage selective reading (i.e does it allow easy identification and selection of material of interest)?

In addition, online reports should:

Be accessible to even the most financially illiterate reader

• Is the website easy to find and is the report easily found from the website’s main page?
• How many layers down is it in the website? Is the navigation intuitive and easy to use? Is it easily searchable? Can the user move within sections and between sections? Between levels? Does the user have to go through too many levels? Does the user always know where they are in the report?
• Are there formats available for people with disabilities to access?

Be designed for screen viewing

• Is the online report designed for screen viewing? Is it easy to read and does it encourage reading? Can users quickly get information they want?
• Like the printed report, does it provide a ‘quick snapshot’ for the casual reader?
• Are search results presented in a simple and logical format?
• Is the format in a logical layout to view, particularly for retail investors?
• Does it allow multiple levels of readership such as skimming and in-depth reading?
• Does the report use clarifying descriptions when necessary?

Be easy to navigate, download and print

• Is it easy to download a page, a section or the whole report? Can readers copy and paste information for their own use?
• Can financial information be accessed in spreadsheet form? Is it already available in that form?
• Is all referenced information linked to its relevant page?
• Is there a site map and help button?
• Would the overall experience result in a viewer likely to want to return to the site for next year’s report and/or other company information?
• Is there an easy-to-find and use service to opt in to electronic shareholder communication? Are there contact points given?
• Does the company offer an alert service to shareholders regarding information on annual reports and other important company announcements?
• Does the organisation encourage feedback through a simple-to-use, online mechanism?

Have design elements which help readability and understanding

• Has any flash, animation, audio, video etc been used? Has it been effective or is it a distraction? Does it slow down the file, impair or enhance the communication?
• Is the online report designed and produced to allow for quick, cheap and efficient printing?
• Can individual sections of the report be downloaded for later reading and printing?
• Can the user print directly from the page they are viewing?

Be linked to other parts of the website and to a printed report, if any

• Is there access to the full annual report?
• Does the report provide interactive links to relevant sites/documents?
• Is the company letting investors choose the information they want or dictating to them?
• Are there links to any other parts of the company website or other websites for further information?
• Was the online report available quickly after the results were released? Was it available by the time the printed version was mailed?