Wynk Design, Inc.
Do it on purpose!
Guidance for creating your Annual, ESG, CSR and Sustainability Reports in the twenty-first century
Communicating performance to shareholders has always been top priority. However, business as usual is no longer adequate in the 21st century. Communicating a holistic view of your company to stakeholders, employees and investors is no longer just timely and smart it’s necessary. Telling the whole story means communicating your purpose—your narrative. A purpose-driven strategy is the 'why' that all audiences are looking for to determine the long-term health of a company. These audiences want to be associated with, invest in and work with companies whose beliefs and actions align with their own. Effective, purpose-driven corporate reporting, offers the opportunity to tell the bigger story behind your financials and metrics. If you aren’t yet creating an Integrated Annual, ESG, CSR or sustainability communication, this it the time—Do It On Purpose!
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Wynk Design, Inc.
Wynk Design, Inc.
Why should you create an integrated annual, ESG or sustainability report?
At this moment in time, it is integral for companies to search for a way to tell their story, a holistic story, in order to deliver an integrated message that defines corporate purpose and addresses the interests of all stakeholders. Why? Because investors, employees, consumers, communities and stakeholders of all kinds are demanding it. They are demanding transparency—not just in financial reporting, in all areas—from companies they align themselves with.
Investors recognize the link between a purpose-driven strategy and financial performance. Customers want to understand the business decisions, sustainability practices and point-of-view of the companies they do business with. Employees want to have shared values with, and be inspired by, the companies they work for.
“Most millennials would take a pay cut to work at an environmentally responsible company. More than 70% said that they were more likely to choose to work at a company with a strong environmental agenda. Millennials–who will make up three-quarters of the workforce in six years–are most likely to have done this; nearly 40% said that they’ve chosen a job in the past because the company performed better on sustainability than the alternative.” -Fast Company
With an increase in ESG-related corporate disclosures being regulated and audiences looking for authenticity along with metrics, the bottom line benefits of sustainability reporting are clear. However, decisions on what to measure and how to effectively communicate this information can be daunting.
To maximize the effectiveness of your communications, we offer a few guidelines.
Know your audience. Think about the stakeholders you mean to address and prioritize the messages specific to each audience.
Tell your story. The narrative portion of these reports offers an opportunity to tell the whole story, give context to goals and to position your brand with a purpose-driven strategy.
Pick the appropriate vehicle of communication. A single communication method may not reach all audiences. Think about different vehicles to communicate with your diverse stakeholders. The corporate website, topic specific reports, video, micro-sites and social media campaigns are a few of the possibilities to consider.
Let us help. Producing an effective, purpose-driven, communications piece requires a deep knowledge of requirements and regulations, design, storytelling and production experience. We at Wynk Design, have been designing and producing annual reports and sustainability communications for over 20 years. We're here to help.
Kim Ann Piccora is the Creative Principal and Owner of Wynk Design, Inc. a strategic design studio focused on Investor Communications.