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An interactive annual report for the iPad

Here’s a shocker… almost no one is going to read your company’s annual report. Why? Because it’s boring!

Aim of publishing an annual report

Consider why you put your annual report ‘out there’ in the first place. It comes down to two reasons: one, you want to make your end-of-year financial statements known, and two, it’s your chance to market your company’s strategy.

If you want those numbers and flowery statements to pack more punch with your stakeholders, ditch the fancy printed packs. An electronic, interactive annual report is the way to go. What you don’t want it a simple PDF version of your annual report that can be read on an iPad or another e-reader. That’s so bleh. We said: interactive. You can even include multimedia content like a video message from the CEO, a poll where shareholders can vote, or a button where readers can subscribe to your company newsletter.

Reasons to design for the iPad

Annual reports are rich in content, and a professional presentation designer can transform those long-winded corporate write-ups and financial statements into prose and graphics that pop!

Presenting your annual report as an iPad app increases your company’s credibility

• The audience can interact with the content, as opposed to a static printed copy
• You choose what information you’d like to highlight for your investors
• Graphics communicate information better than long-form writing
• The content will still be available offline once downloaded

Things to keep in mind…

Your main audience will be shareholders, potential investors and analysts. Include a search function in your annual report’s iPad app to make it easier for them to find info. Also, make sure there are links within the content that will lead them to more detailed information, whether it’s on your company website or a downloadable PDF.