Comments on: Annual reports as really useful public relations …??

By: Laura Fayers-Pooley

Laura Fayers-Pooley — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:41:29 +0000

A big thank you to everyone on this blog and Craig’s LinkedIn forums for their thoughtful contributions. There is certainly a body of experience out there!

One comment that stood out for me regarded the potential danger of attempting to re-invest the organisational story every single year come AR time. I 100% agree, and this is certainly not what I meant by using the report as a tool for story-telling.

My considered and final feeling on the AR topic is that they will continue to be a necessary task for the vast majority of in house communications professionals, and as such we should view them as an opportunity (and a burden, if we must!).

As professionals we should examine and consider the potential of every comms vehicle and tool to reach, influence or persuade our target audiences. The fact that the AR wouldn’t be our ideal method doesn’t mean we should dismiss the opportunity to reinforce hero tools and tactics.

By: Tim Entwisle

Tim Entwisle — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 05:36:48 +0000

I have written many Government ARs and although they may be puff in some regards, they are also sometimes the only time a program is exposed to public scrutiny. There are however many filters before they reach the public.

By: Craig

Craig — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 23:47:01 +0000

Thanks Warren. Can’t disagree with you there!

By: Warren Levy

Warren Levy — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:37:23 +0000

The trauma here may be the “annual” and not the “report.” The good things mentioned about annual reports are communications we should be, and presumably are engaging in continuously, not annually. Good investors aren’t, of course, waiting for information once a year.