Know your audiences
Readership for private company annual reports can be more diverse than for listed businesses, which tend to focus on shareholders. This means the report may need to cater for a wider range of information needs. Know who your audiences are and ensure they can access the information they need quickly.
Providers of capital will be focused on information about the liquidity of the company, so make financial information easy to find. Current and future employees are likely to be another key stakeholder group and the report provides an opportunity to retain and attract talent, so clearly communicate your purpose, culture and values to boost engagement. Enhance your reputation amongst customers with simple but high-quality explanations of company structure, business model, operations and approach to sustainability.
We’ve helped Kantar, the independent market-research business, create an engaging suite of reporting which has helped shape its identity and connect with its key stakeholders.
Build trust around ESG issues
Reporting builds confidence on how sustainability issues are being managed and high-quality ESG reporting can be a powerful tool to raise the profile of your initiatives, as well as garner support both internally and among external stakeholders.
Over the last few years we helped privately-owned packaging manufacturer Klöckner Pentaplast (kp) to produce a series of sustainability reports which do just that.
Use the Wates Principles to shape governance disclosures
Since 2018 large private companies have been required to report on their corporate governance approach. Companies can choose which governance code to adopt (if any) but most follow the Wates Principles which provide a framework for companies to explain their arrangements without being too prescriptive. According to an August 2024 report by the Financial Reporting Council 30% (547) of large private companies were adopting the Wates principles in their 2021/2022 reports.
Give your brand breathing space
With fewer constraints around compliance, there might be more space to focus on visual impact and storytelling. The best reports give their high-level messaging and brand space to breathe, which can make for a truly engaging read.
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