Annual Reports

An Annual Report provides an all-inclusive report on a company's activities in the previous year, and they are required by law for companies listed on a stock exchange.

The basic purpose is to provide information to shareholders and other stakeholders regarding the company’s financial performance. To achieve this, the annual report simply presents the company’s financial statements, along with footnotes explaining the assumptions and calculations behind the figures presented. Annual reports also include reports from the CEO and the chairman of the company presenting the major highlights of the company’s performance. They also contain a report from the company’s auditors, testifying to the authenticity and credibility of the financial information presented. Most annual reports also present other information considered important to stakeholders, such as new products launched or new markets entered into, or other details of corporate goings-on.

By definition, annual reports are not marketing documents. They only serve to inform shareholders and other stakeholders about the performance of the company. For this reason, the language and tone used are matter-of-fact and objective, stating facts and figures rather than personal opinion.

Despite this, annual reports are increasingly being used for marketing purposes in addition to their basic purpose. Since they represent the company to outsiders, graphic designing techniques are utilized to make the document look as attractive as possible. The front and back covers, and the news and highlights sections are flashy and colorful, incorporating photos, colorful graphics and text highlights to increase visibility for the company and make it stand out from the crowd.

Articles

Operating Manuals

Operating Manuals, also known as “user guides” or “user manuals”, are technical documents intending to assist users of a particular product, typically hardware, software or electronic items, such as calculators, televisions and mobile phones Manuals were traditionally available in printed format, such as the instruction...

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Annual Reports

An Annual Report provides an all-inclusive report on a company's activities in the previous year, and they are required by law for companies listed on a stock exchange. The basic purpose is to provide information to shareholders and other stakeholders regarding the company’s financial performance. To achieve this, the annual ...

Read More
Logos

A logo is a unique combination of graphics (including symbols, pictures and icons), and text which represent a particular company or brand. A logo is designed to make an institution, organization or brand name immediately recognizable and is an important component of its brand identity. Because a logo identifies an entity, its shape, ...

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Point of Sale Displays

Point-of-sale displays are a special form of promotion that is set up near a checkout counter to attract customers’ attention so that they may purchase products they would normally not make a special effort to buy. Point-of-sale displays include shelf edging, hangings, posters, special counters or kiosks near the counter, or banners. ...

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Billboards and Hoardings

Billboards and hoardings are two interchangeable terms used for large outdoor advertising boards usually seen in areas with high traffic, for instances on busy roads. They are used to advertise products or services to pedestrians and drivers. Billboards are designed to be visible at large distances and to attract attention...

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