annual reports

Go Pro

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A corporate client in Toronto recently said that they’ve always used amateur photos taken by their employees and cheap stock pictures for their annual report. But this year, the company wanted something better so they hired a professional photographer (me).

I overheard the annual report designer telling the client that a professional photographer isn’t just about better quality equipment. It’s also about the fact that “a professional photographer knows what to shoot. They see things that you don’t even think about.”

The company’s 2014 annual report isn’t finished yet but the client is “extremely happy with the pictures” and “can’t wait to get them published.”

This post isn’t about me bragging about my photography. It’s about the proven fact that professional photos are more effective than amateur pictures when it comes to earning reader attention and communicating a message.
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Corporate photos are like sports announcers

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When it comes to producing effective photography for corporate marketing, there are two general types of images: those with story appeal and those that demonstrate something. The former is used to convey an idea or emotion and the latter is used to deliver a fact. The two types can overlap.

Pictures with story appeal are said to have human interest. These pictures, which are usually editorial in nature, will attract attention because editorial photography is the most interesting to, and the most trusted by, the public. Conveying a message through human interest is always persuasive because such photography creates an emotional response in the viewer.
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Annual report failure

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Here’s another example of corporate stupidity caused by the shortsighted desire to save a buck.

Earlier today, I was looking through the 2010 annual report from Ontario’s Toronto-based Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). The 2011 annual report is not yet available.

The annual report contains one business portrait of its chairman and one of its president. All the other executives, managers and employees shown in the other photos are fake. None of those people work for this agency. The offices shown in those pictures are also fake.
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Annual Report photography

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Annual reports contain a mix of corporate photography, editorial photography and maybe a tiny amount of advertising photography. Other than to publish a company’s financial numbers, an annual report has to show what the company does, how it does what it does and show its accomplishments from the past fiscal year.

As we move into the traditional season for annual reports (i.e. late winter / early spring), here are some suggestions for annual report photography.
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Annual Report Mistake

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Earlier this year, the director of communications of a Toronto corporation requested a photo quote for a dozen business portraits for its upcoming annual report. The organization needed a portrait of its CEO and each board member. I sent a quote for the photography but never got the job.
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Annual reports for small business

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Just the words alone, Annual Report, sound impressive and big league.

Most corporations are required by law to publish an annual report, and many reports are available online. But what about a small business that doesn’t have any investors or shareholders and isn’t required to do a yearly summary?

Annual reports are not just for the big corporations anymore.

It makes perfect marketing sense for the smaller business to get into the game.
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Corporate Photo Library

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I received an e-mail from the communications director of a large insurance company who’s thinking about creating a photo library of their key employees. He was looking not just for a price estimate but also suggestions on how to start this project. He realized that having an up-to-date photo archive would benefit his company many times over. However the communications director wasn’t sure if his company would even go for the idea.

Newspapers have long known the value of having their own photo library. Various levels of government and some universities also have photo archives. This is done for both public relations and historical purposes.

In today’s digital world, setting up and maintaining a photo archive is quite easy compared to the old film days. So why are many businesses so slow or hesitant to do this?
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