World-leading design specialist to help Lankan firms unlock annual report potential

Wednesday, 30 July 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Companies are often willing to commit substantial resources including top management time on annual reports. They know that these reports are important tools of corporate communications, serving many purposes besides that of financial disclosure. Unfortunately, says Alisa Zamir, a Professor at the Graduate School of Communications Design of the prestigious Pratt Institute in New York, very few know how to make sure these resources are well spent – how to ensure that their reports are doing the job they’re supposed to. Prof. Zamir is a world-leading designer specialising in corporate communications, with a particular interest in annual report design. For more than ten years, she has been on the panel of judges at the International ARC Awards, at which the world’s top annual reports are selected and recognised.

Her contribution to improving the communications standards of annual reports was recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the ARC Awards in 2009. Sri Lankan companies have done unusually well at the International ARC Awards in recent years, winning the highest accolades. However, she stresses, winning awards is not the purpose for which annual reports are produced. A company annual report, according to Prof. Zamir, can be used to communicate a firm’s financial stability, reputation, capabilities, future plans and potential. It can be used as a marketing or public-relations tool, or as a means of communicating key company values. It should also create multifaceted experiences that connect people to the company and its issues in a harmonious, meaningful and emotional way. But meeting these objectives are more than a matter of simply saying what you want people to believe, and filling the report with attractive pictures and graphics. Unlocking the full potential of annual reports is not easy. Prof. Zamir is in Colombo to participate in a three-day workshop on annual report design and communications strategies for the staff of Smart Media The Annual Report Company behind most of the winning Sri Lankan entries at the International ARC Awards. On 7 August, she will also make a special presentation to a select group of corporate leaders and professionals at the HNB Tower Auditorium, Level 22, Colombo 10. This event is sponsored by Smart Media, whose reports have won over 400 international awards for clients across nine countries over the past five years, including the top honour placing Smart Media at the No. 1 position in the world at the International ARC Awards. “This is a fantastic opportunity for us,” said Dr. Vijith Kannangara, Chairman of Smart Media. “Alisa Zamir is a figure we in the industry all look up to. The fact that she has found time to visit us and take part in our workshop is indeed a great honour. We’re delighted to have her share the fruits of her immense experience and insights with our Sri Lankan clients and the corporate community.”