Category Archives: Stakeholder communication

What makes a great annual report?

By Richard Ketchen | Published: October 19, 2011

Asking an investor what makes a good annual report is like asking somebody what makes a good pizza. Some enjoy the simplicity of a thin, crispy crust topped with only tomato sauce and cheese. Others prefer thick-crusted varieties capable of supporting a shopping-cart load of toppings. What’s the secret sauce for annual reports? Like good [...]

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Exchanges: Remarkable news and quotes

By Richard Ketchen | Published: August 16, 2011

Study calls for truer account of performance. Major investors ask companies to embrace ESG issues. Hybrid annual reports on the rise.

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Stakeholder Engagement: Worth its weight in gold, and more

By Richard Ketchen | Published: August 4, 2011

What gets measured, matters. Measuring the effectiveness of stakeholder, investor and other corporate communication activities, however, has always been somewhat ambiguous. Until now. Wharton Professor of Management Witold Henisz has found a way of measuring the benefits of stakeholder engagement activities to public mining companies that operate in risky environments. Henisz and two co-authors researched [...]

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5 ways to improve annual report narrative

By Richard Ketchen | Published: May 9, 2011

Annual reporting season has finally and mercifully come to an end for most companies. The cost of this exercise? Just for Form 10-K, the SEC estimated that companies chalk up 4 million hours of staff time and 12 million hours of outside advisor time, which, at $300 per hour, amounts to $3.6 billion. And that [...]

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Exchanges: Remarkable news and quotes

By Richard Ketchen | Published: May 6, 2011

Benefits of integrated reporting. Transparency is not about giving away secrets.

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Wise words and plain language from Warren Buffett

By Richard Ketchen | Published: March 2, 2011

Warren Buffett, legendary investor and Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, recently released that company’s 2010 annual report. His famously open and honest shareholder letters first appeared in 1977. The letters are a must-read for anybody who communicates in writing with stakeholders.

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Is your annual report squeaky clean?

By Richard Ketchen | Published: February 17, 2011

“A DECENT annual report is becoming like a hygiene factor—it’s like washing your teeth on a daily basis.” That was the answer of one European corporate finance executive to the question, What makes a good annual report? So in addition to being transparent, your annual report also needs the same care and attention as your [...]

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How to manage the annual report tug-of-war

By Richard Ketchen | Published: November 29, 2010

If it hasn’t already started, it will be in full swing within a few weeks. I’m referring to the tug-of-war that takes place during the planning and production of an annual report. This contest usually features two teams: left-brainers (the logic and finance folks) versus right-brainers (the intuitive and creative types).

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