Storytelling and design – the tools of reader engagement
We’ve all seen those relic annual reports from the ‘90s with their standard templates, corporate-speak letters and solid pages of inaccessible text.
Do those reports showcase the brand’s personality? No.
Do they differentiate the company from the one next door? No.
Do they invite you in and engage you? No.
Do they make you feel invested in the brand or the work it does? No.
Why? Because they state facts; they don’t tell a story.
Stories connect at a rational and emotional level. They hook you in. They keep you engaged. They peel back a curtain, connect you to the brand, generate a positive interaction and build belief.
We are firm believers in the power of storytelling to engage audiences, helping drive perceptions and actions.
The most captivating stories, of course, feature people. People you’ve impacted. The real humans who work for you and drive the achievements you’re making and the goals you are striving towards. And this helps your readers feel more emotionally connected to your brand. So, as you structure and write your report, look for opportunities to humanise your organisation.
A strong brand voice, compelling conversational copy, dynamic visuals and a well-crafted narrative can make your content more impactful, more memorable.
Storytelling provides something for designers to bring to life. They get insight into your organisation’s soul, which helps them bring your story alive for readers, building empathy and reaching them emotionally.
Building belief
Stakeholders always need clarity, confidence and connection - some times more than others as economic cycles and fortunes wax and wane. The most important perception to aim for is belief. But to achieve the holy grail of belief, first you have to build trust. And trust is achieved gradually over time, through performance, consistency, clarity, vivid goals, cogent strategies to nail them, plus openness and transparency.
This is where good storytelling comes into play. It joins the dots between your goals, your strategy and your performance. It gives stakeholders a clear sense of who you are, what you’re doing, and why it matters.
For investors, it’s a window into how well you're managing risk and creating long-term value and a reason to stay invested in you despite any short-term market pressures.
For employees, it builds pride and belonging by reinforcing shared purpose.
For the board and executive, it’s a stake in the ground: a chance to reflect, be accountable, and look ahead.
Being equally honest about failings as well as achievements is what openness and transparency is all about. Sharing some vulnerability openly shows your authenticity, which builds that credibility and trust that leads to belief. If you’re using integrated reporting, consider full disclosure of connectivity trade-offs – which of your input resources are depleted in order to grow others (see Value Creation Model).
Where to find your story arc
We believe all our clients have at least six-stories they can choose from as a starting point for developing an engaging narrative. Under each of these are hundreds of smaller stories that demonstrate and support the core story.
Given the thrust of where all reporting is going in terms of future focus, there’s no doubt that the right hand end of this spectrum is the best place to start. But there are triggers for rich scene-setting stories at any point along this continuum.
The role of design
Both an art and a communication science, intelligent design makes the world of difference to reader engagement - ensuring initial attractiveness and retaining ongoing reader interest. Considered visual techniques also assist navigation and keep interest alive through pacing, rhythm, colour, callouts and graphic devices. And of course, well considered layout adds dynamism to text, knows how to use white space to advantage, bring ideas to life and provide clear information hierarchy.
