From an Annual Report of past activity
to storytelling of strategic value and impact.
Background
The Wates Group is a 114 year-old, family-owned, professionally managed construction business with a £1bn turnover. It has an enviable reputation supported by the company’s full commitment to delivering for its customers while making a lasting difference to the communities it serves.
Our brief
We were asked to tell Wate’s story through the Annual Report and Accounts in a clearer, deeper and more compelling way; joining the report on commercial success with Wate’s CSR achievements. The aim was also to position Wates as a respected, trusted and financially secure operator in a challenging marketplace.
Our solution
At the start of the project we set an ambitious target. We said:
“...this is an opportunity to build
your brand, to be a different type
of leader from your peers, to
tell your story in such an honest and compelling way that
‘trust’ is never an issue. This is an opportunity for
people to instantly ‘get you’,
to admire you and to want
to work with you.”
Good storytelling, as we all know, requires a strong structure and a series of themes that have depth and meaning. In Wate’s Annual Report we recommended that they should lead with these themes. The document was divided into three sections – the first section featured the company’s six strategic priorities using the platforms of: ‘A commitment to deliver’ and ‘Making a difference’. These were underpinned by project stories that were illustrated by creative, layered photographs that illustrated depth and passion. The second section of the Annual Report illustrated the performance of the individual business units and the third explained how Wates succeeds by focusing on performance, risk management, professional corporate governance and CSR.
The outcome is a strong Report that will grow trust in Wates and support the company’s ambitions to double in size over the next three years.
We created
The concept, design, artwork, montage photography and online expression of the 2010 Annual Report.
