5 annual reports that have won international awards and what brought them recognition (for you to repeat in your report)
The beginning of 2025 is a hot time to work on the 2024 annual report. We are sure you have reviewed your reports from previous years and examples of other companies in search of inspiration and best practices. Have you looked at the reports of those who have won international awards? We have done it for you.
Although we can't get into the jury members' minds, some signs immediately tell us that we are looking at good work that can take first place.
The article will be updated.
A lovely report that proves the importance of concept and detail
Company: Pilsenský Prazdroj, a beer producer.
Author of the report: Boomerang Communication.
Award and nomination: Content Marketing Awards, best annual report (finalist).
Why did the report win the award? A work that reveals a serious work on the concept behind it. The color scheme of the report repeats the colors of the bottle and barley; high-quality photos show beer, production facilities, and people who produce it; visualization demonstrates the elements of the production process, revealing secrets inaccessible to most people. The Boomerang Communication team has created a visually appealing report that is a pleasure to read and deserves a high award.
Minimalism also wins the top award
Company: Kerry Logistics Network Limited, а logistics company.
Author of the report: Bestiario.
Award and nomination: International Annual Report Design Awards, infographic.
Why did the report win the award? This report is definitely not the most impressive in terms of visualization, but it has other advantages that the jury noted. Simple and concise infographics quickly convey important facts and add context. Such a report is a minimum must-have for a company that takes a strategic view of stakeholder communications.
A report that tells stories
Company: The Smith Family, австралійського благодійного фонду.
Author of the report: Editor Group.
Award and nomination: Australasian Reporting Awards, best report, Community and Welfare.
Why did the report win the award? The main feature of the report is the stories of the families who received assistance. Small texts with stories are accompanied by large photos that draw attention to the stories. The framing for the stories is a restrained and even deliberately non-modern visual style so as not to distract from the main point. In addition, it is worth paying attention to another element that demonstrates openness — two pages are filled to the brim with logos and show sponsors' trust in the foundation. It's very easy for donors to draw a parallel between their company's contribution and the stories of the people the foundation helps.
Very juicy photos
Company: SSP Group, operator of a chain of grocery stores in tourist destinations.
Author of the report: Gather London.
Award and nomination: Corporate and Financial Awards 2023 від Communicate Magazine, the best CSR and ESG report.
Why did the report win the award? Juicy from the first page — this is precisely how you would expect to see a report from a company that develops a grocery store chain. Many professional photos of food encourage people to associate the brand with quality and freshness.
What else is worth noting. A lengthy executive summary at the beginning of the report provides an overview of the most important indicators and achievements. Although the report does not contain infographics, some of the most important data is presented in the form of graphs, which makes it easier to understand. Color-coded sections and page edges, as well as half-titles marking the beginning of a section, help to navigate the not-so-thin report (150+ pages in the printed version). This feature, good structure of the report, is also typical for other winners in our collection.
An interactive report that immediately provides answers to key questions
Company: Santander, a Spanish financial group.
Author of the report: Bestiario.
Award and nomination: International Annual Report Design Awards, the best digital annual report
Why did the report win the award? Having two versions of the report, a print and a digital version, gives additional flexibility, and in some circumstances, the digital version may be more valuable than the print one: it is more beneficial to display it on a screen or send it in a personal message. However, the digital version should not be a simple PDF upload to a website; it requires significant work to rethink the report. Bestiario did an excellent job with this work. The digital version of Santander's report is well structured, not overloaded with details and texts, interactive, and contains various visual elements appropriate to the context: maps, graphs, diagrams, photos, and videos.
5 characteristics that increase the chances of winning the award
Analyzing all the reports above, we can identify what makes a report a real contender for the win.
1. Infographics or at least graphs. Turn many words into one clear visualization, and the report's rating will increase by many points immediately. What can be visualized? Almost everything, but we recommend you visualize the production process, strategy, goals, and results.
2. Structure and navigation. Hundreds or even several hundred pages of a report will be much easier for readers to read if simple visual techniques are applied:
- highlight important messages in a different font, size, and color; make a footnote;
- separate one section from another with a half-title (a separate page with the name of the section)
- place page header (an element with the name of the section) at the top of the page;
- create color navigation.
3. Photos. Your report will be read not by a CEO or CFO but by a human. People like to see other people. Professional photos create the impression of greater involvement and attachment, even if your counterparty will not personally collaborate with the team in the photo. But let's agree: photos should be professional or no photos at all. Adding poor-quality photos to your report is like meeting with an investor in shorts and sandals: you can talk about business, but the impression will be severely damaged.
4. Stories. Just like photos, people love stories. Even a small team always has something to say about their work. Use this potential of your employees to add humanity to your report.
5. Interactive version. Although it is not mandatory, it will be an advantage. Its availability will allow you to submit not just a report but a comprehensive cross-platform project. Or apply for a specialized nomination for interactive projects, which may have a less competitive environment.
Top Lead will prepare a report that will not only win a prestigious award but also meet your communication needs
Our work has received prestigious Content Marketing Awards: Baker Tilly Annual Report, a study on the US economy, infographic reports "Agribusiness of Ukraine," and "Do IT like Ukraine." So, we have proven that we can create the best content in the world.
Top Lead doesn't just do the report layout — this is the last stage of the work. We propose a concept (which, as we wrote above, is one of the reasons for success), structure the content, suggest a visual style, and develop unique infographics.
Need help preparing a report? Email marina.budnik@toplead.com.ua, and we will discuss the details.
