Show locationsInteractive Annual & Sustainability Reports: Why Halliburton went digital for the first time after 100 years
Find out why companies are digitising their annual and sustainability reports in times of MiFID II – and how this is helping them to stand out from the crowd.
In times of MiFID II and the resulting decline in analyst coverage, attracting investor attention has never been more challenging for issuers. IR managers need to find new ways to enter into dialogue with potential shareholders.
In this climate, interactive annual and sustainability reports offer real advantages. With an intuitive user interface, additional services and interactive functions such as key financials analysis centers and download options, these reports deliver real added value for their shareholders and generate a positive user experience. In addition, it is possible to integrate video content like interviews with members of the board in the reports and thereby convey authentic messages.
Increasing numbers of issuers are seizing this opportunity to stand out from the crowd. Companies like Halliburton, BMW and Geberit, but also smaller US-based companies like Hubbel, successfully use interactive reports in their communications with the capital market.
Are interactive annual and sustainability reports worth the time and effort?
Issuers might ask themselves whether an interactive report is worth the time, energy and ultimately money. Why invest here when many peers do not? A look at the advantages:
- Analytics
- A digital report provides valuable insights into how (potential) investors work with the report and what content is relevant for them. This knowledge can be used to optimise the company’s entire capital market communication.
- Improved distribution & increased visibility
- An interactive report is easy to share and integrate into social media communications. This increases a company’s visibility in the market and helps to differentiate a company from its peer group.
- Thanks to responsive design, the report can be read easily on any device including mobile, therefore offering a clear advantage over the standard PDF.
- Print cost savings & environmental protection
- Not printing a report or printing only on-demand saves budget and above all the environment. Digitalising sustainability reports is therefore particularly appropriate.
- Interaction & Storytelling
- Authentic video content (e.g. board interviews or image films) perfectly enhances an interactive report.
- Interactive content is automatically more appealing to the reader. A compelling example is the sustainability report from the European market leader for sanitary products, Geberit.
- It is possible to link report contents to the IR website of the issuer, thus offering even greater potential for interaction.
- Positive user experience
- Easy navigation and user guidance vs. 50+ page PDF document
Case Study Halliburton: Why the company opted for a digital Annual & Sustainability Report for the first time
Halliburton proves that you are never too old for something new. Right on time for the company’s 100th anniversary in 2019, the international provider of products and services for the energy industry published its first interactive annual and sustainability report.
The aim was to create an interactive experience that offered greater appeal to investors and generated increased engagement. The company also wanted to ensure good readability across all end devices (mobile friendly), thereby providing the target group with the greatest possible flexibility.
Standing out from the crowd
With this unique report Halliburton is taking the opportunity to stand out from the crowd and bring its own story and development closer to investors. A clear navigation and simple user interface allows the reader to find their way easily through the in-depth information provided. The download function enables the reader to not only download detailed information on individual topics, but also to compile pages individually relevant to them for downloading. A further highlight is the section on the collaboration between Halliburton and the financial community (collaboration page), which underscores the company’s dedicated IR work.
