IN TOUCH : Award hat-trick for New Zealand company

Lion Nathan’s annual report has won major international award for the third time. New Zealand corporate design company Insight Creative secured the ‘2007 Best International Annual Report’ award for the report at an international competition held in New York. Insight Creative also won in 2003 and 2006 for its production of the Lion Nathan reports.
Mike Tisdall, Insight Creative managing director, said they are delighted to have won the international award for the third time.
“The win is the result of long and fruitful partnership with Lion Nathan. Lion Nathan is visionary company that really understands the importance of investor branding. They’ve listened closely to our counsel and allowed us to explore fresh ways of making their annual report relevant and engaging. The reason their report consistently stands out is because it truly expresses their corporate brand personality and brings it to life.”
The winners were deemed the best out of nearly 2000 entries from 26 countries, with judging conducted by an international panel over three-week period. All the winning entries are now being exhibited at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (Museum of Art and Commerce) in Hamburg, Germany.
Michael Roberts, investor relations director of Lion Nathan, says that over the years Insight Creative has gone from being design supplier to true branding partner for Lion Nathan.
“It’s been incredible how key elements featured in our annual report have been picked up around our business. It seems to have happened by osmosis. Insight has developed definite style and personality in terms of branding, and I think this shows the power of really strong central communications document,” Roberts says.
While some argue an annual report is simply about presenting the financials of company, over time they have become so much more and now include all manner of brand and corporate information, becoming vital component of company’s reputation management strategy, Tisdall says.
“Companies often think only about their product brands, but in fact investor branding is imperative in communicating the corporate brand personality to investors – helping them to understand, trust and like company.”