The
2005
Merck Annual Report, created by BrandLogic, has been named one
of “five great annual reports” in the hands-on practical manual
How to Create Your Best Annual Report. Ever. by Patrick R.
Williams, Ph.D., a leading corporate communications consultant with
Ragan Communications.
In 2005, global pharmaceutical company
Merck embarked on a major change of direction. A new CEO had been
named and the company was reinventing itself. BrandLogic, which had
long been the agency behind the Merck annual report, saw a clear
need for the annual report to reflect that shift. The new report
should send a clear message to investors that it would no longer be
“business as usual” at Merck.
“It was vitally important that we
communicate this new direction properly,” said Kathleen Land,
Senior Vice President at BrandLogic. “We hold that a company’s
annual report is the CEO’s calling card to the world. A great deal
rides on it – especially in the case of the first report issued
under new leadership.”
A key element of the change at Merck was the company’s new future
strategy, “Plan to Win.” BrandLogic knew that the report had to
clearly articulate that strategy. The design devotes over nine
pages to the strategy, and makes use of a highly accessible,
reader-friendly format that employs concise summaries of key points
and highlights of corporate progress.
Dr. Williams lauded the way that the new strategy was featured,
calling the BrandLogic approach “A particular strength…the right
emphasis. That’s what annual reports should do: Present a
compelling case for the future.”
Williams also gave the overall design high marks for readability
and presentation, stating that it makes the complex plan more
accessible. Credit was given to the balanced photography that
embodies the company’s constituents, as well as the good use of
color coding and white space to enhance clarity. “This report
actually makes you look forward to next year’s,” he wrote.