“Oscar” for VERBUND Business Report
The VERBUND Business Report 2003 won a “Golden Award” and the “Grand Award” in the category “German-speaking Countries” at the Annual Report Competition (ARC), the largest and most important competition of its kind worldwide. This means that the VERBUND Business Report ranks among the world best reports.
The international ARC Award is awarded annually for outstanding creative and communication performances to the best business reports in the world. This year, around 1,800 business reports from 24 countries were sent in. Approximately 8 percent of them won “Golden Awards”, and some of them were nominated for the “Grand Awards”. In the final round at the gala on September 9, VERBUND prevailed against Adidas/Salomon and last year’s winner MPC Capital from Germany and against RZB and Porr AG and received the award for best German-language business report 2003.
Water as driving force
Thus the VERBUND Business Report project team - Andreas Wollein, Georg Lauber (investor relations), Gerald Schulze, Winnie Matzenauer (communications) - fully reached its goal to present a top business report in terms of business reporting, design and journalism. In cooperation with the PR agency aha puttner red cell, whose layout concept was picked from the presentations of several eminent agents in a tender procedure, a product was created that has also won international recognition now.
The business report’s central creative idea is based on the element that has made VERBUND the driving force in Austria’s power-supply industry: Water. A specially designed transparent plastic slip case allows us to literally grasp this fact. A calm surface of water is set in motion by the movement of opening the slip case. This communicates the business report’s central message nonverbally: VERBUND - a modern company in motion. Austria’s driving force.
Competition of the best
The ARC Award is an annual award for best business reports in the world. It is awarded according to the following criteria: Presentation of the company, presentation of its financial data, presentation of corporate culture, and clarity of design and text. The competition’s internationally high reputation is based on the organizer’s independence, the competent judgment, and the open feedback the participating companies receive regarding their business reports. The jury is made up of international experts from the areas investor relations, finances, journalism, design and photography.