Reports: data value and brand relevance

Content is one of the most important tests to guarantee that the essence and look of brands are in sync, allowing us to project a consistent and successful image. Creating content is an excellent way to demonstrate our knowledge, build relationships with our audiences, contribute to our industry or ecosystem, and, of course, temper cold sales to possible new clients.

Social networks, mainly, have multiplied the possibilities -and needs- for brands to communicate, leading to an exponential growth in the volume of shared information created by them.

That is why nowadays, the complicated thing is not to create content, but to make it differential and relevant for our audiences and for our brand. In this scenario, in recent years the report format has gained weight. Companies invest in these reports a significant amount of resources, converting their knowledge into high value for very specific target audiences.

The information experience

A report is a very effective tool to support brand authority, but also reciprocity since the lessons learned and conclusions drawn revert directly to the reader. For this, the ability to generate, understand and analyze large amounts of data has always been fundamental. But this is no longer enough. Now it is also important that a report becomes something more: an experience with the brand.

To design an experience aligned with the brand, we once again used one of our favorite sayings: measure twice and cut once. That's why we dedicate part of the process to immerse ourselves in understanding what happens before, during and after reading the report, which people participate in it and in what roles, the circumstances in which they do it, what other similar experiences have been like, what they value, etc.

All this creates a solid base from which to start building and allows us to have clear filters to prioritize concepts, facilitate reading, provide value throughout the process, and decide how to channel our narrative.

Narrative for the complexity of data

Knowing what we want to say and how to communicate it will help us guarantee that the entire report has a purpose that adds to the brand's goals. Narrative not only helps us to tell a better or more impactful story about what we provide with our report, but also serves as a guide for the creation process -helping us to prioritize- and facilitates its comprehension.

The story we tell is the big picture that helps readers to always know where they are, no matter what page, website or social network they are using. In addition, it will allow us to be consistent with the type of language, both visual and written, that we are going to use throughout its multiple pages.

As if that weren't enough, a fact will always work to persuade intellectually, but it is the story that solidifies that concept and makes us unforgettable.

Giving double value to data

In the era of Big Data, giving value to data does not only mean being able to extract analysis and conclusions from it. It is also essential to make it readable, understandable and even attractive. In the case of reports, presenting them through graphics or illustrations is essential to avoid complexity while maintaining the level of quality they offer. Aware of this, we find examples such as RatedPower that works with care on each of the pages and insights of their annual study on renewable and solar energy, which they share with key professionals in the sector.