Turnover, EBITDA, net profits, accounting gains and losses, market shares… reading an annual financial report can be really tricky for most people. This type of document is often bulky, complex and packed full of figures, tables and graphs. But we took a different approach for Triodos Bank. We created a clear news video which made the annual figures more accessible for a broader public.
In simple terms, an annual report is a business’ bank statement. It’s an important document which offers details about the financial health of the company concerned. It’s a walk in the park for financial specialists, such as company shareholders, investors, pension funds, market analysts and supervisors. The general public, on the other hand, can find the going tough.
That is why Triodos Bank wanted to do things differently. The bank wanted to explain what they do on a daily basis and share the results they’d achieved, particularly with people who are less familiar with financial matters. But how? We advised them to distil their annual report into a 2-minute news video. As if it were a TV news report. Of course, we couldn’t include all of the figures, just the ones that were important for Triodos. Such as the money that the bank has raised from savers, for example, and the credit that they can provide to sustainable projects and businesses as a result.
We took our camera crew to one of these sustainable projects, financed by Triodos; a new residential area in Anderlecht, where energy company Brusol had installed free solar panels on the roofs of the houses. We chatted with residents who were delighted with the solar panels and were making huge energy savings on their budgets. This provided an independent, reliable witness report, which reinforced Triodos’ message while also adding credibility.
Triodos itself also featured heavily, of course. General director Thomas Van Craen explained why the bank was so committed to providing credit to businesses which focus on renewable energy. One of these companies also featured in the story.
The end result? No complex figures, just a coherent and relevant story that is accessible and interesting to both specialised and broader audiences.
