Why do some reports “feel” better?
The secret sauce may be purposeful design.

It’s the time of year when a new sustainability report is published seemingly every day. You read about the launch. You click on the link. You download the report…but then how much time do you spend with it?

According to CRI Vice President of Design Melanie Prisco, the amount of time spent with the report may lie in how well the editorial and design elements work together. Read more about how CRI’s purposeful design philosophy can make the difference between a reader thumbing quickly through a report or committing to deeper engagement.

Ulta Beauty:
A lesson in on-brand disclosure

We sometimes hear that sustainability reports need to be “just the facts and data” and that more design-forward reports may lack seriousness and credibility. We couldn’t disagree more. Sustainability reports are a flagship publication for companies. If the report doesn’t communicate key messages and represent the corporate brand, then it’s leaving money on the table.

Our case in point is Ulta Beauty. You’re probably familiar with the bold orange and pink storefront palette of this beauty retailer. Their marketing is filled with images of beauty enthusiasts of all ages and life stages. So, shouldn’t Ulta Beauty’s report look and feel the same way? We say yes and think the Company does a great job of staying true to its brand, aligning with its B2C marketing messages, and disclosing facts, figures and data that demonstrate its annual progress.

Check out Ulta Beauty’s most recent report.

Taking first steps toward CSRD compliance

During our CRI webinar in March, we detailed four different types of report structures that can help mandated and voluntary reporting co-exist as companies move closer to CSRD compliance. We’re excited to see Whirlpool and AGCO each utilizing one of these options in their recently released reports.

Both companies adopted a dual-document approach that segregated what was previously a comprehensive report into two complementary publications. One document is geared toward compliance while the other targets a broader audience through a shorter progress or impact report. The result is a reporting suite that effectively demonstrates how technical compliance and communication value can not only co-exist but serve the needs of stakeholders even more effectively. AGCO’s sustainability reporting suite can be found here, while Whirlpool’s corporate responsibility reports reside here.

What do you want to accomplish this summer?

Summer at CRI is when we leverage the pause in the reporting cycle to enhance our offerings, get up to speed on new technologies, improve processes, and check off a host of other things on our to-do list. Think about some of the things you’ve put on your list over the past year: Refresh your reporting strategy? Update your materiality assessment? Rethink sustainability programming? Improve scores from raters and rankers? We’d love to help you cross some things off your list this summer too. Reach out to schedule a complimentary consultation and brainstorming session. And most importantly, use any downtime to recharge. Collectively, we all have a lot of work ahead of us.