Communicating deliverables
Client: Smartgroup
As Smartgroup emerged from the constraints of Covid, this year's annual report story had more achievements to relay. And a new visual identity added new energy to its look and feel.
The Brief
2023 was a year of change for both Smartgroup and its corporate reporting. Internally, a new CEO took the helm and as Covid hangovers finally receded, strategy implementation progressed well with results visible, and game-changing digital interfaces delivered a major leap forward in customer experience, while enabling automated scalability in the back end.
A fundamental fillip for the novated leasing segment of the business was the introduction of the Federal Government’s Electric Car Discount Policy which made the desire for more responsible motoring significantly more accessible for more people. This significantly increased new lease contracts.
A strong emphasis on sustainability and ESG within the business meant the annual and sustainability reports had a lot of territory to cover and the requirement to convey stories clearly.
To add complexity, a new visual identity system needed to be applied, which was being developed at the same time as we were designing the reports.
The Solution
Conveying Smartgroup’s corporate story was less challenging than the prior year which had required the explanation of positive actions against the backdrop of short-term headwinds. This time around the implementation of strategies was unshackled, and some were successfully completed with tangible positive outcomes. Reporting sound strategies effectively implemented with immediate benefit to both customers and the business makes for a positive report.
The accompanying document is Smartgroup’s second Sustainability Report, demonstrating their progress since their sustainability strategy was launched in 2022. This report is delivered solely digitally which is why it is presented in a landscape, screen-friendly format. On the other hand, the annual report retains a print-first A4 portrait format.
Of greater challenge was designing documents while the identity toolbox was still in rapid gestation. While the emerging visual toolkit provided strong graphic devices, the timing made for some fast implementation and problem solving pressure. The brand change required a whole new approach to design with the annual report being among the first applications of the new identity. One clearly stated important element of the new visual identity was the concept of stacking folders, and this treatment deatures strongly throughout the reports.
The Results
The companion Annual and Sustainability Reports were a fresh and energising departure from prior years. Feedback has been that the reports are engaging, communicate clearly and are a successful first application of their new identity system.
