The quality of an annual report mirrors the quality of the business and separates a company that views the report as a communications document from one that views it as a mere formality.

Pfizer, one of the world's leading biopharmaceutical companies, released its 2017 Annual Review and the visual result is simple and fresh with good on-screen readability and easy to understand structure.

Pfizer collaborated with brand agency Superunion and its WPP agency partner, GCI Health in order to create an annual report that is modern and informative without being overly complicated. For the results, a collective team of over 70 people worked for over nine months, to make the company’s clients’ stories the focal point of the report.

Ian C. Read, CEO of Pfizer, set the tone for the annual report by saying that while the report’s purpose is to bring focus to Pfizer’s journey, its four imperatives have provided a clear roadmap to follow. Since being introduced globally in February 2011, they have represented the critical areas that need to be addressed to ensure Pfizer’s future success: innovation, capital allocation, corporate responsibility and culture.

Superunion’s goal was to help Pfizer revive and advance its integrated reporting. Along with GCI Health, big changes were made to every part of the report, from the messaging, the look and feel to the general reading experience. The report’s theme is ‘The Power of Science’ and along with it a website of similar aesthetic was put up. The brand agency dealt with approximately 50,000 words and 100 visual assets.

The report delivers an honest overview last year’s Pfizer’s performance from various perspectives and caters to different kind of audiences. For a quick glance, videos of the executive leadership team were filmed in New York, London and Orlando. For those who want the details, Pfizer used bold colours, typography and shareable features.

Pfizer’s annual report does not follow the traditional route and from the numbers so far this has proven to be an advantage with a 103% increase in repeat visits to the site in the first three months, an 11 minute average time on site and a 5% average page view increase in the first three months.

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