(Answers for April 1998)
| 1. | No one has ever printed a split-run reportthat is, a report with different covers. True or false?
Answer: Trueto my knowledge. That is, prior to this year’s IBM report, which has differing covers. Both, though, contain the report theme, "the new blue."
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| 2. | Seldom are annual report covers duplicatedthat is, appear on more than one report during a given year. True or false?
Answer: Trueexcept for this year, when two telecommunications companies (Ameritech and Bruncor) featured little girls on their respective covers.
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| 3. | Desire can’t make an annual report great, right? In other words, you can aspire to greatness, but
achieving it is something quite different. True or false?
Answer: Yes and no. Some want a great report but are tripped up on deadline by the attorneys or folks in accounting. Or the auditors. But Ford Motor aspired to a Top 10 report, and devoted the collective energies of its communications staff (nine members) to achieve it. Looks like Ford succeeded!
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| 4. | The magazine look’s a fine idea, but it has fizzledgone nowhere. True or false?
Answer: False. We first started monitoring this element with annuals five years agofor 1993. Then, one in eight took a decidedly external orientation to their document. That’s up to three in 10, and Sid Cato predicts it’ll end up closer to 50%, next year if not this.
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| 5. | Poor printing can negatively impact a report. True or false?
Answer: False. That’s not part of our 15 copyrighted criteria. If it were, Canada’s Bruncor wouldn’t be lodged in first place with 135 points, its printing admittedly wanting.
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