CHANGING THE FACE OF ANNUAL REPORTS

In its 21st report for BMO Financial Group, Ove helps create a unique cover story and a differentiating point of view for one of North America’s largest banks.

The release of BMO Financial Group’s 2011 annual report marks the latest collaboration in a close working partnership with Ove Brand | Design that dates back to 1991. At a time when many financial institutions have scaled back their annuals to meet basic regulatory requirements, BMO continues to invest significant energy and thought in a publication that is seen as a cornerstone of its communications strategy.

Aimed at a diverse audience – including retail shareholders, institutional investors, current and prospective customers, industry analysts and BMO’s 47,000 employees – the 2011 report is designed to meet wide-ranging expectations with a clear, concise summary of the bank’s recent performance and its vision for the future.

This year BMO was especially conscious of its commitment – initiated with last year’s annual report – to directly address stakeholders’ concerns over continuing global economic challenges. The bank was also welcoming many new customers, shareholders and employees in the U.S. following its acquisition of Milwaukee-based Marshall & Ilsley Corporation.

The Four Faces of BMO
This year’s report cover underlines BMO’s brand as the bank that puts a human face on financial services. In a bold style evoking pop art, the cover immediately signals a focus on people – customers, but also shareholders, employees and the general public – that is central to BMO’s vision: “To be the bank that defines great customer experience.”

The cover recognizes that stakeholders have new questions and expectations but avoids the limitation of trying to paraphrase them. Instead, readers are implicitly invited to fill in their own priorities. And, to further acknowledge the diversity of speakers and perspectives, the report has been published with four covers, each depicting a different face.

A Bank with a Point of View
Another key differentiator for this report – and for BMO generally – is the desire to view the specifics of business performance from a broader perspective that highlights the vital role banks play in the global economy, as well as the responsibilities that come with being trusted stewards of society’s wellbeing.

The report’s opening pages consider four big themes: meeting customer expectations to ensure mutual success; maintaining full accountability to customers and shareholders; gauging the social benefits of an effective banking system; and recognizing that the keys to prosperity and growth are not lost.

The result is a report that BMO believes, based on past experience, will be read, shared and discussed – not just on its release, but in conversations throughout the year ahead.

In addition to the print report, Ove produces BMO’s interactive online version. This year, BMO has continued to move the bar in its goal of providing access to the report by building a mobile-accessible report. The report once again features an interactive chart generator that allows viewers to choose and compare key measures and timeframes. Other tools include search functionality, glossary and a dashboard that allows users to annotate and collect report pages for future reference or sharing.

View BMO’s 2011 report online.